Futureteachers’perceptionsofthepedagogicaluseofdigitaltextbookinthelearningprocess

Lapercepcióndelosfuturosprofesoresdelusopedagógicodeloslibrosdetextodigitalesenlosprocesosdeaprendizaje

Apercepcióndosfuturosprofesoresdousopedagóxicodoslibrosdetextodixitaisnosprocesosdeaprendizaxe

DanielaGonçalvesCENTRODEESTUDOSEMDESENVOLVIMENTOHUMANO(CEDH)/ESEDEPAULAFRASSINETTI

CristinaVieiraSilvaCENTRODEINVESTIGAÇÃOPAULAFRASSINETTI(CIPAF-ESEPF)/CIEC–UNIVERSIDADEDOMINHO

IsabelCláudiaNogueiraCENTRODEINVESTIGAÇÃOPAULAFRASSINETTI(CIPAF-ESEPF)

Abstract: Using digital textbook (from now on, DTB) in the learning context has been gradually gainingimportance inthe21stcenturyeducationalscenarios.Nevertheless, there isambiguity inthe literatureand intheeducational field as far as the advantages and efficiency of thewidespread use of digital textbook. In order tounderstand,inthePortuguesecontext,theimplicationsforeseen,asfarasthelearningprocessisconcerned,ontheuse of digital textbook, the present study focuses on students’ perceptions of some pedagogical and functionalissuesrelatedtotheuseofdigitaltextbookandwascarriedonatahigherSchoolofEducationinOporto.Atotalofsixty-sixstudentsfrompostgraduateclasses(futureteachers/educatorsofchildrenfromfiveuptoelevenyearsold)participatedinthestudybycompletingasurveyquestionnaireregardingtheirrepresentationsontheirfamiliarity,perceivedpedagogicaladvantages,textbookformatpreferences(printvs.digital)andlearningpotentialityofthedigital textbook. The results illustrate the importance given to digital textbook, and despite the fact that thestudentswere,toalargeextent,unawareoftheconceptofdigitaltextbook,theirperceptionsontheusabilityandpedagogicalaspectsindicate,ontheonehand,theneedforcontinuedgrowthinthenumberandvarietyofdigitaltextbookmadeavailableand,ontheotherhand,thatmoreresearchonthissubjectisneeded.Keywords:Digitaltextbook,teacherstraining,perceptions

Resumen:Elusodelibrosdetextodigital(deahoraenadelante,LTD)nocontextoeducativofoigañandopoucoapoucoimportancianosescenarioseducativosdoséculo21.Sinembargo,hayunaambigüedadenlaliteraturayenelámbitoeducativocuantoalasventajasylaeficaciadelautilizacióngeneralizadadellibrodetextodigital.Conelfindeentender,enel contextoportugués, las consecuencias,paraelprocesodeaprendizaje,delusode librodetexto digital, el presente estudio se centra en las percepciones de los estudiantes sobre algunas cuestionespedagógicas y funcionales relacionados con el uso de libros de texto digitales y se llevó a cabo en una EscuelaSuperior deEducación situada en elPorto. El total de sesenta y seis estudiantesde clasesdeposgrado (futurosprofesores/educadoresdeniñosdecincohastaonceaños)participaronenelestudio,completandoelcuestionariocon respecto a sus representaciones cuanto a su familiaridad, ventajas pedagógicas percibidas, formatopreferencialdelectura(impresiónvsdigitalmente)ylapotencialidadparaelaprendizajedellibrodetextodigital.Losresultadosilustranlaimportanciaquesedaaloslibrosdetextodigitales,yaunquelosestudiantesexpresan,engranmedida,undesconocimientodelconceptode librode textodigital, suspercepcionescuantoasuusoya losaspectospedagógicosindican,enprimerlugar,lanecesidaddeuncrecimientocontinuotantocuantoasuimportecuantoalavariedaddelibrosdisponiblesentextodigitaly,además,quesenecesitamásinvestigaciónsobreestetema.Palabrasclave:librodetextodigital,formacióndeprofesorado,percepciones

