Electronic Books

Electronic books are a growing segment of the software market, especially for early readers. Early electronic books consisted primarily of computer-presented text. Researchers found that students with disabilities comprehended text equally, regardless of whether it was displayed on a computer or on a page (Okolo, Cavalier, Ferretti, & MacArthur, 2000). As you examine technology-based instructional options, it is very important that you keep in mind that it is not the medium through which information is presented (on or off the computer) that matters. Rather, it is the design of the software or electronic book, in this case, which affects performance. The key advantages of electronic books are the possibilities that exist to enhance the text, and it is these enhancements that may have a positive impact on students' motivation and performance. Current technologies provide the opportunity to develop electronic books that combine text with speech, images, sounds, movies, and music; and that permit the reader to quickly access a variety of information and instruction that might support his or her reading of the text.