Sunday, April 10, 2011

A modular IT literacy course for the Internet era

PowerPoint presentation
Presentation transcript
Assignment
Related topic module

Skills: none
Concepts: definition of IT literacy, evolution of IT literacy, variation in IT literacy courses, advantages of modularity, teaching module format

36 comments:

  1. Your approach to designing modules for an IT literacy course has been most helpful to me. I have been thinking about a similar modular approach to a course in Women and Computers which is part of our Women's Studies major. Course may no longer be taught, so I need to break it down into modules which can be inserted in various other WS courses. I have been thinking about storing the modules in a Wiki, but your method of storing in a blog may be a better alternative.

    Found your blog here from your comment on Prof Hacker's "Challenging the Presentation Paradigm with the 1/1/5 Rule" of 4/19/11.

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  2. > but your method of storing in a blog may be a better alternative.


    The blog format has several advantages -- each module has a unique URL, making it easy to single out one or a few related modules, you get tags and text search automatically, and, most important, you can discuss a module using comments as we are doing now.

    Let me know if you end up doing some woman-oriented modules, and consider placing them on this blog (with the tag "women" or something like that so you can refer to just those). Also feel free to use any of the ones I've made.

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  3. Thank you. Lots of good ideas here. I wish that the Apple iPad was Flash friendly in order to show your multimedia!
    - regards,
    Troy Challenger
    CSU Monterey Bay

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  4. > I wish that the Apple iPad was Flash friendly in order to show your multimedia!

    Me too. Someday, Camtasia Studio may support HTML 5, then you will be able to see the videos on an iPad.

    Alternatively, I could upload them to YouTube and you could use the YouTube app on your iPad, but I have not had time to do it. You would also lose the ability to jump from slide to slide -- it would be a plain video. Would that matter?

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  5. The pro and con arguments for electronic text are currently about equal which makes going full digital or keeping books made out of paper a difficult decision to make. When one argues the benefits of having an electronic text it is easy to see that someday this will be the way of the future. Electronic text can be made cheaper, it can be adapted to the curriculum, and let’s not forget that its quite a bit lighter to carry around than a stack of two inch thick text books.

    Electronic text still has its share of shortcomings. Electronic text has to wait for its environment to catch up before it can become main stream. Not every classroom in our school system is equipped with a computer and some students do not have access to a computer that they can use at their leisure. If the world suddenly switched to electronic text there would be students out there that would not have a convenient way to access the text.

    With that said I see electronic text becoming a norm in the future. The world just needs to catch up so it can be accommodated.

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  6. There are a couple of key advantages to using modular electronic text in this class. The modules not only gives you the knowledge you need about the topic but it also gives you examples and instructions on how to do what the module is covering. For me that’s the key advantage of the modular electronic text. I like being able to read through the module and after words applying what I’ve learned to an assignment. It helps me learn the concept better and retain what I have done. An additional advantage is the structure of the modules. Each module is concise and only deals with a certain topic. I like the format of each module and I adapted very easily to it. Every module includes a power point presentation that has text notes on each slide, which is very helpful to me.

    A disadvantage of modular electronic text versus using a standard textbook is that modular electronic text is on the Internet and may not be easily accessible to everyone. Whereas a textbook I can take anywhere to read and work on assignments. That’s a big disadvantage for me when I’m on the go. When I’m at appointments or at the park with my son, I like to take my textbooks and read.

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  7. The modular text that we have used in this course has many advantages to it. In my personal opinion, the biggest advantage of the modular text is that it covers what we need to know- nothing more, nothing less. Typical textbooks tend to add a lot of things that most professors don’t have time to teach, or that simply are not important enough to cover. With the modules we cover exactly what the professor wants us to learn. Another advantage of the modules is that they are very convenient and easy to use. I can save the module to my flash drive and look at it any time, and I can choose to print it all or just the sections that I feel I need to study most.
    As with everything else, these modules do have a few disadvantages. The first disadvantage is that in order to access them I have to be able to connect to the internet. What would I do if my lap top crashed or if I lost my internet connection and had nowhere else to access the internet at that particular point in time? Or what if the power goes out? In this sense it’s not very advantageous, but luckily these things only happen about once a semester and are easy to recover from. Another disadvantage is that if I’m unclear on a specific module I can’t just turn the page and learn more on the subject. I have to email classmates and wait on them to reply, if they choose to reply at all.