Resumo:Ousode librosdetextodixital (deagoraendiante,LTD)nocontextoeducativo foigañandopoucoepouco importancia nos escenarios educativos do século XXI. Porén, existe unha ambigüidade na literatura e noámbitoeducativoencantoásvantaxeseaeficaciadautilizaciónxeneralizadado librodetextodixital.Cofindeentender,nocontextoportugués,asconsecuenciasparaoprocesodeaprendizaxedousodelibrodetextodixital,opresenteestudocéntrasenaspercepciónsdoalumnadodunhaescolasuperiordeeducaciónsituadanoPortosobrealgunhascuestiónspedagóxicasefuncionaisrelacionadoscousodelibrosdetextodixitais.Participaronnoestudoototaldossesentaeseisestudantesdeclasesdeposgrao(futuroprofesoradoeeducadores/asdenenosenenasdecinco ata once anos), que cubrion o cuestionario con respecto ás representacións en canto á súa familiaridade,vantaxes pedagóxicas percibidas, formato preferente de lectura (impresión vs dixitalmente) e a potencialidadeparaaaprendizaxedolibrodetextodixital.Osresultadosilustranaimportanciaqueseconcedeaoslibrosdetextodixitais,eaíndaqueosestudantesexpresan,engranmedida,undescoñecementodoconceptode librode textodixital, as súas percepcións en cuanto ao seu uso e aos aspectos pedagóxicos indican, en primeiro lugar, anecesidade dun crecemento continuo tanto en relación á súa importancia como en canto á variedade de librosdispoñiblesentextodixitale,ensegundo,anecesidadedeseguirinvestigandosobreestetema.Palabraschave:librodetextodixital,formacióndeprofesorado,percepcións

IIntroduction

ncontemporarysocieties,childrenandteenagersaregrowingupinaworldwheredigitaltechnologyisallover.Thewidespreaduseofinformationtechnologyandcommunication(ICT)andonlineservicesbytheteenagersintheirlives,whether

forleisure,funorintheirsocialrelationshipshasanimpactontheirlearningneeds,ontheirrequirementsandexpectations.Thereisthereforeaneedtoequipthemwiththeabilitytolearnskillsfortheirpersonaldevelopment,toparticipateinsocietyandin futureworking life, because they are increasinglyusing ICT to learn everything.Thatishowthis“learningnewgeneration”(alsocalledtheNewMillenniumLearnersby OECD) was born and how new learning forms are arising, such as informallearning,largelyboosted,thoughnotdetermined,bytheopportunitiesofferedbyICT.Considering the fast pace of ICT evolution,we think that educational institutions

(particularlythoseengagedinteachertraining)shouldconsiderastrategicupdateofthedifferentpossibilities that technologyoffers,bybringexamples,practicesand/ortheoriestypicalofthisarisingscenarioofthenewlearning.Despite the existence of numerous ICT application possibilities, new ICT tools,

public social network applications -Web 2.0 and Learning 2.0-, as well as recentopportunitiestolearnviamobileorplayinggames,amongothers,theDTBreallyfitsboth this educational paradigm and the way this new generation learns. In fact,accordingtoMorgadoandMorgado(2012:148),«educationalinstitutionsareledbyactorswhostrivetodeliberatelyassumethemselvesas“digitalimmigrants”,havinginmindagenerationof“digitalnatives”thatrequiresactiveandevolvablemethods,soknowledgeandknowledgeprocessingmustoccurinnewformats,morechallenging,so that “digital natives” could identify with them, by taking advantage of ICT ingeneral»,andofDTBinparticular.Consideringthatthecurrentandfuturelearninginaknowledge-baseddigitalsociety

is more horizontal and open, comprising learners as active contributors, new

challengesarise.Somearealreadywithus,namely,theimportanceofsoft/transversalskills (e.g.: learning to learn, creativity, innovation, collaboration), the teachers’crucial (but changing) role, the increasing value of informal learning, and thealternative methods to assess, and certify the skills, the tacit knowledge and theexperienceskills,amongothers.Therefore,it’surgentforschoolsandteachertrainingschools to find ways to support this new learning generation, opening paths formodernlearninginordertoacquireskillstoaprofessionalcontext,notforgettingthelearners’ perceptions regarding the current context. In this work, the concern is tounderstand and discuss the prospective teachers’ perceptions as far as DTB isconcerned, using as a reference the teacher education at an education school inPortugal.

ThetrainingcontextofstudyparticipantsSince itsorigin, theEscolaSuperiordeEducaçãodePaulaFrassinetti (ESEPF)hasbeendevelopingitsactivitythroughthesystematicandunsystematiceducationwithaspecialconcern:thepromotionofaglobaleducationandtheharmoniousdevelopmentof the human being in its different dimensions (individual, communitarian andtranscendent).ESEPF establishesEducation as a scientific andprofessional domainthat, in a transdisciplinarity process, aims to generate, spread out and applyknowledge on multiple contexts, speeches, citizens and processes that configureeducation as a field of practice and research, benefiting from a closeness relationamong collaborative college members, students and institutions. In this direction,undergraduate courses constitute a first stage in the professional training anddevelopment of kindergarten, primary and middle school education teachers,intending to develop knowledge that constitute basic foundations of the personal,professionalandcitizenshipdevelopmentinademocraticsociety.Thiscurriculumisorganizedtoallowtheskilldevelopmentindifferentknowledge

