INFORMATION LEARNING TECHNOLOGY

It's that time of the year when the booklists are being considered by our teaching staff. Over recent months we have investigated a range of eBooks and how they may be utilised in our teaching programmes.

The interactive, multi-touch nature of an eBook, the inclusion of rich video and audio media, and interactive quizzes, to name a few, all serve students with widely differing learning modes. eBooks are considerably cheaper than their printed counter parts, lighter and easier to transport. They are searchable and can contain links to websites and other resources. Many dictionaries, both English and foreign, and the Classics are often freely available. eBooks also have a lighter environmental footprint. Estimates have printed books requiring 3 times the raw materials, and 78 times the amount of water to produce.

The announcement that an iBook reader will be available in the new Apple Mavericks OS later in the year means the boys will be able to use their laptops to read iBooks. We are exploring the inclusion of eBooks in the booklists for 2013/14 in areas selected by curriculum leaders.

Tags: ILT, eBooks, booklists.