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  8. One of the most important things we as students look for is cheap textbooks. Before the semester starts I am online looking for the cheapest textbook I can find. So far the cheapest has been the modular text we have used for this class, which was free. I have used an electronic version of a textbook for another class where even if it was not free it was very cheap compared to a standard textbook.

    One advantage I see in using the electronic version of a textbook over the modular electronic text is that we are already accustomed to textbooks. Electronic textbooks give us the same format we are used to and comfortable with. I feel like I get a lot more from a textbook whether electronic or standard than I get from modules. Once I look over exactly what modules offer and compare it with what a standard textbook and an electronic textbook offers I realize they both offer me the same amount of information. I think that a modular electronic text is a too drastic change over what we are used to.

    I see the advantage professors would have with modular electronic textbooks, with them being able to get custom textbooks for their class. From the student point of view the only advantage I see would come from it being cheaper.

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  9. What are they key advantages and disadvantages of the modular electronic text we have used in this class as compared to a standard textbook or an electronic version of a textbook?

    I think one of first advantages that come to mind when it comes to the use of the modular electronic text is the cost advantage that comes with it. As a college student your always trying to find ways to cut cost. The cheaper it is the more likely a student will go after it. Another advantage that comes with using the modular electronic text is the ease of used. Meaning if the professor tell us to study a certain topic we know where to go. It is easy to search for different topic and also we are not confused with other text that does not go along with the subject. The last advantage I like is how the PowerPoint slides are set up. They are structure in such a way that it is easy to follow and easy to understand

    The one big disadvantage that looms over the use of a modular electronic text is internet connection. If the modular electronic were set up as zip files and distribute at the beginning of class I believe it wouldn’t give an excuse not to get access to the presentation. Some people also prefer having some sort of physical text book to look at and carry. I believe this will slowly go way but it will need some time.

    I prefer using the modular electronic text and I think highly of them. I believe they were used efficiently in this CIS class. I believe other classes should take note of this and incorporate it in their subject. I believe in would make the subject easier to comprehend.

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  10. There are a few advantages and disadvantages of using modular electronic text versus standard text books and electronic text books. I have noticed that when using modular text, I tend to understand and grasp the subject matter slightly better. By condensing the subject material into a powerpoint presentation, I am able to access it pretty much anytime and where when I store it on a usb thumb drive. If a professor finds that he or she need to update the information that is on the presentation all he or she need to do is modify the content rather than recommending a new version of a book. It makes it easier for college students who are most likely already in deep debt by not forcing them to purchase expensive text books.
    As far as disadvantages go, the follow are the disadvantages I can think of from using modular text:
    • Lacks the ease of just being able to open a book
    • Books do not require electricity or a computer
    • Books might be a better choice for those who are not so tech savy

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  11. The electronic text is a far better way of learning in a CIS class. First benefit is that CIS majors love computers and any work that involves them is going to be more engaging then the run of the mill paper text book. I also love the e-text a lot because it can be accessed anywhere there is an internet connection. Other e-text I have had required a specific reader and that software was on my pc and not as mobile. There is a small problem with using a electronic text like this that has to do with the way people read carefully. Although that was a complicated problem to get over it was not nearly as hard as trying to scrape the money together to but a giant text book that would only be used for one semester. All in all I like the way the text, modules and assignments are laid out and I would hope more professors will begin to teach in manners like this.