areas,which forms thebasis to thesecondstudycycleandentitles to teaching.Theobjectives definition represents the purpose of a consistent training in the areas ofGeneralEducationalTraining,TeachingTraining,SpecificTeachingandInitiationtotheProfessionalPractice, asdefinedby theDecree-Law42/2005of22ndFebruary,the Decree-Law 74/2006 of 24thMarch and the Decree-Law n.º 43/2007 of 22ndFebruary, articulated with the general and specific profile of the professionalperformance of the Infancy Educator and the Teacher of Primary and SecondaryEducation. The learning of the human being, the knowledge and the know-howconstitute thepillarsof thisdynamicprocessof training,basedon theparticipation,negotiation,reflectionandtheknowledgequestioning.ESEPF main goal is the reflection, scientific production, the training of

students/teachers and the knowledge disclosure in the education field. Within its

principles, there is the purpose of developing these aspects in a humanitarian,participativeway,supportedbythecontinuousscientificknowledgedevelopment.Allthe studycycles intend toconstruct aglobalperspective inpolitical,organizational,curricula, educational psychology and social aspects. Thus, the purpose is theassimilation of scientific, artistic and technological knowledge by students, whichallowstheconstructionofaglobaloverviewofchildrenandthecontextswheretheygrowanddevelop.Thedevelopmentof thisknowledgeandofpersonal/professionalskills is enabled by reflection attitudes, critical spirit, the intellectual curiosity,opennesstodiversityandcollaborativework,inathroughoutlifetrainingperspective.

GoalsofthestudySomeoftheproblemsrelatedtotheuseofDTB-thedifficultyofreadingfromdigitaldisplay,theneedofmasteringdigitalandthecognitiveskillsformakingeffectiveuseofthistool,andthelackofalargerandmorediverserangeofDTBavailable(whencomparedtotheheavyweightofprintedversionsoftextbooks),amongothers-havebeenemergingassomeof themost important reasons that justify therelatively lowuseofDTBinthecontextofPortugueseeducationalsystem.Accordingly, and in order to verify if these problems were perceived by our

postgraduate students, the main goals of this study were to determine students’perceptionsofthefollowingaspects:

1. Knowledgeonthedigitaltextbookformat;2. Expectationsontheuseofthedigitalversusprintedtextbook;3. Pedagogical potentialities and limitations of the DTB in learning

environments.

ToolsA structured survey questionnaire consisting of twelve questions was designed inordertoretrievedataconcerning:

i. thesample’scharacterizationintermsofthestudents’ageandthefrequencyofcomputer’suse;

ii. students’perceptionsaboutthefollowingaspects:1. Knowledge on theDTB format in terms of their familiaritywith the

concept, level/degree of experience and identification of the relevantfeatures;

2. Expectationsontheuseofthedigitalversusprintedtextbookasfarasitsusefulness,specificpurposesandformatpreferences;

3. Pedagogicalpotentialities and limitationsof theDTB in termsof theperceived learning potentiality, the impact on study methods andpossibleadvantagesanddisadvantages.

The questions were presented in a deliberate random sequence, in order to revealpossibleinconsistenciesintheanswers,giventhefactthatwearedealingwithstudentrepresentations.Ratingsweremadeona1-2,1-4or1-5Likertscaleforsomequestions,depending

onthesubject. Insomeotherquestions,ratingspoint to thenumberofstudents thatagreewithagivenstatement.Thesurveyquestionnairewasdistributedduringthefallsemesterin2012andcanbefoundinAppendixA.

ParticipantsDatawere collected anonymously, during the 1st semester of the school year 2012-2013fromthreepostgraduateclassesthatconstitutedtheconveniencesampleforthisstudy. The participants, 65 students (all female), were carrying their postgraduatestudiesinordertobecomeeducators/teachersoffivetoelevenyearoldchildren.Theselection of the participants to integrate the study was restricted to postgraduatestudents,ontheaccountoftheirexperiencebothintheeducationalcontextandinthedomain of ITC; only one responded that doesn´t use the computer in her dailypractice.The sample student´s average age is 21 and a half years old and its distribution

accordingtoageisshowninfigure1(age–horizontalaxis;frequencyornumberofparticipants–verticalaxis).

ProcedureStudents were asked via electronic mail to complete the questionnaire, which wasadministered on a google.doc format1. It was not compulsory to complete thequestionnaire, since it was not part of the any class requirements and studentsparticipatinginthestudyweregivennoincentivetodoso.Duetoschedulingissuesandtimeconsiderations, itwasnotpossibletoconducta

pilotstudy(pre-test)ofthesurveyquestionnaire.

