Metabook. Evaluating the possibilities of e-books in schools

Abstract

The objective of METABOOK project is to investigate the possibilities of e-books in the classroom and in the education field in general, as a possible replacement of traditional “paper books”, in order to minimize the cost of reprinting books every year and to achieve better educational results by offering to students and teachers, interactive and continuously updated information and knowledge. During the project, the latest computer technologies were used (Internet, Java, DHTML, virtual experiments, wi-fi LANs) and the latest devices were evaluated (e-books, tablet PCs, PDAs, touch screens e.t.c.). The software of the project (12 lessons of high school physics) was localized and adapted into two languages and three different curricula and was evaluated within real class environment in different schools, even with handicapped students. The conclusion so far is that e-book devices in schools have many critical advantages over traditional paper books, technically, financially and educationally. Thy can very well act as a partial replacement or even better an additional educational tool but there are many more things that should be evaluated. Technologies are changing so fast, new and cheaper devices appear every year and a wider evaluation in more subjects and more ages should be undertaken in the future.