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  12. One of the key advantages of the modular electronic text versus a standard textbook or electronic version of the textbook is the lessened impact on the environment. The fact that there are no physical pages being used is a very important advantage. There were no trees used in the creation of the modular text. Students also have the option to print what modules they choose based on their needs and wants. My experience with some electronic texts is that they limit the amount of pages one can print, which can be a problem at times. Another advantage is how the modular approach allows for the scope of the class to be broadened or narrowed depending on the needs of the class or the course being taught. This modular online text can be used for many different courses and also can be tailored according to the individual needs of each and every class. A final key advantage is the ease of navigating through the entire modular text versus searching through a textbook or electronic text. The layout of the modular text is like a blog or website which makes it very easy to use in my opinion.

    One of the key disadvantages of the modular text versus the standard textbook or electronic version would be the learning curve for some people to adapt to using this kind of format. This is the first time I have used this type of format but I am fairly computer and internet savvy so I did not find it a problem. But I felt like some students might have trouble getting used to the format of the text and how the class utilizes that format. Also, some people might work better with printed materials to work with and take hand written notes on. That presents a problem for someone who wants to print a lot of the modules out. The responsibility of the cost of that falls on the student and that can create a problem for the student. Possibly offering a printed version for purchase might work for some students but presents a problem if you are constantly updating and changing the modules.

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  13. The key advantages of the modular electronic text we have used in this class as compared to a standard textbook or an electronic version of textbook is (as noted in the topic module) the ability to tailor courses to different majors. Modules are also easy to scale and a community can form around a project as a whole or single module. Personally modules are easier to follow because they are straight forward and offer tons of information to look at through links and Websites for further reading and understanding. As a student you are able to venture and learn more about a topic even after you’ve completed the require module reading. You are also able to decide how to use the module to best meet your learning needs. You can chose to read the PowerPoint slides or what the video instead. All the information is the same except for how it is delivered which can be a huge advantage to students that do better by listening then by reading. The disadvantage of using a module is the reliance on the internet. If the internet connection fails or blogger decided not to exists then the student will not be able to access the module until the problem is resolved. This can delay a class session or homework due dates. Overall, there is more of an advantage than a disadvantage to have a modular electronic text than any other form of text.

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  14. Larry, re: your April 30 comment to Troy, I think the ability to skip around in the video is important. After the first viewing, you may only need/want to check a particular segment for a specific step. Very interesting comments on this thread overall. A clear advantage to using the blogosphere, once you get people going.

    I have a colleague working with me now and we have a rough list of your modules that will work well in the CSUMB environment. More via e-mail to follow.

    --George at CSUMB

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  15. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  16. Manny said:

    > I am fairly computer and internet savvy so I did not find it a problem. But I felt like some students might have trouble getting used to the format of the text and how the class utilizes that format.


    I assume the user has some experience with Widows and Web browsing. A total beginner would need a few modules tagged "beginner," that explain the rudiments of Windows (or other OSs), the Web and search engines, and word processing. I don't have time to create them now, but would welcome others doing so.

    > Also, some people might work better with printed materials to work with and take hand written notes on.

    The .docx "transcripts" can be used for that, and several of my students say they are printing them out. I've created them for about 1/3 of the modules and will do others as time allow.

    > Possibly offering a printed version for purchase might work for some students but presents a problem if you are constantly updating and changing the modules.

    Yes -- even if a topic is fundamental and does not change, the way one explains it, examples, self-study questions and links to resource material may change. A revision history could be kept for each module -- hmm -- I could do that using module comments. I'll start doing that -- thanks for the suggestion!

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  17. Rather than reply individually to the earlier comments, let me offer this digest of the comments and my thoughts and reacions. The comments mention several topics.

    It turns out that these comments are restricted to 4,096 characters, so I will cover the topics in two posts -- this comment and the one that follows.

    Larry


    Cost: Several people noted that lower cost was an advantage of etexts. The etext for this course is free, but traditional publishers charge for etexts. While those charges are high today, they will eventually decline to reflect savings in printing and distribution cost.

    Environmental concerns: An etext may be read from a screen, which requires power, but no printing. Many students print the module transcripts, but that is not as costly to the environment as printing and distributing a book.

    Portability: This course would easily fit in a flash drive; however, there is no facility for one-click download of a module, subset of modules or the entire course. This is less important to people with Internet-connected portable devices like tablets.