Results:presentationanddiscussionTheresultswillbepresentedinordertoattendtothethreemajorstudygoalsasfarasstudent’sperceptionof:

i. theirknowledgeonthedigitaltextbookformat;ii. theirexpectationsontheuseofthedigitalversusprintedtextbookandiii. the perceived pedagogical potentialities and limitations of the DTB in

learningenvironments.

Students’knowledgeonthedigitaltextbookformatInordertodeterminethestudents’knowledgeonDTB,theywereaskedtoevaluatetheirfamiliaritywiththeconcept,theirlevelofexperienceandtoidentifytherelevantfeaturesofDTB.Asfarasthefirstquestionisconcerned,wefoundthat60%oftherespondentswere

notfamiliarwiththeconcept.Asfortheminorityoftheparticipantsthatansweredaffirmatively,theywereasked

to identify thecontexts theyassociatedwith theuseof theconcept.Only7did thatidentification:eachoneidentifiedonlyonecontextand,aswecanseebelow,thereisasomewhatgeneralizedconfusionbetweentheconceptofDTBandthatofadigitaltext:

Inprimaryschoolmanuals;Actualdailynews,schoolsandstudentsreadingsupport;Didactic(Educational)booksintheclassroomorludicbooksduringthefreetime;Textbooksthatcanbedigitalinteachingcontextandplayfultoo;Itisthebookthatcanberead/lookeduponthecomputer;Ioften see,moreandmorepeopleusingPDA’s,mobiledevices, laptops toread books. Instead of carrying books often heavy, people choose digital

books;Actualdailynews,schoolsandstudentsreadingsupport.

Thismismatch in the conceptualizationofDTB is notnewand it canbe explainedattending to the low rate of use and implementation of DTB in the academicPortuguesecontext,whichmakesthemstillverypoorlyunderstooddevices.In the next question, the participantswere asked to evaluate their level/degree of

experience with DTB. The majority of them stated they have never experienced(54%)andaboutonethirdhadalimitedexperiencewiththistool.Onlyfivestudentsevaluatedtheirexperienceasgoodandnooneconsideredtheirlevelofexperiencetobeexceptional/high.Accordingtothisscenario,weconsiderthatteachertrainingshouldemphasizethe

disseminationofnewmultimedia learning resources like theDTB, truly taking intoaccountthechallengesofadigitalculture.Inoneof thefinalquestions, theparticipantswereasked to identify, fromasetof

givenfeatures,theonestheyconsideredtoberelevanttodescribetheDTB.

Althoughourparticipants’knowledgeonDTBwaspoor,theywereabletoidentify,inanequalmanner,someofthemostrelevantfeaturesofthistoolasbeingitsdynamismandinteractivity(giventhebenefitsfromlearningwithhypermediaandmultimedia),itsattractivenessandconstantupdating.Anticipating the students’ unfamiliarity with the subject, we thought it would be

interestingtoexploretheirexpectationsbothonthegeneraluseandontheperceived

pedagogicalpotentialitiesandlimitationsoftheDTB.

Students’expectationsontheuseofthedigitalversusprintedtextbookInoneofthenextquestions,weaskedthestudentstoratetheirexpectationsfortheusefulnessofthedigitaltextbook.

The majority of the students rated their expectations as being good and only 5students (8%)asbeingexceptional/high.Aconsiderableminorityof37%,however,reported to havenull or limited expectations as far as theDTBusefulness.Wecaninterpret these answers as indicators that theremaybe a lack of interest on part ofschoolsorsimplyalackofknowledgeaboutthisavailabletechnology.StudentswerethenaskedtoratetheirexpectationsontheuseoftheDTBasfaras

specificpurposes(ludic,teaching,bothludicandteachingorprofessionalingeneral).Theresultscanbeseeninfigure7:

AlmosthalfofthesestudentsreportedexpectingtouseDTBforcombinedludicandteaching purposes, thirty-six percent for professional purposes and thirteen percentonlyfor teachingpurposes.Wewouldlike toenhancehereacertaindepreciationofthe ludic functionality,per se, of theDTB, unlesswhen combinedwith a teachingpurpose,whichseemstobeamostrelevantfeatureforthesestudentswhowillsoonbeteachers.Withthenextquestion,weintendedtoperceivehowmuchtheyexpectedtousethe

digital textbook in comparison to the paper book. Once again, the participantsrevealed a wise sense of proportion: none of them reported expecting to use onlypaperbookandonlyonestatedtheintentionofusingexclusivelythedigitaltextbook.Themajorityof theparticipants, fiftyonepercent, reported they intendedtouse thepaperanddigitaltextaboutevenly.Infact,otherstudies[likeWeisberg(2011)]haveshownthat,asfarasstudentsare

concerned, DTB are becoming more and more popular but are not yet ready tocompletelyreplacetextbooks:

