Digital textbooks : what's new?

This book aims to provide an overview of the present situation and future outlook for textbooks, but also to analyze the consequences of digital development on the characteristics and use of textbooks. In putting this book together, we have had the cooperation of internationally renowned professionals who are focusing their attention and research on digital textbooks. Throughout the book and the diverse views of its authors, we tried to answer many important questions, as these listed above. We have chosen to publish an ebook (not a paper book), in coherence with our subject. This ebook is organized in three parts.The first part, “Digital textbooks: general reflections” provides some viewpoints and analyses on the digital phenomenon and their possible implications upon textbooks. Regueira & Rodríguez describes the current state of the art concerning digital textbooks. Their overview discusses several dimensions. Bufrem et al. remind us the importance of hypertext, and implications on digital contents and pedagogical change. Reiris explores new roles and changes with e-books in education. Antía González Ben offers a post-modern analysis of discourses (past, present and future) about digital textbooks in U.S.The second part, “The Digital Textbook around the world”, invites the reader to a journey in different countries around the Globe, in primary, secondary or higher education, sort of overview of the digital textbooks issues. This is not a comparison between countries, as the focus is not exactly the same in each case. But exploring contrasting situations can suggest interesting new ideas. We travel from Quebec (Éthier et al.) to India (Misra), though Brazil (Braga Garcia), Chile (Oyarzún & Quiroga), USA (Mardis & Everhart), Australia (Horsley & Martin) and France (Bruillard). These different case studies provide a list of situations and questions which covers a great deal of issues.Other countries have been contacted through well known researchers, but they have not found sufficient time available to contribute.The third part “Digital textbooks, specific studies” proposes to discuss some issues connected to digital textbooks. How to insure sufficient quality? Reints gives the state of the art in quality. Area et al; propose to go beyond textbooks and to explore new features such as gamification. Gonçalves et al. discuss future teachers’ perceptions of the pedagogical use of digital textbook. Zapico reflects the image of aging in digital curricular materials. Flores et al. present methodological and didactic challenges for primary schools.