Kitaboo

PDF to ePub conversion is a lot of hard work. The task of PDF to reflowable ePub3 conversion can get even more daunting when eBooks are written in native languages. It is a lot of sweat for the type designer and linguist expert, who have to work in perfect sync all along to put the character coding pieces of the puzzle together.

Our Kitaboo team was able to successfully convert PDF ebooks to ePub3 at the rapid speed of close to 100 non-English book conversions per week, while others were doing 6 books in a month.

This is Part 1 of our Digital Publishing series blog that talks about the major obstacles you should expect to hit you when you convert PDF to ePUB on a similar conversion route with PDF books written in local script languages.

With millions of pages of ePub3 conversions already done with our cloud publishing platform Kitaboo, creating multiple volumes of eBooks written in native Indian languages from PDF files was an instant, “Yes we can!”

No sooner we started than we realized that our time taken for each PDF to ePub conversion calculations had to be put on reset mode. And, what followed was a journey of finding the shortest, fastest and most accurate route of ePub conversion to deliver on timelines.

The two major hurdles that were impacting our (converting PDF to ePub) eBooks conversion process speed was:

PDF is a character-position driven document and it defines each character by an X &Y axis coordinates only, whereas, ePub3 depends on character sequence/order for creation of eBooks.

Character encoding and font shaping had to be matched to render the linguistically correct reading order in ePub3. Thousands of errors appeared during the eBook conversion, and we realized it was a long road ahead, that too in the reverse gear, to untangle the character representation problems in HTML5.

The character tantrums had to be disciplined and put in order. What followed was a journey of in-depth complex script analysis, prediction of character behaviour, font shaping & matchmaking in reflowable ePub3. The team had to manually look-up for errors word-by-word, carry-out corrections on each page and proofread the final pages all along the conversion route.

Speed Breakers white converting PDF to ePub

A broad breakdown of major hurdles that were faced included:

PDF character encoding: Our first speed-breaker was the show-up of multiple aberrations in the character encoding order for the local Indian languages during PDF to ePub3 conversion. The PDF did not recognize the sequence and order of characters in the words/sentences which was a prerequisite for reflowable ePub3.  This led to many mismatch errors that had to be looked into in detail with character-by-character sequence/order analysis.

Character mismatch: The native language font had many pre-conditions to the character sequencing with other forms of consonants, vowels, and ligatures that had to be manipulated to sync the logical order and visual order of the text. The linguistic, phonetic and graphical order was incorrect in many words/sentences representation.

Font/character mapping: The shaping features of characters, its composition and decomposition were inconsistent and had to be constantly monitored for all the book pages with respect to the universal shaping engine. Continuous re-testing had to be done to make sure the font rules & specifications were running successfully.

Manual proof-reading: A large number of errors in characters encoding made the PDF to ePub conversion process very slow and time-taking process with high manual dependence for proof-reading. To make the eBooks error-free reflowable ePub3 was taking days for the team, going back and forth character-wise validation manually. Even OCR did not give a 100 percent error-free document and required manual re-checking.

Formatting errors: There were many challenges with the overall synchronized reading order, positioning of tables, super-script, sub-script, header footer format, and images layout.

The speed we were at was absolutely unviable and we had to think of a faster way that could accelerate our performance without compromising on the quality. The result – an innovative character encoding tool was developed by the Kitaboo team to support automation of eBooks in native languages.

The fastest way to convert PDF to ePub with Kitaboo:

Books written in native languages need ePub super specialists to solve the character encoding maze. Kitaboo team – a pro at eBook publishing was successful in solving this cumbersome task for the worlds’ largest online book publisher crashing their time to market by more than 70 percent.

The digital revolution has altered the publishing industry. eBooks are slowly becoming the first choice of publishers and authors. While the digital publishing industry is flourishing, there is a constant threat of online piracy. Digital Rights Management (DRM) protected eBook is a plausible solution to protect IP.According to a recent report, 17% of eBooks read in the UK are pirated. Shockingly, in Russia, 92% of eBooks are downloaded illegally. Publishers and authors must consider a

DRM protected eBook

to restrict piracy and duplication.Listed below are the Top 6 Reasons Why You Need to have DRM Protected eBooks.

1. DRM is an Additional Layer of Protection over your eBooks:

Though there are multiple protection measures publishers and authors take before publishing their eBooks on online platforms, DRM acts as an additional level of protection. DRM prevents copying or duplication of the content, in any form. Hence, it protects eBook from online piracy and unauthorized sharing and safeguards its Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).

2. DRM helps in Safeguarding Revenue:

Publishers and authors expect revenues by selling eBooks on different platforms. Piracy impacts the overall revenue structure and costs them substantially. A Nielsen consumer survey commissioned by Digimarc Corporation revealed that eBook piracy costs $315 million to the U.S. publishers, each year. This is a major concern and needs to curbed through strong action.DRM protected eBooks make illegal sharing of eBooks impossible. Only those with the digital key can access the eBook. Without the key, readers will not be able to open the eBook. Thus, interested readers must purchase the eBook, which eventually will reduce piracy and will consequently improve revenues.

3. Increased RoI:

Publishing digital books is a cost-effective way as compared to printing physical books. Furthermore, there is an instant delivery of eBooks to the international audience. Distribution of DRM protected eBooks will increase the return on investment (RoI). Publishers and authors will get paid for each purchase and will get significant returns.