Theydo seevalue inhaving their textbookavailabledigitallyon thecomputer for research. In thestudy,71%ofthestudentsreportedthattheywouldusetheircomputerasasecondarytextbookifthetextbookwasavailableindigitalformat.(Weisberg2011193)

Students’ perceived pedagogical potentialities and limitations of the DTB inlearningenvironments.As far as the potentiality of the DTB, almost two thirds of the participants (63%)statedthatthistechnologywould,indeed,leadtochangesinstudymethods,statementthatcanbeinterpretedtoportraytheimportancegiventothistool.WhenaskedtoidentifythepedagogicaladvantagesofusingtheDTB,wefoundout

thattheparticipantsenhancethefactthatitmotivatesthestudentforstudyactivitiesand,atthesametime,releasestheteacherforapersonalizedserviceoftheindividualstudent difficulties. By doing so, it further facilitates the search for contents andallowsthestudenttoworkathisownpace.

Indeed, when we take into consideration the need to attend individual educationalneeds, we quickly get to the conclusion that the printed textbook is just aninstructional device thatmakes it easier for the teacher to teach and the student tolearn in a scaffolding logic.On the contrary, theDTB evolved from being the pdfversion of the textbook to a more dynamical resource that nowadays incorporatesothertools(suchasvideos,hyperlinks,andvirtualreality)inacollaborativelogicthatinvolvesbothteachersandstudentsinthecreationandconstructionofknowledge.Finally,wealsowantedtoidentifythelimitsandconstraintsoftheDTB,whichcan

beseeninthisfinalfigure.

Oneof themain concerns the students reveal as far as theDTBconstraints are theoften-allegedneedfortechnologicalskillsthatmaynotbefamiliartoallstudentsorteachers.Thisis,however,afalseclaim,especiallyifweconsideryoungerlearners.AccordingtoKim&Jung(2010),therehasbeenachangeintheroleandcognitionoftheNet-GenerationLearner:

The educational system of the 21st century must prepare life-long learners who are capable ofprocessing vast amounts of knowledge on a daily basis. In traditional South Korean educationalsystem, the student is a vessel receiving the knowledge the teacher transmits. Therefore, goodstudents are characterizedby skills suchas listeningattentively, summarizingcontent, takingnotesandtakingtests.Incontrast,21stcenturylearnersneedtobeself-directed,activeproblemsolvers,andknowledgegeneratorswhodesign their own learninggoals. [...] In particular, this characteristic ofself-regulated learners is key to the definition of theNet-generation as it has come of age on theInternet. Net generation is another name for Generation Y who has grown-up with informationtechnology. Reared in cyberspace, the Net-generation thinks differently from the old generation.Theoristsarguethatpersonalcomputers,personaldigitalassistants,GameBoysandtheInternetmaydisplace formal schooling as the primary means of developing thinking skills. [...] The newcomputationalmediademandsstudentswithnewhabitsofmindandtheabilitytomasternewskillssuchasprogrammingandalgorithmicthinking.(Kim&Jung2010,249-250).

Thischangeintheroleandcognitionofyoungerlearnershasnot,however,affectedmost educators, whowill be willing to admit that their students knowmore abouttechnologythantheydo.Thisnecessarilymeansthat,ifwewanttokeepupwiththeirrhythm,wewillhavetolearntomeettheirneeds.As far as the cost of textbooks, we all know how expensive textbooks can be.

Reynolds (2011) conducted a recent study in the United States that concluded thefollowing:

“While digital textbook sales currently represent a small portion of the overall textbookmarket –approximately1.5%-yearoveryearincreasesshowstrongandsteadygrowth”[...]

Withdigitaltextbooksfrommanypublisherscontinuingtosellfor50%ofprinttextbookprices,studentsareturningtodigitalsolutionsasalower-pricedalternative”.(Reynolds2011,179-180)

Again,DTBcanbeconsideredameanstoreduceeducationalcosts,attendingtothefactthatprintingtextbooks,becauseofthetimeandmoneyrequiredbythepublishingprocessare,actually,moreexpensive.Furthermore,printedtextbooksareexpectedtobeusedforaperiodfromseveralyearstoadecade,butweknowthatthecontentofthebookcanbequicklyoutdatedbeforethat.

