The Influence of Digital Interactive Textbook Instruction on Student Learning Preferences,Outcomes, and Motivation

This study examined achievement when an interactive textbook (iBook) was used in place of lecture to teach students to create instructional flipcharts for a Promethean interactive whiteboard. The study was conducted with students enrolled in a required technology course for teachers at a large research-intensive university in the southeastern United States. Further, the study examined the iBook group's perceptions of the benefits and challenges of using an interactive text as an educational tool. The results showed a significant difference in the achievement of students who received instruction delivered through the use of the interactive textbook versus those who received lecture instruction. In addition, the participants indicated that the iBook provided a new way of learning, and also motivated them to learn, made learning more exciting, increased their attention toward instruction, was more efficient, and increased their interest in the class. A few students disliked viewing in landscape view versus portrait view, felt more cues were needed to alert less intuitive multimedia components, and desired access extended to Android platforms. (Keywords: 21st-century skills, interactive textbooks, iBooks, ebooks, teacher education)