So I just GOOGLED it, it being "Best interactive science digitial textbooks." Among the first few pages of the hit list, I found mostly advertisements for "cheap digital textbooks" and "used science textbooks" admist a few links to Apple iBooks and CK-12 books (both reviewed previously). At this point, I was quite certain that my dissapointment stems from the newness of this endeavor. Publishers just aren't "THERE" yet. Demand is growing RAPIDLY and supply just can't CATCH UP with THE BEST of the BEST materials just yet. From a publisher's point of view, competition is low, thus ANY digital text is better than NO digital text. During my search, I did find an interesting link to a New York Times article on a new publishing company called Nature Education that aims to create materials for digitive natives. So I requested a review of their first book, Principles of Biology. The book is geared for undergraduate students enrolled in beginning level biology courses. I originally hoped to review materials for K-12, however, I needed to find the BEST of the best, and the article had claimed this company was on the cutting edge, offering a refreshing version of electronic texts.
Here's what I found. The book is a web based (browser viewed) tool and includes 196 modules. Teachers can turn "on and off" modules and can modify/add to the text and actually REPUBLISH their own version of the text. This feature was new and refreshing. Teachers could also post announcements, set due dates on a built in calendar, create or use built in discussions in the discussion board feature, use or create built in assignments, administer quizzes, and use an available grade book. So this "text" was in essence more like a learning management system like Blackboard or Edmodo, but with content already in place. I liked this element and I liked it alot! Teachers can then be the orchastrators of teaching and learning, versus trying to design and develop all of the content for their course. There simply is not enough time to start from scratch. Yet they can also author and publish as time, expertise, and interest allow.
As far interactive features go, the text allows students to take "notes" and make "study cards" from their highlights and comments. There are self tests/assignments built in to help students reflect on their learning. There is also an abundance of "other resources" such as related primary research articles, "lenses on biology" articles showing the importantance of scientific research is to the real world, and links to other web resources such as biology labs. End of unit summaries, a glossary (with spoken pronunciations) and end of the unit tests also allow students to engage with the materials. There are built in video features and animations, yet I wished there were more and that students had to do more critical thinking and problem solving along the way.