4. IPR Control:

With DRM protected eBooks, publishers can control who can view the eBook and who can’t. DRM defines the lifecycle by letting you select the expiry date of the eBook. This means, your reader won’t be able to view the eBook after the expiry date. This additional feature makes it essential to have a DRM protected eBook.

5. Preventing IPR Theft:

Publishers can prevent IPR theft with DRM. DRM lets you monitor who has viewed the ebook. Furthermore, they can know if someone has tried to pass on the access to someone else. This lets publishers take immediate action and prevent any sort of theft.

6. Regulatory Compliance:

Digital world requires compliance with multiple international regulatory guidelines. Along with this, one must ensure the confidentiality of the data. With the implementation of DRM, sensitive information, such as personal information or important documents, are safe. Additionally, the distribution of these information can be done safely without any loss of control.

Conclusion:

In the digital world where duplication and illegal transfer of information are quite prominent, DRM protected eBook restricts any unauthorised action. It secures eBooks and provides access to only those who have purchased them. Download our ‘

How to Create DRM protected eBook

Selecting the right platform to deliver your content is as important as creating the right content. Primarily because it’s the platform that determines the reach and engagement of your content. In the present scenario, the most viable and feasible option is to use a mobile-based content delivery platform. The obvious reason being, today almost everyone carries a mobile device. From being a personal communication device, it has become a productivity tool to ease our daily tasks as well as to keep us well-informed.

Mobile devices have become an indispensable part of the learning and development domain. Educational institutions use it as part of their classroom training, and enterprises use it to train their employees on new skills and technologies. So, it’s safe to say that a mobile-based platform is one of the most effective ways to deliver your content.

Here are Top 10 benefits of using a mobile-based platform for content delivery:

1. Affordable Devices & Technology:

With the rapid development in technology, mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are becoming cheaper. When a new model releases, the price of the previous models take a hit, decreasing its value in the market. And this continuous advancement in technology is making the smartphones and tablets a common and affordable device. Students and employees can easily purchase a decent mobile device with most of the advance features, without burning a hole in their pocket.

2. Wider Reach for Content:

As mobile devices have become more affordable, its reach has also increased. The number of smartphone users is continuously increasing. More than 5 billion people, that is two-thirds of the world’s population now have a mobile phone. And this number will only increase in the coming years. Hence delivering content on a mobile platform will ensure that your content reaches the maximum number of people. If you are a global enterprise, with employees located in different parts of the world, it is now possible for all of them to access the same content on their mobile devices. Or if you are an educational institute which offers distance learning, students sitting in another country or continent can access the learning materials.

3. Accessible Anywhere Anytime:

Mobile devices are light in weight can be carried around easily. People can access the content on a subway, cafe, at home, basically just about anywhere. That is one of the reasons why organizations and educational institutions are focusing on developing mobile-based learning material. Creating a responsive content which adjusts itself according to the screen size, allows the user to access content on a device of their choice. Employees and students can access learning anywhere and anytime.

4. Offline Content Access:

Over 4 billion people around the world have access to an internet connection. Which means they can stream data, videos, etc., anytime they want. But most content services today are offering offline services to ease the content consumption process for the reader, in case there are disruptions in the internet connection. People can download the content and save it for later use. eBooks, videos, training materials etc., can all be downloaded and perused at one’s own convenience at a later time or date.

5. Short Form Content:

With surplus amount of content available online, our attention span has diminished. People don’t stick to one piece of content for a long time. They would probably spend 3-4 minutes on a video, then move on to the next content piece that might interest them. To match with the user’s consumption pace, educational institutes and enterprises are creating short knowledge nuggets or course modules for their users. This ensures that users are not overwhelmed by the quantity of learning material. And they can read it anytime and anywhere within a short period of time.

6. Engaging Users on Mobile Devices:

A mobile platform allows the user to engage with the content. A mobile device in itself is interactive, with functions like a messaging services, social media and various apps. Delivering learning content on a mobile based device will allow the users to like and share a content, they can pause or fast forward a video. eBooks on a mobile device allows the users to highlight, search, bookmark texts etc. It provides more engagement than a regular textbook, and helps in increasing the retention and recall value.

7. Easy Content Updates:

The content delivered on a mobile-based platform is mostly cloud-based. It can be easily updated. One does not have to worry about the content becoming obsolete. The publisher or the L&D team can make changes to the content as per the latest updates, providing the user with up-to-date information at all times. Mobile users are already used to the idea of their devices getting updated with the latest software versions. Providing them with the latest content will make them confident that they are learning the most updated study material.

8. Interactive Learning Experience:

With the help of a mobile-based platform, one can incorporate features like Augmented Reality, to make the content more interactive for the user. Augmented Reality feature shows a 3D view of the content on the mobile screen, providing a much more immersive experience to the user. Corporate organizations can include gamification to motivate employees to perform better. Simulation training can also be used to create an engaging and interactive learning environment. A mobile based platform can thus turn a regular classroom into an interactive one by allowing everyone to actively participate in the learning process. It makes learning a fun process.

9. Benefits of Cloud-based Platform:

Delivering content on a mobile-based platform is far cheaper when compared to creating printed books or training material. By opting for mobile-based content, you are directly eliminating the printing costs, along with all the publishing and transportation costs for shipping and delivery of the books. And if there is anything to be added or modified on a later date, one can do it online without incurring any additional reprinting costs. And since all your content is stored on the cloud, there is no risk of data loss. You can retrieve it any day even if your system crashes.

