EBooks and ESOL
Terence Cavanaugh Ph.D.
Learn about e-books as educational materials. EBooks
are books that have been digitally converted. Discover free software to create
eBooks, and methods to locate and work with existing eBooks. EBooks can be a
more accommodating for the ESOL reader with features like interactive
dictionaries, highlighting, bookmarking, display, mapping, and notes.
The eBook is a form of
publishing in a digital medium where eBooks are in essence books or other
documents that have been converted and “published” with a digital format that
display on specialized reading devices or computers. Because reading is a basic
component of most educational activities, providing alternative formats and
supports for reading activities becomes necessary to reach all students,
especially ESOL and special need students.
Digital or electronic text offers options such as Text-to-Speech that
provide users additional modalities for receiving the information as the
material on the screen is read aloud to the student. New tools now allow students to interact with
the text to the extent of taking notes, marking, highlighting, drawings, bookmarks,
searching, and even having just-in-time learning through the interactions with
associated dictionaries. With modern
editors eBooks can be easily created from web or
word-processed documents. By creating
their own eBooks and using available online libraries, teachers can expand the
accessibility and ease of use both for themselves and their students.
Is this the future of print?
In this paper I wish to expand on the possibilities of using eBooks as a form of accommodation for students with special needs, by looking at both accommodations that are already built in and methods that we can use to create additional accommodations.
According to Adobe (2002) eBooks are digital reading material that you view on a desktop or notebook personal computer, or on a dedicated portable device. EBooks then are textual documents that have been converted and “published” in an electronic format that display on eBook readers, devices or computers using eBook software programs. EBooks then have three basic components: hardware, software, and the eBook file. The hardware of an eBook is usually a device called a reader. The reader is either a computer style device, such as a hand held computer or other PDA, or a desktop or laptop computer that is running a software program that displays the “book” on its screen. The eBook book file, which is read, contains all of the document content, pictures, and other information. Today there are many online libraries and online bookstores that sell electronic books, documents, articles, newspapers and other forms of text. These text documents are usually downloaded through the internet to the reading device. While various competing formats of eBooks exist, the capabilities of eBook readers and the creation programs for creating eBooks have developed and improved. Initially an eBook was a single web page (usually pure text) that was read by scrolling. Today’s eBooks, some of which are still published in “classic” pure text or HTML formats, have exceeded that single page design. Also today’s eBook formats and their “readers” present text in a much more user-friendly style. These eBooks and readers can display book content page by page in a standard portrait orientation, allow users to adjust text size, remember where the user stopped reading, allow readers to take notes within an eBook, add color highlights, automatically look up words on a page, and some will even read the book aloud. To read eBooks, you are no longer required to maintain an internet connection, as the eBook files can be stored and read on laptops, handheld devices, and desktop computers. The variety of readers and the ability of being able to put eBooks onto handheld devices allow readers (the people) to access eBooks anywhere. It is possible for a person to carry his or her own personal library in a pocket for access anytime, storing the eBooks on a computer chip.
According to CAST, in order “to reach learners with disparate backgrounds, interests, styles, abilities, disabilities, and levels of expertise” educational materials should be flexible and adaptable for all learning styles (1998). The modern eBook and reader does seem to meet those conditions. We know that studies have found advantages for struggling readers in using electronic text technology applications because of the nature of electronic text over that of paper-based (McKenna, Reinking, Labbo, & Kiefer 1999). Electronic text can provide scaffolding advantages for students that include voice output, interactive dictionaries, and note taking to assist in achieving learning success (Horney & Anderson-Inman 1998). Standard paper based print text can often present barriers for dyslexic and visually impaired students. The use of eBooks makes information more accessible to students with disabilities; material in digital form offers many advantages and accommodations for students with or without disabilities.
Using eBooks is often no different from using paper based material. The electronic text can take many forms including books, documents, articles, reading lists, and reference files. The eBook files can be distributed to students through storage media, such as floppy disks and CD-ROMs or sent directly to students through e-mail or made available online through the internet. Teachers can compile electronic versions from newspapers, journals, books, documents, and notes and easily convert them into eBook formats. Within the classroom environment, it is necessary that students have access to either desktop or handheld computers. The use of the handheld devices adds a level of mobility and access to texts and references that was heretofore impossible. The eBooks and readers allow the creation of personal reference libraries for students, allowing constant access to educational resources.
EBooks come in a variety of formats, some of which are specific for certain computer platforms and hardware devices while others are cross-platform. HTML or text based eBooks can be used in standard browsers, where users can adjust text styles, sizes, and colors. With HTML or text it is possible for students to search within the eBook and tocopy and paste selected text to other programs. Other formats include Adobe PDF, Rocket, Palm, MS Reader, Mobi, and eBookMan.
