Educational+uses

====As with all emerging technology trends, e-readers are quickly finding their way into classrooms. From pre-school to graduate students, there are benefits to using an e-reader as a learning tool. Children that are in the first stages of reading can receive step-by-step assistance as they break down a word to view pronunciation, chunking and read aloud features 1]. With the option of clicking on selected words, a student can listen to letter-by-letter pronunciation 2]. In a library study, students found they were interested in obtaining e-readers that were pre-loaded with textbooks for their semester courses [[|3]]. PDF’s are a popular format for college students. Having the ability to view, highlight and annotate text on some readers is a preferred option for those who wish to avoid an accumulation of paper printouts.====

====While developers continue to enhance e-readers, there are many opportunities for educational improvements to formatting. Students need to be able to flip between resources, app’s and multiple documents. One downfall is the lack of subject headings and the inability to quickly browse text. E-readers such as the Kindle do not have the same capabilities as a tablet, where the user can use a stylus to take notes in margins and it’s just not feasible to take notes on a touch screen [[|4]]. It will be important as additional features are added onto e-readers, that they do not distract from the basic text. There is some argument in regards to the online distractions students experience when they are online using a computer or tablet. One study shows that users switched tasks about every three minutes and took over 23 minutes to return to a task 5]. For users who grew up with print books, this may be a challenge to adjust to and stay focused. For younger learners, who have been exposed to this type of technology from an early age may adapt quicker to processing and filtering these distractions. The advantages seem to outweigh the negative impacts of e-readers and the educational platforms available appear to have an exciting future.====

// -Kacey Bailey //

1. Ash, K. (2010). Schools test e-reader devices with dysexic students. // Digital Directions //, // 4 // (1), 22-24. Retrieved from [] 2. Zuckers, T., Moody, A. & McKenna, M. (2009). The effects of electronic books on pre-kindergarten-to-grade 5 students' literacy and language outcomes: a research synthesis. // Journal of Educational Computing Research //, // 40 // (1), 47-87. Retrieved from [] 3. Cassidy, E., Britsch, J. , Griffin, G. , Manolovitz, T. & Shen, L. (2011). Higher education and emerging technology: student usage, preferences, and lessons for library services. // Reference & User Services Quarterly //, // 50 // (4), 380-91. Retrieved from [] 4. Kolowich, S. (2011). Highlighting e-readers. // Inside Higher Ed //, Retrieved from [] 5. Tama, M. (2009). Does the brain like e-books?. // The New York Times //, Retrieved from []