10. Customizable White-Label Solution:

Educational institutions and enterprises can customize the mobile app and design a bespoke solution to suit the needs of their users. They could include features which would enhance the user experience and help them learn better. Content can be tailored as per the requirements of different learning groups. Including scenarios, simulations and game-based interaction would help improve the training process in a corporate organization. A mobile based platform allows for such customizations to take place to enhance the user experience.

8 Best Employee Engagement Strategies | Kitaboo

According to a survey, only 34% of U.S. workers are engaged. A highly engaged workforce drives an organization towards success. A disengaged one does more harm than good. The first step to increase the level of engagement among your employees is to find out the reason behind their disengagement.

What is An Authoring Tool?

An eBook authoring tool is a software application that lets you create your own eBook and enrich it with digital enhancements. The software allows publishers to create eBooks or online courses with just a few simple steps. You can not only create, but also publish and distribute your eBooks through this platform.

Why Do Publishers Need an eBook Authoring Tool?

You might be aware of the traditional publishing model where authors had to connect with multiple people to create one book. Everyone is assigned a different task such as the cover page illustration, printing, proofreading, text alignment, etc. Now, with the help of authoring tools, the process of book publishing has become much simpler. Everything can be done in one place by one person. You can manage the layout of the eBook, font styles, enhancements, illustrations etc., on one single platform.

With so many eBook authoring tools available today, publishers spend a good amount of time searching and comparing different authoring tools. We are here to reduce some of your work by listing out the features that you need to look for in an eBook authoring tool.

Here’s a Simple guide to help you select the best eBook authoring tool:

1. Find and Understand Your Audience's Needs:

Before looking for an eBook authoring tool, list down all the requirements of your audience. Say for example, if you’re publishing for K-12 students, what would they require in order to have a great learning experience? Are you going to include an explanatory video? If yes, then would you require animation in it? Or would a simple eBook with some images and basic zoom/pan/scroll interactivity suffice? Think over what your audience would expect from your eBook and what would you like to provide them, and accordingly you can select a software package that suits the requirements.

2. Look for Ease of Use:

The basic requirement of any tool you purchase is that you and your team must be able to use it without any difficulty. A tool with too many complexities will prove time-consuming and tedious to use. Hence, look for software which has an easy-to-use and intuitive interface. Something that most people will be able to use without much technical know-how. Most ebook authoring tools offer simple features like drag and drop, making it easy to create an eBook.

3. Responsive Design:

A responsive design will eliminate the need to create multiple versions of courses for different devices. People have a lot of choices in mobile devices today. You want to ensure that your content is accessible to everyone irrespective of the type of device they use. Using adaptive technology, you can ensure that users can view your content on any device of any size and orientation. Responsive content fits perfectly according to the user’s screen size.

Previously, all content used to be made on a Flash-based platform. But now as Flash has become obsolete, all companies are trying to shift their content from Flash-based platform to HTML5. This ensures greater compatibility with different devices. Ensure the eBook authoring tool supports HTML5 elements so that you can build interactive and responsive content for your audience.

4. Interactive Elements:

There are multiple inter-activities that can be included in an eBook. Check if multimedia elements like video, audio, images can be added. Check the file types that are supported by the tool. Annotation, text highlight, search feature etc., are all used to create an interactive eBook. You first have to determine whether your audience really require so many elements or just a simple eBook with few inter-activities would be enough.

If you are designing an eBook for students, then enquire about the different types of assessment techniques that the tool can provide. A variety of assessment techniques will help you test the knowledge of your learners and also keep the users engaged with the content.

5. Analytics:

Analytics will help you ascertain the performance of your content and engagement metrics. With the help of analytics, publishers can measure the number of visits, the duration of the visit, bounce rate etc. Tracking these numbers help you understand the user behavior. You can view the stories that are performing well, and the topics which the audiences seem to engage more with. These reports give you an idea about future market trends, so that you can accordingly create content and design your sales strategies. Having an analytics feature will thus help you receive valuable and actionable inputs about your content.

6. Cloud-based eBook Authoring:

Working on a cloud-based platform gives you the ability to work from anywhere and anytime. You do not have to be around your workstation to create content. Sit anywhere, be it a cafe or a park, and create your eBook with ease. This feature comes really handy when you have to update your content on an immediate basis. Rather than waiting to access your system to make changes, you can directly do it from your mobile phones or tablets.

7. Content Security:

Some educational institutes have their own content that is generally not available with other institutes. Such kind of content needs digital protection. Keeping them away from unauthenticated use and piracy is vital in such a scenario. Even otherwise, you wouldn’t want your content to be plagiarized. So, ensure that the authoring platform offers DRM protection. With DRM, you can be assured that only authorized users with an access code can access your content. There are multiple types of licensing provided by various tools- individual licensing, group licensing etc. You can choose one based on your requirements.

8. Try the Product by creating an eBook Before Buying:

A company would never tell you upfront if the product has some drawback or lacks some integral element that’s available in other software packages. They’ll always project their product as the best. It’s your duty to check if the tool really does what it says. Most eBook authoring tool companies offer a free trial period or a demo of their product. Request a demo before making a purchase and see if it meets your requirements.

9. Read Public Reviews About eBook creation Tool:

Also read reviews written about the software package on the web. People who have used the product write detailed reviews of its flaws and strengths. There are many online forums where experts come together to discuss and share the pros and cons of each tool. After going through the reviews and trying out some tools, you can make an informed decision about which eBook authoring platform you would want to buy.