    Internet connectivity: Several people pointed out that Internet connectivity is needed to access the current course. Without a simple module-download function, that is the case. On the other hand, being connected is valuable even if you have a local copy of the entire etext. If one is online while studying a module, they can follow the module resource links, search for complementary information, send messages to other students, the professor and the module content creator, and so forth.

    Flexibility: Several people pointed out that an etext was more flexible -- new content or a new way of explaining or illustrating a point can easily be added. However, some pointed out that this caused a versioning problem -- the transcript a student printed or the presentation they studied from might not be current. Furthermore, the videos may lag behind the presentations and not reflect all changes. An explicit version history can solve that problem -- I will start recording significant changes to presentations in the topic module comment section.

    Campus infrastructure: This etext can be used for self-study, but I use the presentations in a face-to-face classroom. All of today's classrooms do not have Internet-connected computers and projectors, though they are becoming common. In general, infrastructure must become ubiquitous to generate cultural change. (See http://cis471.blogspot.com/2011/01/tablet-pcs-will-impact-education-but-it.html for more on ubiquity in education).

    User interface: Several people mentioned the simplicity of the user interface. The fact that each topic module and each assignment has a unique URL makes it easy for the topic modules and assignments to link to each other and for a teacher to include one or many modules in a class. The presentations also follow a uniform format.

    Still, the user interface is not as simple and standardized as turning a page in a book or looking a term up in the index. Some people mentioned that an etext user interface might be confusing to a student who was not comfortable with computers. For example, one person pointed out that a newcomer might have trouble differentiating between the links comprising a topic module (on the left side of the screen) and the cloud tag and links to other documents and sites on the right side. I will add that distinction to the "About our electronic text," http://cis275topics.blogspot.com/2010/09/about-our-electronic-text.html.

    Focused content: Several people liked the relatively narrow focus of the annotated slide presentation format. The skills and concepts covered were explicitly stated, and the students knew what to study. For enrichment, they could follow the "resource" links at the end of each presentation. Each module is the rough equivalent of a section in a textbook chapter.

    Continued in the following comment ...

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  18. This is a contiuation of the previous comment ...


    Multiple learning modes: Some students prefer the video presentation, others the PowerPoint with transcript presentation. Some prefer reading from paper to reading from a screen. The modules are flexible in that a student can go through a presentation online, watch a video or print the transcript with images for offline study.

    I could easily provide audio recordings of the video sound tracks for podcast style use. I plan to add audio recordings of classroom presentations next term, which will provide another option -- a more spontaneous presentation plus classroom interaction.

    Marginal notes: Marginal notes can be done by printing the transcript and writing on it or by keeping a notepad window open while watching a presentation online. There is definite room for improvement here -- one can imagine writing/drawing/dictating marginal notes while using a portable computer or tablet. (Dictated notes should be coupled with well integrated speech recognition to convert them to text).

    Instructor convenience: One person commented that a modular etext makes it easier for a professor to develop a customized course. That is true, but most faculty do not worry about customization -- they simply select a textbook and building a course around the accompanying PowerPoint slides, test banks, etc.

    Professors are used to adopting a textbook and letting it structure their course. The modular etext requires that they become editors and curators, not mere textbook adopters, and that takes time and thought.

    Standards: The material for this course is browser based -- no special reading program is required. The material is in widely used formats -- HTML, pptx, docx, and Flash video. But, the electronic text is in its infancy, and I suspect that other standards for file formats, collaboration, and user interfaces will emerge (http://cis471.blogspot.com/2011/05/future-of-textbook.html).

    Collaboration and community: An etext allows for collaboration among students, professors, and authors of the teaching material. This collaboration is particularly easy and scalable in the case of a modular etext, in which a community can form around a single module in the same way as Wikipedia users can focus on a narrow topic they are interested in.

    I had expected that the topic module and assignment comments would be used for this sort of collaboration and interaction, but they were not. Instead, students used an email list server and face-to-face contact in the classroom to give me feedback and to help each other. (We met twice a week). The comments or other collaboration mechanisms would be more important in a distant education or self-study setting.