BriefconsiderationsonDTBinthePortuguesecontextInthePortuguesecontext,asinothercountries,educationhastraditionally(andstillis, toa largeextent)basedonprintedmaterial.According to the surveycarriedoutwithintheAssociaçãoPortuguesadeEditoreseLivreiros(thePortugueseAssociationofPublishersandBooksellers),thenumberofdigitaltextbookpublishedinPortugaluntiltheendof2012isirrelevantwhencomparedtotheprintedtextbookeditions.Becauseofthecosts(bothoftimeandmoney)requiredbythispublishingprocess,

printedtextbooksare,nowadays,expectedtobeusedforaperiodofseveralyearsandthe loan is presently being considered a valid option both by the parents and thegovernment. In recent legislation on textbook evaluation and certification (Decree-Law n.º 258-A/2012), the government continues to ignore the digital textbookspecificity and no reference is made to it: among other criteria, all textbooks aresubjecttotheevaluationofphysicalfeaturesasweight,dimensions,andothercriteriaonlyapplicabletoprintedbooks.This general trend has, to a certain extent, restrained the publishers intention to

investinthedigitaledition.Inparalleltothis,wemustrememberthatwhatRodríguezRodríguez eMonteroMesa (2012) identify in theSpanish context, also happens inPortugal, namely. In most cases, teachers end up following almost verbatim theschedulecontemplatedintheprintedtextbooksnotonlytofacilitatetheiraction,butalsoduetothedifficultyinusingefficientlyandeffectivelytheICT.Whatstartedoutasapotentialadvantagetodealwiththefactthatstudentsarecomingtoschoolwithdifferent skill sets has been facing the educators anxiety towards the impact ofintegratingdigitalcontentintotheexistingcurriculum.However,as thepaceofchangeevolves, it isnot infrequent tofindeducators that

arewilling to recognize that a printed book is already outdatedwhen it gets to befinallypublished. Indeed,printed textbookscannotoftencopewith the increasinglyshort life cycle of knowledge. Furthermore, the volume and variety of informationrequired by the learners of the 21st century, used to processing vast amounts ofknowledge, is hardly compatiblewith the physical limitations of printed textbooks.Digital textbooks can effectively overcome these limitations, due to their storagecapacity, being able to further incorporate resources such as animations and video.

Indeed,although theDTBalreadyexists since the90s,with technologicaladvancessince then, the use of it has become increasingly attractive as, in addition to thecharacteristicsof theconventionalbook, theDTBalsooffersoftenaudioandvideoresourcestohelpthereaderassimilatetheinformationcontainedinthetext.Another important difference between DTB and printed text book that quickly

emergedwastheabilitytosearchtextwithouthavingtorelyonanindex,asinDTBitispossibletodokeywordorexpressionsearch.Asthedigitaltextbooksbecamemoreappellative,manytextbooksstartedtoadopt

online interfaces to help with students’ homework, helping the consolidation oflearnedsubjects,sincestudentscancomplete theirhomeworkevenbeingoffline. Inthiscase,itisnecessarytoloadafullversionofthesoftwareattachedtothetextbookandthen,whenthestudentcomesbackonline,itcansendhisworkviaemailorvianetwork.Nowadays, in the Portuguese context, there are textbooks’ publishers that already

offerdigitaltextbookswiththeirprintedversions;insomecases,whenpurchasingaprintedmanual,thepublisheroffersforfreethesamebutindigitalformat.However,the characteristics of each digital version vary frompublisher to publisher,with nowell-definedcriteriatoevaluatethisteachingresource.Thequestionthatcomestomindis,then,whatarethecharacteristicsthatidentifya

DTB.According toKim&Yung (2010) these can be reduced to four specific features:

hypertext,multimedia,interactivityandself-regulatedlearning.As faras thehypermedia feature isconcerned, this isconsidered tobeoneof the

most beneficial features. Contrary to the traditional printed textbooks, digitaltextbooksallowformuchmoreflexibilitybothinthedeliveringofinstructionandinthe construction of an individualized knowledge. Different theoretical perspectiveshave been arguing that “hypermedia environments allow for active, constructive,flexible,adaptive,andself-regulatedlearning”,atthesametimeit“allowsthelearnertoactivelycontrolthelearningprocessratherthanbeingdirectedbyateacherortheargumentativestructureofatextbook”(Kim&Yung2010,254).Learningfrommultimediaisanotherspecificfeaturethathasbeensuggestedinthe

literature to foster cognitive change, facilitating information processing in learning.By promoting the contact with several multimedia products like games, videos,audios,animationsandsoon,digitaltextbooksexploremultiplesensorychannels,inwhich verbal and non-verbal (visual and spatial clues) combine to offer the mosteffectivelearningenvironments.Combining multimedia with carefully designed interactive resources that provide

feedback in learning offers the learner the possibility to gain conscience about thelearningprocess. In fact, educational researchershavepointedout that, “despite the

ability to interactwith the instructionalmaterials(behavioralactivity), learningmaynot occur if opportunities to obtain feedback and to reflect (cognitive activity) areabsent. Therefore, the interactivity principle needs to be considered in combinationwiththeprinciplesofguidanceandreflection.”(Kim&Yung2010,255)Inordertoclarifywhatkindofactivitiesarewedealingwith,wecanconsiderthefivecommontypesofinteractivityinmultimediaenvironmentspresentedbyMoreno&Mayer,inKim&Yung2010):