10. Check the Level of After Sales Support:

Once you purchase the software and start using it to create your new eBook, what if a few months down the line you face some technical glitch? What if the tool is throwing up some error? Will the company provide any technical support? You need to enquire if there’s a post sales service that the company would provide and the time period until which the said service could be availed. Also enquire about the medium of contact with their customer support executives- call, chat or email.

In conclusion:

Learning platforms have undergone tremendous changes; from classrooms to desktops to mobile phones. But there are still organizations who are unable to decide if they want to completely switch over to online training. Some might say that since millennials comprise a major part of the workforce, it would be prudent to use an online training platform. But even among the millennial crowd, there are people who prefer the traditional approach. Now since enterprises cannot make decisions on the basis of individual employee’s preferences, they need to make a choice considering what would be beneficial to their business as well as ensure employee satisfaction.

For an enterprise, training and development is compulsory. But how to deliver it so that employees can gain maximum benefit out of it is the question most L&D teams ask. Should they go by the traditional classroom-based approach? Or should they use an online learning platform such as a mobile device, as employees are accustomed to using them on a regular basis?

Let us compare which is the Best Online Training Platform or Traditional Training:

1. Does an Online Training Platform or Traditional Training save more time?

Time is money in business. And online training saves a lot of time for you and the employees. How? With online training, the course content is available on their mobile devices, which means they can carry it with them everywhere and view it whenever they want. Rather than sitting in a training room for hours, your employees could be doing some productive work instead. And the course instructor could possibly be mentoring someone who needs help.

An instructor-led classroom training model requires trainees to spend a few hours or an entire day/s in training. In business, every hour is accounted for. So, the hours they spend in training rooms are man-hours that they are not being productive. One can argue that they are investing time to deliver better output post training. But when there is a better option available, why not utilize it?

Instructor-led training lends a human approach, where employees can ask questions and clarify doubts. In an online learning environment, the employees are mostly self-driven. If they have any queries, they look it up on the web or they ask their mentors at the workplace when required. So, by using an online training platform, you can use the working hours for actual productive work.

2. Which One is More Engaging?

In an instructor-led training program, the trainers tend to incorporate certain games and activities to keep the employees engaged. Simulation and role play games are used to enhance the critical thinking skills of the employees. They are encouraged to talk, collaborate and communicate with each other, which is a good exercise to keep them engaged. Employees would be mentally active and alert enough to grasp the information being delivered. But, there’s hardly any engagement with the content. When it comes to content, they are mostly reading text, which could eventually result in lack of interest.

In online training, there’s obviously no way to make your employees play team games other than virtual multiplayer games, but that seems like a futile exercise when it comes to corporate training. So instead, there are simulation games that can be embedded into the course module where just like in a classroom scenario, employees are required to apply certain skills and make quick decisions. As your employees are not new to playing games on mobiles, they tend to find this practice quite interesting. Add to it some gamifications, and you can keep them motivated as well to play and win. Moreover, these games can be played anywhere, at the bus stop, coffee shop, at home etc. So, online training provides more engagement with the training content as opposed to classroom training.

3. Which Is More Accessible?

A traditional training approach will have instructors handing out training manuals or they would have the training deck on the drive or on the intranet which can be accessed through desktops/laptops. And this training deck is mostly accessible only while the person is in the office. It is not possible to take the training materials outside the office space. This restricts its usage. If the employee wishes to brush up his knowledge while on his way to work, he cannot because there’s nothing to refer to, except maybe the notes made during training.

Whereas with the help of an online training platform, employees can view the training content anytime and anywhere. These days, training content can be made available across multiple devices and operating platforms. So, any mobile based device can be used to access the training content. Internet connection is also no longer an issue as these training modules can be accessed offline as well.

4. Which One Promotes Collaboration?

In traditional training method, communication becomes easy as people can see each other face to face rather than on screens. But again, training all the employees at once who are at different office locations is not possible. To communicate across locations, you will have to set up a conference call or a video call, ensuring that all the required members are assembled at the location on time. Communication and collaboration both are limited to the people in the training room.

Though online training is mostly about individualized learning where people learn at their own pace and time, it enables greater collaboration. Online discussion forums are a great platform to communicate with other employees. Online training modules also have sharing features where employees can share content with their colleagues. Creating a social sharing page allows employees to post content and interact with their colleagues and seniors online. The topic of discussion may not always be work related, but this helps them create a good rapport with people across their organization.

5. Which is More Interactive?

Interaction involves communication with someone or something. In a traditional training model, the only interaction comes from instructors and trainees communicating with each other. Whereas an online training platform lets your employees interact with the content. Online training content can be embedded with multimedia elements such as videos, images, audio files etc., to make it more engaging. You can also add AR elements to make the training more immersive.

Maintaining the level of engagement is crucial in both the training practices. But online training has an added advantage as people are habituated to looking into their phones while they are distracted or if they have spare time to kill. So, if you provide them interactive materials which they can access on their phones, you have an opportunity to keep your trainees engaged in the course. Not only multimedia, but an online training platform provides more interactivity such as annotation, search feature, text highlight, word look up etc.

6. Which is More Cost Effective?

A traditional training approach requires you to bear the cost of the instructor, printed training materials if any, utilities such as electricity, classroom space, equipment if needed etc.