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  19. One of the key advantages of the modular electronic text versus a standard textbook or electronic version of the textbook is that it is environmental friendly. The fact that there are no pages printed and everything is electronic is a major advantage. For the modular text there are no physical pages thus leaving trees alone. The modular text becomes accessible to anyone who has the access to the Internet. Today students have Internet access through smart phone which make learning easier. The modular text allows students to learn almost anywhere without the need of carrying a bulky book. The modular text also gives students the option to print what modules they need and want. They have more options when it comes to learning. This advantage is great because with a physical book students might only use half of the material. The modular text allows professors to customize learning tools based on what they want to teach. The modular texts allow classes to be customized and not be limited to one way of teaching. Searching for information is easier on modular text than through a textbook, making learning easier.


    One of the key disadvantages of the modular text versus the standard textbook or electronic version would be that some students might have difficulty adjusting to the use of modular texts. Students are accustomed to using textbooks versus modular text. For me this is the first time I have used this type of format and had a bit of difficulty because I am not a computer wiz and I had difficulty adjusting. I am one of those people who prefer having something to write on and make notes on. It does offer the option of printing but that kind of takes away from being eco friendly .Modular text presents a problem for students who want to print a lot of the modules out. Paper and ink are not cheap. Students might as well purchase a textbook. What if a professor makes a change? The student now has to print the material again which can be a waste of paper and time.

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  20. Maria Martin said:

    > Paper and ink are not cheap. Students might as well purchase a textbook.

    How much would it cost to print all of the presentation transcripts from a term? Assume, say 5 pages per transcript and 80 modules in a term. How much would it cost to print 400 pages? How much does it cost to print and distribute a textbook?

    > What if a professor makes a change?

    Good point -- maybe the professor should promise to freeze the material during the semester or at least make only minor changes. When a presentation or video is revised, that can be recorded in the "comment" section of the module.

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  21. There are several advantages of using the modular e-text. One advantage is the savings of purchasing a textbook that normally cost between $100 and $200, which will be used only for a few months. In addition, a modular e-text can be updated without having to order a new copy and worrying about paying for another book. Finally, you can access the modular e-text from any computer and don’t have to worry about carrying a book that weights a couple of pounds. As great as a modular e-text sounds, there are some disadvantages. One disadvantage is that it’s only available online. Many students do not like to read from a computer and would rather have a hard copy. Also, modular e-text might not offer the tools required for the class like interactive problems. In any case, there will always be pros and cons to having a modular e-text.

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  22. Some of the advantages of using the modular electronic text include, saving money. The average price on a textbook for a course is around $100. The text that we used for this course was online and saved everyone from buying another textbook. The textbook was composed of topic modules and covered a variety of topics. Another advantage is that topic modules can be accessed from anywhere, as long as you have internet access.

    In my opinion there are no disadvantages in using topic modules. They can be edited and updated at the spot. I see more and more teachers using topic modules for online and similar courses. The only drawback I foresee is that the standard book has much more information to offer than the topic modules.

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  23. What are they key advantages and disadvantages of the modular electronic text we have used in this class as compared to a standard textbook or an electronic version of a textbook?

    The advantages that an electronic text would have compared to a physical textbook would be that with an electronic text it is easier to search different topics discussed in class. An electronic text can be either viewed online or downloaded to a storage device, which is much easier to carry or view then a physical textbook. Another advantage that an electronic text has would be that it is much cheaper then a standard textbook. I believe students would like the idea that electronic textbooks are not that expensive.

    The disadvantage of an electronic textbook compared to a standard textbook would be the Internet access. Some people are not fortunate enough to have Internet access. It will be much harder for those people to find accommodations to be able to study or do homework. Some students rather have a physical textbook to write notes in or highlight important things. Another disadvantage would be that there is always a possibility that your PC might crash or that the internet might not be running correctly to be able to read a chapter assigned for homework or be able to study, you will always need a back up source to insure your information.

