#paperless school

Becoming Paperless: A Must for Schools to Use Electronic Textbooks

Technology, specifically digital technology, has come so far. According to Cheprasov (2016), the needs of human life have become more complex and hard-to-accomplish using manual methods as time passed by; which could be one of the main reasons leading to the globe’s massive investment in the advancement of technology. Currently, utmost everyone can agree on how huge its role in society has become. From being relevant in communicative and business aspects, it’s also gained a role in education Aleen (2019); proving how much control technology has gained in basic societal processes. Though, focusing on one of its many contributions in learning; digital technology, in particular, has paved the way for the creation of electronic textbooks or e-textbooks which eliminate the need for paper. Considering an opportunity for schools to be eco-friendly; one could wonder, why aren’t they already using them? Though the digitalization of every part of learning isn’t implied, schools should go paperless and use electronic textbooks.

The article, “Can Electronic Textbooks be Part of K-12 Education?: Challenges, Technological Solutions, and Open Issues”, concludes how e-textbooks are much cheaper to purchase, as expensive costs for paper and printing are eliminated (Lee, Messom, & Yau, 2013). This proves how e-textbooks, firstly, gain a huge benefit as they offer eco-friendly learning whilst letting institutions save more money. As e-textbooks saving paper isn’t enough of a reason to make a switch, another key factor to consider would be their capability to reach more students. According to the article, “5 Reasons Schools Should Go Paperless”, e-textbooks allow students to easily access the needed learning resources with everything being accessible online and offline as they are downloadable (Breed, 2019). This is already proven useful, especially in situations like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that’s making the accessibility of printed materials difficult; as to why online learning was the next best option. It can be seen in online learning, how students and teachers have adapted to the use of digital learning resources, which exhibit the same concept as electronic textbooks. The article, “Textbooks Vs. Techbooks: Effectiveness of Digital Textbooks on Elementary Student Motivation for Learning”; on the other hand, proves with a testing process, how students using e-textbooks improved their involvement and learning during class (Oman, 2013). This article’s conclusion implies another considerable factor, which is how electronic textbooks increase student engagement in learning. Though, considering the other end of the stick, e-textbooks also offer some cons. As e-textbooks make use of electronics, unlike the printed ones, students could be more prone to eyestrains and fatigue as they’re required to continuously be exposed to the varying lighting of their electronics. Moreover, as they offer freedom for learners to scroll through the internet, most also find themselves getting more distracted whilst utilizing e-textbooks, unlike if compared to printed textbooks wherein students are exposed to fewer distractions.

Considering both sides of using electronic textbooks with the main aim of going paperless; identified were how electronic textbooks not only aid in an eco-friendly movement, but they also lead to increased savings for an institution, easier accessibility of students to their resources, and increased student engagement in learning. However, for the use of electronic textbooks to be beneficial for both sides; the health, willingness, and patience of the students need to be given huge consideration to make both ends meet. Hence, although using e-textbooks offers cons that need to be taken into consideration, the benefits point out how going paperless and using electronic textbooks instead of print textbooks prove to be advantageous in more ways than one.

Photo credit:

https://thesunflower.com/8615/news/campus/electronic-textbooks-make-their-presence-on-campus/#

Works Cited

Aleen, M. (2019, November 7). Technological Influence on Society. Retrieved from bctv.org: https://www.bctv.org/2019/11/07/technological-influence-on-society/#:~:text=Technology%20affects%20the%20way%20individuals,and%20it%20impacts%20daily%20lives.

Breed, C. (2019, October 31). 5 Reasons Schools Should Go Paperless. Retrieved from Kami: https://blog.kamiapp.com/5-reasons-schools-should-go-paperless/

Cheprasov, A. (2016, February 18). Why Technology Is Created & Revised. Retrieved from Study.com: study.com/academy/lesson/why-technology-is-created-revised.html

Lee, H. J., Messom, C., & Yau, K.-L. A. (2013, January). Can Electronic Textbooks be Part of K-12 Education?: Challenges, Technological Solutions and Open Issues. TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 12(1). Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329016761_CAN_AN_ELECTRONIC_TEXTBOOKS_BE_PART_OF_K-12_EDUCATION_CHALLENGES_TECHNOLOGICAL_SOLUTIONS_AND_OPEN_ISSUES