Whereas in online training, you only have to pay for a learning management system to deliver and manage the training. You can draft the content for the training program yourself and allow the LMS company to transform it into a compelling training module, complete with inter-activities. So, the only expense you incur in online training is the cost of getting it made and delivered. Choosing the right platform for training delivery is important, as it’s the platform which enables you to add the right inter-activities and make the course engaging for your employees.

From parchment rolls to paper, from paper to eBooks, books have come a long way from their humble origins. While traditional books were created by felling trees, eBooks are created in a very gentle and agreeable manner. The only thing you need to create an eBook is a good eBook creation software and of course your manuscript.

For a first-time author who is trying to develop an eBook, it seems like quite a harrowing task to find the right tools which can efficiently do the job. And admittedly, it is a tedious task, after months of effort put into writing and creating a manuscript, you finally proceed to the next step in publishing your work.

And now you are confused over which eBook Creation Software to use. Google is kind enough to put across fifty or so software tools for you to choose from. But that doesn’t lessen the trouble of finding out which one is better. You can’t keep trying each and every eBook creation software. So, we have tried to ease your burden by listing a few simple and efficient eBook creation software which will make it easier for you to select the right platform.

List of the 8 BEST eBook creation software tools:

1. Kitaboo

Kitaboo is an interactive eBook creator. It is a cloud-based digital publishing platform, where you can create and publish DRM protected content. DRM ensures that your content is secure from thefts and piracy. You can either create an eBook from scratch using Kitaboo authoring platform or you can use their conversion service to convert your digital manuscript into ePUB files. Kitaboo lets you add interactive features such as videos, audio, images, read aloud, etc to your eBook to make it more engaging for your readers. The content you create using this tool is device agnostic and is accessible on all major operating systems.

2. Epubee maker

This is a free eBook creation software. It is a word add-in which will help you convert your word files into ePUB, Mobi and PDF formats. Once you have installed the add-in in MS Word, you can easily convert word documents to EPUB/Mobi/PDF. When your eBook is ready for distribution, you can transfer it to different reading devices such as Kindle, Nook, Kobo etc. ePUBee Maker can be used as an eBook Editor or eBook Reader. You can import different file formats to read on MS Word. With the help of this tool, you can easily create an eBook from your word file.

3. Flipbuilder:

This is another interactive eBook creator. The interesting part about this software is that it gives the flipping page effect when you turn to the next page in your eBook. This flip effect comes as an interesting change when compared to normal eBooks. You can add multimedia elements to your eBook files. It allows you to convert PDFs into suitable eBook files for whichever eReader you want. The eBooks can be accessed from any system and platform. You would have to download this software on your Windows, iOS or Android system before using it.

4. Blurb:

Blurb provides you with an eBook creation software for creating and publishing. You would first have to download their free desktop software package in order to start with book creation. It also gives you the option to upload a PDF and convert it into an eBook. You need a minimum of 22 pages to create an eBook from a PDF. Once your eBook is ready, Blurb even helps you sell your eBook. They handle the logistics, shipping and on-demand printing. You can sell your eBook through the Blurb Bookstore, Amazon, Ingram, and Apple iBook store.

5. Pressbooks:

Pressbooks is an easy to use online tool. You just need to sign up and can straight away start making your eBook. If you already have a manuscript ready, you can import the file and paste chapters in this eBook creation software. It allows you to add audio, video and image files. You can also select the look of your page from their list of display templates. After completion of the eBook, you can export it in PDF, ePUB, ePUB3, Mobi, xhtml formats. Once you have downloaded your files, you can submit them to eBook stores or use a third-party distributor to sell your newly created eBook.

6. FlipHTML5

Another flip book maker that lets you to create interactive eBooks. It’s an HTML5 digital publishing platform, where you can embed the content with hyperlinks, multimedia, images and animation. It provides a free online hosting service, allowing you to publish your books online even if you do not have a website. Your eBooks can be accessed on all devices and web browsers. FlipHTML5 is a free tool and can convert PDF, MS Office, OpenOffice and Images to HTML5, making your eBook more interactive. It also enables you to create a custom domain for your eBook.

7. Notion press

This is an online tool with an easy to operate interface. This tool allows you to create your eBooks right from scratch. You can select the page style and layout and design the cover page. Their price calculation tool lets you set an appropriate price for the eBook. The tool also helps you keep a track of your earnings and the number of books you’ve sold. Notion press allows you to sell the eBook through their own bookstore.

8. iBooks Author

This software is available for free on the Mac App Store. You can create interactive eBooks using this tool for iPad, iPhone and Mac devices. It has a lot of features which you can use to enhance your eBook, such as images, audio, videos, animations, 3D objects, mathematical expressions etc. It helps in creating an engaging and interactive eBook. You can export your eBook in different file formats if you do not want to limit it to an Apple device. It gives you the option to export files in text, PDF, and ePUB format.

10 Step Guide to Select the Best Digital Publishing Platform | Kitaboo

If you’re planning to publish an eBook or a digital publication, it’s most likely that you will get stuck in the process of selecting a suitable digital publishing platform. Be it a graphic-heavy or a text-heavy book, an appropriate platform will smoothen the publishing journey. As publishers, the focus is on device-friendly, user-friendly and better accessibility to readers. 

KITABOO®: An Interactive eBook Experience

KITABOO Cloud, our cloud based end-to-end eBook Solution, provides great way to digitize books, make them interactive and distribute and deliver efficiently to your readers. And best of all, almost no major upfront investment is required. What is Kitaboo?  

