TODAY, people are migrating from printed reading materials to the electronic format. In the field of education, students and faculties are relying more on electronic books. The use and effectiveness of e-books, however, are still being debated among educators.
A number of the challenges in converting printed books into the digital format are mainly due to technological constraints and people’s reading habits.
In some parts of the country, people still do not have access to electricity, not to mention Internet connection and the suitable gadgets to read e-books.
How, then, can we expect students to access electronic content?
One solution is that local governments and schools can download the materials and distribute them to students. And yet, another problem might arise. What about budget? Who should provide the funds?
Reading online or on screens has not caught on yet. I still prefer to read paper-based reading materials. Personally, I prefer reading the printed version of the New Straits Times, compared with the publication’s digital version.
Reading habits are usually built in early childhood, during which we are taught to read physical books. Reading, however, is multidimensional, developmental and goal-directed.
The nature of technology has changed over the years. While we, the older generation, might have problems, today’s children blend in with technology. They are tech-savvy. Their capacity to use digital technologies is beyond our imagination.
Children are attached to personal computers, mobile phones, video games, digital cameras and iPads, to name a few. Even business people prefer obtaining and receiving information electronically. If we want to keep up with this lifestyle, we have to learn and go with the flow.
I know of an elderly professor, who would often go to class with thick, old books and monographs. As expected, his teaching style is very conventional, full of lecturing from start to finish. There is no PowerPoint presentation or interactive, colourful media to attract students’ attention.
Previously, he had opposed the use of e-books, saying they distracted students from getting the essence of knowledge.
“Students should enjoy reading books like in the old days,” he had said.
Recently, upon returning from a sabbatical, he said: “I brought with me about a hundred books. If only I had known about this earlier, I would have done it a long time ago.”
Later, I learnt that he had bought a new model of the iPad, in which he stores many e-books on philosophy that he reads whenever he has the time.
The demand for e-books is well supported by a variety of projects that offer such books, such as Amazon, Google Books, Manybooks.net and Safari Tech Book Online. Many e-books are available and downloadable on the web.
Some e-books are available for free, such as those on Bartleby.com and Project Gutenberg, or downloadable through digital libraries, such as Net Library and Vital Source Bookshelf. It is a sign that, perhaps, someday, all books will be in the digital format.
Why do people use e-books? For some, e-books have interactive features that help them with the learning and teaching process. With e-books, teachers and students can keep up with today’s fast-changing environment.
Even though it is debatable,
e-books have the potential to support distance-learning education. They have the flexibility to support the mobile lifestyle of learners, are portable, thus, allowing one to take course materials anywhere they go, and are an effective use of time and money. The plus points of e-books are their design, navigation, function and convenience.
In the academic community,
e-books are becoming more common. They are convenient, cost-effective, fun, portable, flexible, searchable and environmentally friendly.
The growing number of e-book readers and gadgets contributes to the growth of the technological environment. In addition, partnerships between e-book and traditional publishers and libraries make access to academic content easier.
Perhaps, someday, there will be no more libraries and physical books. There will only be e-libraries that provide e-books. Even reference books have now become “e-Ref Books”.
But, when we look at reading habits, many people still prefer reading physical books. I love to hold and smell a book.
Even though not everyone is happy with the way things are going, we should realise that our love affair with papyrus, the ancestor of the physical book, is almost reaching its end. The world has moved on to e-books and the digital format.
Through Kindle, Amazon is selling more e-books than paperbacks. For those who are not used to the experience, reading e-books for the first time can feel odd. But soon, you will find it intuitive. We need just a small device to bring many of our favourite books wherever we go.
It is true that search engines and articles are accessible via digital channels. But, it impacts the way students or researchers explore electronic content only when they have access to the resource.
E-books are our future, but I think it may take a while for people to embrace them. For now, I will enjoy my love affair with papyrus a little longer.
AHMAD FAIZUDDIN, Kulliyyah of Education, International Islamic University Malaysia, Gombak, Selangor