eBook Student Survey

I guess it when it comes to planning and delivering a course using a technology platform such as Moodle, it does become part of normal practice to introduce new resources simply by supplying a suitable link and this year one of these links was to eBooks. So I was more than an little fascinated by report from edudemic.com  '10 Surprising Facts About Students Using E-Textbooks’ From a survey by eCampus.com. It would seem that not surprisingly some 98% of students own a digital device, but maybe that’s a bit too general, but putting this aside a surprising 73% of those students surveyed said ‘they would not be able to study without technology!’ When asked however why they chose eBooks almost half, 48% cited cost, not any kind of techno leverage, a little surprising I felt. So is there a perceived advantage academically in using eBooks? Well around two thirds of those surveyed felt there was an associated saving in time during the typical semester, however only 17% felt that this amounted to more than 3 hours, and with only 2% of students reporting that they used  mobile device in this role, for me seems to put a little question mark on some of those assumptions I keep coming across surrounding mLearning. When the students were asked if they would consider purchasing an eTextbook in the next semester 54% said maybe with only 38% confirming with a definite yes. From my own reading of the infographic, I must confess it does generate some questions, not least that while I agree eGooks are cheaper, a physical book can be re-sold, whereas the DRM (Digital Rights Management) on eBooks will almost certainly prevent this. What do you think, please feel free to comment.

I you are interested in getting started with infographics and I must say I do really enjoy the way they are cable to communicate the facts, then I came across a really nice video tutorial the other day from Linda Braun. The video, which lasts a little under 15 minutes Lynda shows how you can make an infographic using Visualy.ly well worth a view I felt.

200 Resources and Counting

Being on the lookout as I usually am for new resources for eLearning, as I am sure so many of us are, it was a very pleasant surprise the other day to come across the extensive list for elearningindustry.com that details over 200 spread across three lists, the link to Part 1 of the list is here and on the page you will find the others. A really useful web linked compilation of resources I feel and even more so when someone else like elearningindustry puts it together for you. On the same page you will find further lists for Learning Management Systems, so if you are yet to decide on any particular platform as a solution for you eLearning delivery, then this would be a good place to start.

While we are opn the subject of resource lists, browsing the elearningindustry site, I also came across The Ultimate list of Free Stock Photos Sites for eLearning, being able to make use of pictures and images not only as part of your own materials, but also for students in their project work, particular Work Based Learning is a question that I find myself frequently advising on; the bottom line to this of course though is always read the copyright details, they are numerous.

That's all for now, and I hope you find the post useful