Yesterday I was waiting for an appointment and idly watching the activity in the square below. I saw a young child of seven or eight crossing the street weighed down by an enormous backpack and started thinking about why schools are still so dependent on heavy textbooks.

Of course there are some good reasons, namely:

  • Teachers are comfortable with these structured learning tools
  • They are low-tech and therefore do not go wrong
  • Typically they offer a complete course of work, so require less prep time for the teacher

But at the same time, there are significant downsides:

  • They can be VERY boring
  • They are VERY heavy
  • They account for the felling of millions of trees
  • They cost a LOT of money
  • Outdated content requires replacement of the whole book

For a long time, I have felt that there has to be a better way. In fact, there is a better way to achieve the same benefits of the printed textbook without the list of downsides: interactive, computer-based learning tools.

While at one time access to technology in schools was an issue, computers have become pretty ubiquitous, both at home and in the classroom. Technology-enabled learning tools can engage students in new, interactive ways while still covering the material that historically students have lugged around in textbooks. Related topics can be easily linked in ways impossible in print. Concepts that are difficult to demonstrate in a flat illustration or picture can be made much easier to comprehend through animations, video, and activities to help make learning less passive. Multimedia, when it’s done well, can really expand learning by appealing to multiple learning styles. A textbook may be good for avid readers, but can be less effective for those who learn better from other methods. And all this can be delivered on CD, DVD, the computer’s hard drive or over the internet without the need to lug around heavy textbooks.

This is something Digital Frog International has been doing for a long time—even before computers were so common. And while our educational software is a strong supplemental source that was never intended to replace an entire textbook, we’ve strived to embody the advantages that any good computer-based learning tool should have over the “anachonistic” textbook:

  • Holistic and comprehensive content designed to meet a wide range of curriculum requirements
  • Engaging activities that capture student interest through interaction
  • Animations for difficult concepts
  • Integrated, context-sensitive dictionary
  • Integrated text-to-speech for the visually-impaired and auditory learners
  • Interactive concept map to ensure students never get lost
  • Customizable workbook materials - print only what you need, when you need it
  • Light weight
  • Can be dynamically updated via the internet
  • MUCH less expensive than text books
  • Can be accessed directly from disc, via the school network, on the student’s own computer or via the school portal (depending on the licensing)

So, maybe it’s time that textbooks followed the dinosaurs into extinction?

T-rex image from Noah’s Animal Figurines, where you can buy him for just $12.