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  24. There are several key advantages in regards to the modular electronic text used in this class versus a standard textbook or an electronic version of a textbook. One of the advantages is it is not necessary to download a program to use the modular electronic text. You can access it anywhere that has an Internet connection. Also, a person cannot lose their e-text book like you can a regular textbook. In addition, it is much better for the environment to not cut down all the trees used for standard textbooks. Furthermore, a teacher has the ability to choose what information they would like to present and how they would like to structure what the class learns. For instance adding links to exercises after each module, so that a student can practice the concepts presented in the module. Lastly, the best key advantage is the ability for students and teachers to communicate and share with the students using the electronic text for class. This made asking for help in order to really comprehend the material much easier.
    A few of the disadvantages is if you cannot find a location with Internet connection. Some people have complained that they have trouble reading from a computer screen and they have to strain their eyes. Finally, the teacher may be biased when structuring the class information and focus on the topics that they enjoy.
    I prefer the modular electronic text to the standard or traditional textbook. I have converted all of my textbooks to the electronic form unless they are not available. The person that collaborated on this topic with me was Alisha Hill and she is my sister.

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  25. Advantages:
    • A key advantage of the modular learning textbook is its access to a wealth of information via the Internet. By using links created within the module, a student can access other modules of interest, relevant Websites, and communication with other students as well as the instructor.
    • A key advantage would be the utilization of all types of media to drive home difficult topics. These media can include text, sound, image, and video types. This advantage coupled with hyperlinks creates an interactive learning environment in which student can share notes and thoughts about those topics.
    • A key advantage would be the easy access to different types of information within in the modular textbook. If you need to brush up on a particular topic, all you need to do is click a button; no flipping around a traditional textbook trying to find what you need to know.
    • A key advantage would the short modules themselves; learning via a traditional textbook requires reading very long chapters covering several topics. By distributing learning material in easy-to-digest modules, learning becomes easy by natural progression. In other words, topics are learned in a logical order so that they are easier to remember.
    Disadvantages of modular textbooks:
    • A key disadvantage would be its reliance on hardware and software technology; sometimes the system suffers from bad links and hardware glitches.
    • A key disadvantage would be its dependence on connectivity; a student is required to have some kind of local access to the Internet. This also relates to a modular textbook's portability and cost of access. Currently, a student needs a computer system at home in addition to an e-device to create portability, and all this can be expensive. Books are not cheap but they are portable and they don't break down.

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  26. The advantage of an electronic text are lower cost, easy updating for information, and acess to the text anywhere there is an internet connection or a computer that it can be downloaded to. The disadvantages include the ability to focus on a hardcopy of text book over an electronic version, the concrete information printed in textbooks is often been studied and reviewed where as posts to an online text may be current, but unsubstantiated info. While some disadvantages exist, the future of the textbook lays in electronic text. iPads and other ereading devices allow users to ead their textbooks portablly in a similar fashion to a hardcopy text, and its online nature allows professionals from all over to contribute to the information stored in the text. The electronic text allows studnets from all walks of life to access and read the text, assuming it is low cost or free. Many publishers fear a digital takeover of all printed information, but the only reason publishers existed was to facilitate author's writings being accessable to the public, but now that the internet is a widely accepted medium that instantly delivers information to our homes and handheld devices, we don't necessarily need publishers anymore, as we can get information straight from the source, whether that be authors, teachers or professionals. Soon, this way of information dispersal will be the norm, and electronic texts will be standard

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  27. The greatest advantage of the modular electronic text I found to be was the several options available to navigate to a specified topic or assignment. Throughout the modular electronic text links to other helpful sites and presentations were made available. The links were helpful because all it took was a click and a new window would appear. Another advantage was the real-time accessibility including updates, comments, and feedback. In other words, assignments allowed users to comment, this would not be possible in an e-book. As for the disadvantages, the modular electronic text didn’t offer something similar to a standard textbook “table of contents”. Of course, the modular electronic text has a similar tool which is tags, but one word may not be enough to actually be able to located desired information. It would be nice to be able to view all the course information on one page.

