Hannah StrandApple has its sights on the education sector with the launch of a new version of its iBook software that will make it possible for publishers to create textbooks, complete with embedded videos, especially for iPad users. The move announced over the weekend lays down the gauntlet to Amazon’s Kindle, as well as the good old paperback.
It’s still staggering to think how much technology has changed even in the 21st century. I recently discussed distance learning with a friend of my father. He told me how moved to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania at the age of 16 and as a result had to complete his o’levels from there. It would take many months to receive the initial course material via regular mail and once each assignment was completed he had to return it using the same route. Having just completed my degree online from Tanzania under different circumstances in a digital world, I’m not so sure I would have had the patience.
Had it not been for eBooks I highly doubt I’d of been able to complete my course at all. Not only are digital textbooks kinder on the planet than their paper alternatives, they’re also a lot cheaper. But the best part, by far, is being able to search for specific words or phrases – something that saves a lot of time and headaches for books with 1500+ pages!
Only time will tell whether iBooks will be adopted in classrooms throughout the world, by both students and teachers. We put the question to Twitter and Daniel Gray (@gray) foresees a few issues that could hinder universal success as, “Despite Apple’s education discounts, their hardware is still prohibitively expensive for many. The divide of privilege between pupils, classes, schools, families is only going to be amplified.”
Schools will be reluctant to turn their backs on paper textbooks just yet. Budgets are tight and a half-hearted attempt to introduce iBooks is unlikely to pay dividends.
There’s little doubt that using Apple’s iBooks will be an equally pleasurable experience as its other software and hardware, however it seems a shame to restrict the app to iPads alone. As a starter, Amazon’s kindle app can be downloaded onto any device and is cheaper than iBooks. For a target market comprised of tech-savvy but cash-strapped students, the iPad is probably out of reach for most. For me, aiming at offering squarely at university students will see it achieve greater penetration and make the difference they hope to make to results.
What do you think? Would iBooks aid your studies?