Many tools are available at not cost that can convert existing electronic text material into eBook formats. One application is available as a free download is a plug-in for Microsoft Word that allows users to convert any document from Word to the MS Reader lit format. Another program, ReaderWorks, will also convert documents, text, web pages, and books into the lit eBook format (OverDrive, 2002). Other programs are available for the other eBook formats.
Currently there are numerous online libraries and bookstores that distribute freely or sell eBooks. The books range from copyright free texts that include much of classic literature, science and philosophy to current best sellers. Michael Hart, the director of Project Gutenberg, an online free library that stores books in text format, predicted that, "The number of e-books available for free download on the Net will pass 20,000" in 2001 (Rose 2002). Other online libraries store and distribute books in multiple formats, and some of these libraries have become specialized with collections aimed at specific languages, content areas or age groups.
The model of eBook that I have found the most accommodating and advanced is the MS Reader eBook. MS Reader uses a display format called “ClearType” which makes text displayed on a screen look like word in a printed book (Microsoft 2001). While this format may be the most accommodating eBook available today, other formats are sure to follow in abilities.
EBooks have features that traditional paper books do not – users can control the look and feel of the eBook, write in and save notes, highlight text, and add drawings, all within the eBook. Another is advantage is the size and weight of the eBook. The amount of text in an eBook takes no additional space and adds no additional weight to the book, making handheld reader versions highly accessible. The only limit to the number of books that can be put into a reader is the amount of memory available. Recent studies have found that the average middle schooler's backpack weighs over twenty pounds (Petracco 2001), and many of our physically impaired students are unable to carry that amount of material. The ability to carry books, references, notes and other resources electronically allows users to make better use of the information, along with the additional just-in-time learning advantages of options like the interactive dictionaries.
As had already been noted, handheld reading devices are accommodating by size and weight, and handheld devices are also touch screen based with eBook controls usually being single finger controlled. Many of the formats, such as MS Reader for the desk or laptop will also read text aloud, and manufactures are currently working on making the handhelds do the same. EBooks can have interactive dictionaries that allow users to select any word within the eBook and get a definition instantly, or to use another dictionary to look up an instant translation to another language. The MS Reader eBook’s navigation system remembers where the user stops reading and the last place that was viewed allowing for instant return. The text is adaptable allowing users to select from a variety of sizes and font styles. The MS Reader eBook also creates an annotation file that stores reader created bookmarks, highlights, drawings, and notes.
Using the concept of the annotation file, an instructor can go through an eBook and pre-highlight sections (in multiple colors) to assist readers. Then you can create and include advance organizers or notes to assist with the reading, where notes may provide clues, hints, questions, or guides as accommodations. It is even possible to create and add concept maps as drawings into the annotations file. Instructors can create specialized dictionaries that use language adaptations such as simpler language, context, or foreign languages, to be selected as the current interactive dictionary. If you are creating the eBook you can include extra blank pages that can have extra images, concept maps or notes. Once you have created this annotation file for the eBook on your computer, you can distribute it along with the book file so that special needs users will have the annotations when they start reading their eBook. This file can be distributed as often as needed to as many users as desired.
To exemplify how this process can be done allow me to
describe a recent project to adapt a book for a special needs situation. The project involved adapting a book from the
state required reading list titled “A Secret Garden” by Francis Hodgson
Burnett. The book is often used as a
multidisciplinary book for language, science, and health. To adapt this book, I first faced the
question of whether I wanted to create the eBook file or use files that already existed. As the book is in the public domain and
therefore copyright free, I found numerous copies of the book available in the
eBook format that I wanted, from eBook distributors such as Blackmask (www.blackmask.com), which distributes
eBooks in multiple formats including the MS Reader format that I desired. While all the copies of the
The result is that today’s eBook technologies can present features valuable for learners with various abilities, language backgrounds, and special needs. The unique features and capabilities of eBook technologies can provide the accommodations that many of our students need to be successful with text-based materials.
Adobe Systems Incorporated (2002). 2000 Year of the eBook. Available online at http://www.adobe.com/epaper/features/newleaf/main.html.
Anderson-Inman, L. & Horney, M.
(1999). Electronic Books:
CAST - Center for Applied Special Technology (1998). Universal Design for Learning Consortium Envisions Improved Outcomes for Children. Available online at http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=435.
Microsoft Inc. (2001). The Microsoft eBook Story. Available online at http://www.microsoft.com/reader/info.asp.
OverDrive Inc. (2002). ReaderWorks. Available online at http://www.overdrive.com/readerworks/ .
Petracco, P. (2001). Weighing in on Backpacks. School Leader Info Link. Available online at http://www.njsba.org/members_only/publications/school_leader/May-June-2001/info_link.htm.
Reinking, D., L. Labbo, M. McKenna, &
R. Kiefer Eds. (1998). Handbook
of Literacy and Technology..
Rose, M. J. (2002). 2001 Was a Tough Read for E-Books. Wired News, Terra Lycos Network. Available online at http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,49297,00.html?tw=wn20011225.