“Therearefivecommontypesof interactivity inmultimediaenvironments:dialoguing,controlling,manipulating,searching,andnavigation.Bydialoguing,thelearnercanaskaquestionandreceiveananswer, or can give an answer and receive feedback. For example, in the course of learning, thelearner can seek help from an on-screen agent or can click on a highlighted word in a hypertextenvironment to get additional information. Interactivity enables the learner to determine the paceand/ororderoflearningepisode.Forexample,withanarratedanimation,thelearnermaybeabletocontrol the pace by using a pause/play key, or by using a continue (or forward) buttonwhen thematerialispresentedinsegments;andthelearnerisabletocontroltheorderbyusingaforwardandbackkey,rewindkey,slidebar,oramenufordirectaccesstoaparticularsegment.Interactivitythatismanipulativeallows the learner tocontrolaspectsof thepresentation, suchassettingparametersbeforeasimulationruns,zoominginorout,ormovingobjectsaroundthescreen.Whereinteractivityis accomplished by searching, the learner is able to engage in information seeking by entering aquery,receivingoptions,selectinganoption,andsoon,asinanInternetsearch.Interactivitythatisbasedonnavigationenables the learner todetermine thecontentofa learningepisodebyselectingfromvariousavailable sources, suchasbyclickingonamenu (Moreno&Mayer2007)”. (Kim&Jung2010,255-256).

Finally, learning in a self-regulated learning process is another one of the specificfeatures that, in common, define the DTB. In fact, learning with a hypermediaenvironmentindigitaltextbooksdemandsfromthestudenttheabilitytoregulatehisorherlearning,namelywhencompelledtomakechoicesaboutwhattolearn,howtolearnandwhentolearn.The shift from the traditional educational paradigm to an emergent one is partly

driven by a net generation who has grown up with information technology.Nowadays, we observe that this generation, always connected and engaged in thecomputationalmedia,thinksandrelatesdifferentlyfromthepreviousgenerations.Infact, several authors (for instance,Gee2003)havebeenarguing that the traditionalfocusonlanguageskillsbasedontheabilitytoreadandwrite(essentialintheprintedworld) is being challengedby theneed to interact inmultimodal literacy scenarios,which,aswehaveseen,caneasilybeexploredinadigitalsupport.We believe that this fact has to be taken into consideration when evaluating the

pedagogical implicationsof theuseof theDTBand,for that reason,wefocusedonstudents’ perceptions (future teachers/educators of children from five up to elevenyears old) of some pedagogical and functional issues related to the use of DTB,namely regarding their representations on their familiarity, perceived pedagogical

advantages,textbookformatpreferences(printvs.digital)andlearningpotentialityoftheDTB.

FinalremarksResultsofthecurrentstudyprovidedameaningfulcontributiontoourunderstandingof theperceivedknowledge,expectationsandpedagogicalpotentialitiesof theDTBbyourstudents.Althoughthestudentsparticipatinginthisstudywere,toalargeextent,unawareof

the concept of DTB, their perceptions on the usability and pedagogical aspectsindicate,ontheonehand,theneedforcontinuedgrowthinthenumberandvarietyofDTBmade available and, on the other hand, that more research on this subject isneeded.The findings that students tend tohaveapositive thoughmoderatepreference for

theDTB,incomparisontotheprintedversion,isinagreementwithreportsfrommoststudiesonthesubject.(seeWeisberg(2011)forinstance).Asfarastheusabilityaspectsareconcerned,wewouldliketoenhancethestudents’

perceptionas for the flexibility in reachingeasily to thecontent and formotivatingstudents,atthesametimeitfreesboththeteacherandthestudenttomoresignificanttasks.Thecurrentstudyhassomelimitationsconcerningmainlythereducedsamplesize

andthefact thatparticipantsarestudents inaneducationalgraduateprogramwhichprovidesthemhighercomputer/digitalskillsthantheaveragestudent.Furthermore, the questionnaire used in the study did not undergo a large - scale

validationprocess.Infuturestudies,andaftervalidatingthequestionnaire,specialcareshouldbegiven

to the testing of a larger group, comparing students’ attitudes from differentproficiencylevels,forinstance.Wemustemphasize, in teacher training, theneed todisseminate thesemultimedia

learningresourcesifwedon’twanttobeleftbehind.Itispossibletoinfer,fromtheseresults,theneedtodevelopdigitalskillsinteacherssothatthesecanuseavarietyofteaching resources with their students, including digital, facilitating the learningprocessandrelyingonhigherstudentmotivation.