Kitaboo is a cloud-based content platform to create-publish-distribute interactive mobile-ready content. 

Technologies like Augmented Reality, that enrich the standard methods of imparting education are always in demand, now more than ever. The newer methods of teaching enable post-session content accessibility, contextual relevancy, personal attention, up to date courseware. A big disadvantage of using the traditional Instructor-led classroom is its inability to address individual learner needs, leading to a lack of attention and interest among students.

This is where modern technologies like Augmented Reality come in. AR, VR, MR are technologies which provide visuals to learners that can enrich the learning experience and assist the educators in creating content that links visuals to reality. For educators, technologies like this offer a method of delivering content that makes learning interesting and easier to understand.

What is Augmented Reality Technology?

Augmented reality is a technology with which one can enhance reality by adding a layer of information which is superimposed over the actual visuals. This layer of computer-generated images is visible when one points their device camera at specific points. This action displays a visual that enhances learning with better visual and sensory experience.

To put it simply, users see layers of digital information covering real-world images, which can improve their experience and understanding of reality.

How does the Augmented Reality Technology work?

Augmented reality technology has 3 types

Location-based AR: This technology displays information based on a device’s geo-location.

Projection-based AR: In this case, AR software sends light to an object which creates an interactive dashboard in a real environment.

Superimposition-based AR: This type of AR allows users to replace the actual image, adding new elements to the viewpoint.

So, if a student scans the AR-enabled content with an AR application on their device, they will be able to view all visuals linked to the concepts in their courseware.

The Scope of Augmented Reality Technology:

The AR and VR market is expected to reach a market size of $215 billion within 3 years. The number of AR and VR users is expected to cross the 1 Billion mark by 2020.

The number of smartphones sold to users had crossed the 1.5 billion mark as of 2017.

Applications of the Augmented Reality Technology in Education

Enables discovery and learning

Objects modeling

Interactive eBooks

Skills training

Stimulation or scenario based learning

Gamification

What are the Advantages of using Augmented Reality Technology in Education?

Better User Interaction:

Interactive courseware results in increased involvement with learners since they can access engaging content from their smartphones. Users need to scan the content through their devices to view a computer-generated visual which leads to better understanding of a concept along with some links to digital assets that can provide additional information. Augmented Reality in education can entice learners to access the courseware due to its enriched experience.

Cost Efficiency:

Creating, updating and distributing printed courseware along with related support props to enable learning in traditional setups is a big investment for institutions. Whereas integrating Augmented Reality in education allows cheaper and easier creation, alteration and deployment of digital content where almost negligible print costs are incurred; AR-enabled content and all its visuals can be viewed on a reader’s device itself allowing BYOD scenario. Hence, improving ROI for institutions as well as the publishers.

Contextual Relevancy:

Content in physical books is restricted to text and images that only allow learners to view the images and assume how an equipment functions. Whereas integrating augmented reality in education enables the course creator to take advantage of the technology at hand to create and deploy 3D visuals that interactive to the user’s touch. This provides contextual relevancy and leaves no space for assumption because the educator can display how equipment functions in real life.

Better Engagement:

Integrating augmented reality in education courseware can be appealing for the learners resulting in better engagement with the educational content. All the sessions delivered by the educators in traditional setups can be enhanced if supported with supplementary AR-enabled content

Is the Augmented Reality Technology Really the Future of Education?

The education system all over the world was only following traditional instructor-led teaching approach. Integrating technologies can enrich and bring in benefits for educational institutions, educators as well as learners enriching the entire learning experience.

Specifically talking about integrating Augmented Reality in education, it can lend many benefits, like motivating students to learn, transforming classrooms and learning methods with interactivity or supporting students learn faster and retain better.

The attention span of humans has dramatically fallen over the years, in scenarios like these technology-assisted learning can in some cases address the issue. Along with technologies like Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, Augmented Reality can collectively change the traditional learning methods by enriching the experience.

Augmented reality cannot singularly address each and every issue with traditional learning methods to redefine the future of education. Educational institutions, publishers should be agile enough to identify the disruptors and accordingly strategize to carve out a competitive advantage for themselves by offering a better experience to end users.

Educational institutes have been practicing the traditional teaching method since ages. Most of us are familiar with the traditional model where one teacher is teaching fifty students at a time. No-one knows if those fifty students are able to understand what is being explained or if they are even paying attention to the lecture. This style of teaching is not considered very effective today. Students have access to new technology which helps them learn and retain information in a far better manner. Which means, it is time for educational institutes to bring some changes to its teaching methods. A popular alternative to traditional education is online education or eLearning.

The online education model is basically trying to overcome the disadvantages of the traditional education system, while also providing additional benefits. In a traditional teaching model, students listen to long lectures, take notes, and usually resort to rote memorization. This leaves little or no room for active interaction in the classroom. Online education, on the other hand, encourages participation in classroom activities and peer-to-peer collaboration. With the availability of various forms of online study resources, students are able to engage with their courseware and gain knowledge in a much more engaging manner.

Here are few ways how online education impacts traditional education:

1) Students Can Learn at Their Own Pace

Students have complete control over their lessons. Meaning, they can now learn as per their own pace and learning capacity. Each student learns and memorizes differently. Some might be quick learners, while some might take time to understand a certain topic. In a classroom environment, the teacher explains concepts and answers doubts, but there’s only so much that they can do. There could be students whose doubts remain unanswered. Some students might feel that the teacher’s pace of teaching is too fast for them. It’s not possible for a teacher to pay individual attention to each student.

