The Future of E-textbooks

By: Mary Kate McCarrick

Textbooks are things that are most commonly associated with education. They can be big, heavy, and expensive. However, today’s students have the ability to choose between a traditional text book and it newest contender, the e-book.

Technology is an ongoing frontier. New advances are being made every day, and e-books are becoming a common tool in classrooms. Some educators, like Dr. Susan Culpepper, are choosing to use only e-books in their classrooms, leaving the traditional textbook behind.  “I’ve been using them about a year. I hope for students that it’s more accessible [than hardback textbooks] so wherever they are they can read, and so that would help them understand the material better.”

Student using an e-book on a tablet

There are many ways that students can access e-books, whether it be through a tablet, laptop, or smartphone. Taryn Woodget, an elementary education major at the University of Montevallo, says e-books are more convenient than the traditional textbook. “When you need to like pack lightly for something, and you don’t have all the room in your bags it’s just… I don’t know; easy and on-the-go [and] more convenient.”

 E-books also come with features that make it more like a hard copy text book. It has options for highlighting, making notes on the side, bookmarking, and many other things.

Taryn Woodget thinks that e-books will pose some stiff competition for traditional books in the future. “I just think the actual textbook itself will eventually be gone, and everything will be electronic. Nothing like it is now with [having] both electronic copy and hard copy.”

The e-textbook may be here to stay.