E-books

An e-book viewed on multiple devices (Source: Z. Mensah, goo.gl/guAZQ0, under CC BY-SA 2.0 licence)

E-books, or electronic books, may be digitised versions of what were originally hard copy print books, or they may have been designed as digital books from the start. The former typically offer a range of additional features compared to print books, which may include:

• • the ability to carry large libraries of books on a single device
  • the ability to enlarge images
  • the ability to search text
  • the ability to look up words or expressions in a dictionary or glossary
  • the ability to use text-to-speech or read-aloud functionality
  • the ability to highlight and annotate text
  • the ability to see which sections of text previous readers have highlighted or annotated
  • the ability to compile and export highlights and annotations

The latter typically offer a wider range of additional features, including all of the above, but possibly extending to include:

• • embedded videos
  • embedded animations
  • interaction with animations and simulations within the book
  • interaction with other readers through margin notes and conversations
  • automatic updates of information or data

In the former case, e-books are more web 1.0 in nature, though they add some web 2.0 features. In the latter case, where there is a blurred line between e-books and book-like apps, they are more web 2.0 in nature; in fact, they may even come to function less as information delivery vehicles and more as discussion hubs. In both cases, because they are usually accessed on mobile devices, e-books fit with contemporary mobile learning trends.

E-books may be read on dedicated e-readers such as Amazon’s Kindle or Barnes & Noble’s Nook, or they may be read on a range of other general purpose mobile and computing devices (see the image at the top of this page). In most cases, e-books can be synched across multiple devices, giving users easy access to their current reading pages, or their collections of highlights and annotations, on all their personal devices.

In recent years, there has been much discussion of the value of e-books and e-textbooks in education. While e-book sales globally have not been as robust as expected, suggesting that many people prefer to continue using print books, they have made some inroads into education. Indeed, it has been suggested that many people might prefer to use e-books for educational and professional purposes, while turning to print books when reading for pleasure. This means that, in educational and professional contexts, users can capitalise on the lists of e-book advantages at the top of this page.

For good examples of educational e-books marketed as apps, see those produced by NatureGuides, with standout apps including The Elements (chemistry), The Pyramids (history), Solar System (science), and The Waste Land (English literature). See also the eBooks by Inkling (now part of Echo360), which cover a range of tertiary subjects.

Going a step further, it is possible for teachers and students to publish their own books with Apple Pages or Kindle Create, including in the open epub format; there is a wide variety of other creation software that can also be used to publish books in this format. Additionally, it is possible to produce e-books of varying levels of complexity using a range of digital storytelling, video and other multimedia creation tools, as well as social sharing services.

E-textbooks which may be customisable, and are often collaboratively authored by educators around the world, can be found on the CK-12 and FlatWorld websites. It is worth checking out JISC’s Living Books About Life project, a collection of edited, open source books oriented towards science topics.

Last update: March 2025.