ReferencesDecree-Law 42/2005 of 22nd February (available athttp://www.uc.pt/ge3s/pasta_docs/DL_42-2005_ECTS.pdf).

Decree-Law 74/2006 of 24th March (available athttp://www.mctes.pt/legislation/Decree_law74-2006.pdf).

Decree-Law n.º 43/2007 of 22nd February (available athttp://www.dges.mctes.pt/NR/rdonlyres/84F15CC8-5CE1-4D50-93CF-C56752370+C8F/1139/DL432007.pdf).

Decree-Law n.º 258-A/2012 of 5th December (available athttp://dre.pt/pdf1sdip/2012/12/23501/0000200003.pdf)

Gee,J.P.2003.Whatvideogameshavetoteachusaboutlearningandliteracy?NewYork:PalgraveMacmillan.

Kim, Jackie Hee-Young & Hye-Yoon Jung. 2010. South Korean Digital TextbookProject, Computers in the Schools, 27: 3-4, 247-265.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2010.523887.

Moreno, R., & Mayer, R. E. 2007. Interactive multimodal learningenvironments:Contemporaryissuesandtrends.EducationalPsychologyReview,19,309-326.

Morgado,E.eMorgado,L.2012.“Thinking the (Re)IntegrationofTechnologies inEducation” inDigital Gap: ICT, School and Local Development. (Coords.) Cid,XoséManuel,RodríguezRodríguez,Jesús,Gonçalves,Daniela.Porto:ESEPF,147-151.

Reynolds,R.2011.TrendsInfluencingtheGrowthofDigitalTextbooksinUSHigherEducation. Publishing Research Quarterly, 27 (2), 178-187.http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12109-011-9216-5.

RodríguezRodríguez,J.&MonteroMesa,M.L.2012.Theopinionofprimary-schoolteachers regarding textbooks and printed curricular materials 318 developed tosupport their teaching activities. Educational Media International, 49, 2, 123-137.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2012.683962.

Weisberg, M. 2011. Student Attitudes and Behaviors Towards Digital Textbooks.Publishing Research Quarterly, 27 (2), 188-196.http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12109-011-9217-4.

AppendixA–Surveyquestionnaire1.Age:

2.Doyouoftenusethecomputerinyourdailypractice?

YesNo

3.Knowtheconceptof“DigitalTextbook”?

YesNo

3.1Ifyouansweredyes,pleasedescribeinwhichcontextyouidentifyit

4.EvaluateyourexperiencetodatewithDigitalBooks.

NullReducedGoodExceptional/High

5.EvaluateyourexpectationsregardingtheDigitalBooksusefulness.

NullReducedGoodExceptional/High

6.EvaluatehowyouwillexpecttousetheDigitalbookinthenearfuture.

LudicTeachingBothludicandteachingProfessionals

7.EvaluatetheDigitalBookpotentialbenefitsforlearning.

NullReducedGoodExceptional/High

8.Evaluatehowyouexpect touse thepaperbooksversusDigitalBook in thenearfuture.

OnlypaperbookMainlypaperbookBothinthesamewayMainlyDigitalBookOnlydigitalBook

9.Thistechnologywillchangethewayyoustudy.

YesNo

10.HowdoyouclassifytheDigitalBook?

DynamicAttractiveInteractiveConstantlyupdated

11.TheDigitalBookisanadvantage(isanasset)asitpermits:

TotakenotesTounderlineTolookupcontentsTomotivatethestudentforstudyingactivitiesThestudenttoworkathisownpaceTo release the teacher for apersonalized serviceof the individual studentsdifficultiesOther:

12.TheDigitalbookisadifficultresourcebecause:

HighercostthanpaperbookNeedsatechnologicalabilitythatnotallstudentsarepreparedNeedsatechnologicalabilitythatnotallteachersareprepared Enhances the possibility of plagiarism or improper use of the internetcontentsAllowsareducedinteractivitywiththeuserOnlyenablestoimplementthetraditionalteachingroutinesalreadyusedintraditionalpaperbooks

Other:

1 available on https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dDlIczJfR3BkamxPdU5YOGp5d3loclE6MQ