Online education addresses this issue by offering additional information and explanations via eBooks and other forms of online resources. Students do not have to wait for the teacher to start/finish a chapter, they can do it themselves. Online learning allows them to take control of their own learning process. They can go through the content, re-read chapters, listen to audio-books or take help from external links. This helps them undertake courses as per their learning capacity and convenience. Online education helps students in becoming active learners, rather than passive learners, while taking full responsibility of their own studies.

2) Reduces Dependence on Teachers

When students have an online learning option available to them, the dependence on teachers for more information or notes reduces. They can get additional information all by themselves with the help of online libraries. With easy access to internet, students can browse through thousands of online learning content. This would better prepare them for their examinations, as they have access to not only their own courseware that the institute has recommended, but also external and additional information. Online learning thus reduces dependence on teachers for notes and explanations.

3) Cost Effective Learning Materials

If you compare the cost factor, you would find that online education is way more affordable for students than traditional education. This is because of the difference in the creation of online course materials and printed textbooks. A paperback book is costlier because it involves a lot of process in its making. From cutting down trees, to production of paper, to printing, packaging and shipping. All these processes add to the cost of each printed book. Whereas eBooks are created on an online software and is digitally published and distributed. Hence, the cost of eBooks is always cheaper than the combined cost of traditional textbooks for the academic year. Moreover, you get all the learning materials at one place. Students do not have to buy different books for different subjects, unlike traditional education demands. Thus, online education is environment and student friendly.

4) More Social Interaction and Collaboration

The traditional education model allows students to interact with each other in and outside of school. But those are mainly face-to-face or telephonic interactions. Online learning model allows further interaction by providing an online platform for discussions. eBooks can be embedded with sharing features, where students can share content and comment on other student’s posts. With most students being active social media users, this kind of an interactive platform encourages them to share, like and comment on course contents. Students can post doubts and queries on the online platform, starting a discussion thread with teachers and other students. Teachers may prefer to continue the discussion in classrooms, enabling everyone to share their views and opinions, and understand others’ perspectives as well. It thus helps in having in-depth and engaging classroom discussions.

5) Easy to Assess and Give Feedback

Teachers usually spend a good amount of time in correcting papers, grading students, checking assignments etc. There’s too much paperwork involved in the traditional education approach. Introducing online course modules will help in reducing this time. The teachers could instead spend more time in creating an interactive learning environment in the classroom with activities, discussions etc. Online assignments are comparatively easy to assess. Students submit their tests or assignments online and teachers can view the answers and evaluate them anytime and anywhere. They don’t have to sit with a bunch of paper for review. As online content can be viewed on mobile based platforms, they can do it while waiting for the bus, taking a break in between lectures etc. And they can also give feedback to students via the same platform. So, online education makes life easy for students as well as teachers.

6) Analyse the Learning Pattern

Traditional education system has no means to gauge the interest levels of students. You can’t really tell if the students have finished reading a particular chapter. An analytics tool can give in-depth report about every student’s performance. It enables you to measure the engagement level of the entire class. Teachers can look into the course delivery and consumption patterns, such as the number of chapters read, progress rate, tests attempted etc. This information helps teachers to design their classes as per the learning patterns of students.

7) Encourages Students to Talk Rather Than Listen in Classrooms

The flipped classroom approach has gained popularity in recent times for its ability to reverse the traditional teaching model. Which means teachers now encourage students to do their ‘homework’ in school and do the reading and studying part at home. Students are asked to read online content or watch video-based learning content at home and the same is discussed in the classroom. This approach helps in creating an interactive classroom where students learn by solving problems in class with their peers and teacher around them. This makes for a more effective learning technique. With a flipped classroom approach, teachers are aiming to provide more knowledge to students by encouraging them to ask questions, perform individual or group activities etc. Thus, the reverse learning model encourages teamwork and collaboration, leading to an engaging learning experience.

8) Students Can Revisit the Classes That Were Missed

Students sometimes tend to miss out on a few lectures, either because they are unwell, or they find it too dull and boring to attend. In either case, it is not possible for the teacher to conduct the same lecture again for a couple of students. Because doing so would be unfair to the other students in class. But, with the help of online courses, students can go through the courseware at their convenient time or when they feel they are in an attentive state. As online notes can be shared with peers, students would also have access to any extra information provided by the teacher in class. They no longer have to fear missing out on topics and chapters. Because even if they miss out on a few topics, they can catch up with the help of online tutorials and other links. Some universities also record their lectures for students to view later. Online education, thus ensures, that students never miss any topics covered in the classroom.

9) Interactive Content

While online education promotes classroom interaction, it also enables students to interact with their courseware. With features like drag and drop and click and reveal, online learning allows students to engage with their learning material. The courseware is designed in a responsive fashion so that students can easily access them on any platform and device of their choice. And the content is also embedded with multiple interactive elements such as external links, videos, audio etc., for better engagement. Educational publishers and institutes also include gamification and interactive quizzes and assessments to make the course module more challenging for the students. When the course contents become interactive, it helps students to retain information faster.

Impact of Mobile Learning in Training & Development

YouTube is a perfect example which confirms the importance of video content in the present era. People view more than 500 million hours of video each day on YouTube, this indicates the exponential rate at which video content is being consumed. This rising trend has forced L&D teams to introduce training videos in their corporate training programs. The numerous variations in content and the presentation style has given rise to different types of video formats. And choosing one out of the many video formats for corporate training could prove to be quite a demanding task. Because you need to analyze which format would be most effective in training your employees.

Sometimes, certain topics require a specific kind of video format to explain it better. For example, if you are training medical students on how to perform a surgery, you can’t just do that with an explainer video, they need to see a demo of the procedure. So, before developing content for the training video, corporate trainers must put some thought into the kind of video that would be most effective for their audience.

Here are five best video formats for corporate training that you can include in your employee training program:

Animated Video to Increase Retention Rates

Let’s start with the most interesting form of video available today. Animation holds a certain charm which makes us connect with it. Disney and Pixar are making billions from their animated movies, and most of the audience are adults! Enterprises are opting for animated videos to deliver corporate training because they hold more retention value. With the help of animation, you can convey complex concepts with ease, and also add a bit of humor to it. It allows you to be as creative and quirky as you want.

With animation you can show serious stuff in a lighthearted manner without making it look gross and unpleasant, and also ensure that the message is strongly conveyed to the employees. It can be used for induction, onboarding, soft skill training, product and process training as well. Animated videos keep the viewers engaged and helps them in recalling the information when required.

Talking Head Videos to Share Expertise

A talking-head video is one where someone is talking to the camera. Think of instructor-led training, which is probably the oldest form of teaching. While this traditional mode of training is still quite effective, it is slowly shifting its medium from classroom to mobile devices. This style of training is particularly useful when the instructor wants to explain something in detail.

Although with a talking head video, there’s a risk of people finding it boring. Think about it, you are constantly looking at someone talking on the screen. How long do you think this speaker can hold the viewer’s attention? Hence, in order to keep it interesting, we suggest you include other elements in between, such as illustrations, stats and graphs etc., just to break the monotony. You could also allow multiple people to feature in the video. Mixing it up with more elements will help make it engaging. While creating a talking head video you need to keep in mind that there should be a natural flow to the message, it should not sound like someone is reading from a script. Ask an SME to feature in the video or someone who is really knowledgeable about the subject matter, it will help employees connect with the video.

Demo Video to Give a Clear Idea of The Work Process

When you want to find out how something works, you generally go to YouTube, where you get step by step demo of the process. When you want to explain something by showing the audience how it works, it’s best to go for demo videos. Watching a live demo helps in understanding the process much better than just listening about it. If you show your employees how to operate a machinery before letting them have a hands-on experience, they would be better prepared to work on it.

If you are a sales firm, trying to explain to your employees how to pitch your product, show them a demo video of how it’s done, and also demonstrate how your product functions. This will give them better understanding than mere theoretical knowledge. Because unless they are completely aware of its features they cannot sell it convincingly. In a demo video, you are performing an act while explaining it. So, you need to be prepared in advance with all the right tools required to get the job done.

Simulation for a Realistic Training Experience

Simulation videos are a great way to ensure that your employees clearly understand and remember the information. This is an interactive form of training video which enhances one’s critical thinking skills. Employees are given a scenario where they have options to choose from. According to the option that is chosen, the next scene will play out. For example, if the scenario is about dealing with an irate customer on telephone, the options could include- giving immediate solution to the customer, getting help from a colleague, or disconnecting the call. With the help of rich computer graphics and animation, you can create a virtual design of almost anything, say for example, a dismantled engine, and the learner can choose which part goes where, how to re-attach it etc.

The best thing about this kind of training is that it’s completely safe. Even if you mess up or give wrong answers multiple times, neither you nor your company is going to suffer. It makes for a good trial and error exercise. So, without any loss of reputation or money, you are giving your employees a chance to make wrong decisions and learn from it.

Screencast for Software Training

While all the other forms of video training can be used for teaching almost anything, screencast is specifically meant for software related training. Screencast records the instructor’s screen, capturing every step that the trainer performs on his computer. This helps learners to see and learn how to use a specific software. For example, if someone wants to learn how to create pivot tables in MS Excel, the screencast video shows a step-by-step process. This can be accompanied with audio to explain it better.

It is not possible for a corporate trainer to keep taking frequent sessions on how to work on a particular software. Screencast on the other hand, is like a constant tutor, whom the employee can rely upon and is always available. Whenever the employee feels unsure about working on a particular tool or software, they can watch the step by step instructions given in the video. After re-watching the video if the learner has any queries he can ask the trainer. This becomes a convenient process for the trainer and the trainee. This is probably the least expensive and cost-effective form of video available. Because all you need is a software to be installed on the trainer’s screen. These online tutorials help the learners to watch and practice.

Summary Video for Quick Viewing

These are short videos apt for on-the-go employees. Summaries are shortened versions of a particular topic. A summary video comes handy when the employee wants to have a quick look at the information while commuting, during breaks etc. Providing a summary video offers just in time information and helps your employees to stay updated or brush up their knowledge anytime they want.

Corporate training videos have evolved from being just PowerPoint slides clubbed together, to a more dynamic platform, where customized videos are created for each training requirement. Social media has changed the way we consume content. Viewers are said to retain 95% of a message when they watch it on video compared to 10% when reading it in text. Hence, enterprises are creating different video formats for corporate training. Video based learning works mainly because of its ability to keep the viewers engaged. And corporate training programs need to maintain a certain level of engagement to keep their employees motivated. Hence, L&D teams are designing and delivering different formats of video for corporate training to increase employee efficiency.