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  28. One of the key advantages of the modular electronic text is the financial aspect. It is a big relief not to have to spend a lot of money on a textbook that you will probably only use for one semester. Another advantage is that you do not have to carry the book around with you on the days that you need to have it in class. One disadvantage to having electronic text is that it is easier for to miss important key points when a student is looking at a computer screen as opposed to reading a textbook. I often do highlighting when I am reading a textbook to help me to accent the key points of the information as it pertains to a particular assignment. It is helpful if the electronic text is placed on a Kindle or some other device where it is downloadable and you can make changes and notes on the text, by doing that the features such highlighting would be accessible and it would be easier for some student to the information.

    Another disadvantage of having modular text is that it is sometime not always as thorough as a conventional textbook. The electronic text is more to the point and it is my opinion that they sometime miss key points of the assignment or the topic that might have been helpful to the reader.

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  29. There are many advantages when using the modular electronic text. One major benefit is the accessibility to anyone. A person does not have to buy or rent a textbook that would cost between $100 through $200. The material can be accessed through any device that has Internet, and a student does not have to carry around a 5-pound textbook. Having a modular electronic text is green because a company does not have to publish a physical textbook.

    There are a few disadvantages concerning the use of modular electronic text. At times, hyperlinks connecting to different website are inaccessible because the link may be dead. The modular electronic text can only be reached through the Internet, so having the Internet is vital for access.

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  30. There are some key advantages to using modular electronic text books in this class. The modules will teach you about your topic and it also gives you examples and instructions on what module is covering. For me that’s the key advantage of the modular electronic text. I like being able to read through the module and afterwords applying that through examples. It helps me learn the concept better and retain what I have done. An additional advantage is the structure of the modules. Each module is concise and only deals with a certain topic. I like the format of each module and I adapted very easily to it. Every module includes a power point presentation that has text notes on each slide, which is very helpful to me.

    A disadvantage of modular electronic text versus using a standard textbook is that modular electronic text is on the Internet and may not be easily accessible to everyone. Whereas a textbook I can take anywhere to read and work on assignments.

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  31. What are they key advantages and disadvantages of the modular electronic text we have used in this class as compared to a standard textbook or an electronic version of a textbook?
    I think the advantages of the modular electronic text as compared to a standard textbook or electronic version of a textbook are that the modular electronic text is readily available anywhere that there’s an internet connection. With all things been equal, unlike a standard textbook, the modular electronics text cannot be forgotten at home. Also, the modular electronic text provides an avenue for students to save money. The other advantage is that a modular electronic text can be edited, highlighted without concerns.
    The disadvantages of a modular electronic text as compared to a standard textbook or electronic version of a textbook are that it is difficult to study off a screen. It is very difficult to focus on a screen and it is known that people don’t read on the internet, they just scan so it makes it very difficult for the study the modular text. In a case where an internet is not available, the modular electronic text becomes unavailable.

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  32. The key advantage of using the modular electronic text in this class is that I didn't had to waste money. Textbooks are a bit expensive and sometimes it's hard for us to pay $100 or more on a book. This class provided us with a modular electronic text that we are able to use for free and anywhere, where internet is available. Another advantage of this electronic text is that it can be updated at any time or if there is an error it can be fixed at that moment compared to a standard textbook or an electronic version of a textbook, where it can't.
    A disadvantage of the modular electronic text would be the unavailability of internet access, some people might not have internet to access the text and that would be problem for them to follow up. In my opinion I prefer a standard textbook because it is hard for me to use this kind of electronic text. I have some difficulty keeping up with the topics because I have to open several of them and for that reason I would prefer having a standard textbook, I find it easy to use. I also believe that a standard textbook provides more information than the modular electronic text because it only provides us with the information necessary.

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  33. The key advantage of using the modular electronic text in this class is that I didn't had to waste money. Textbooks are a bit expensive and sometimes it's hard for us to pay $100 or more on a book. This class provided us with a modular electronic text that we are able to use for free and anywhere, where internet is available. Another advantage of this electronic text is that it can be updated at any time or if there is an error it can be fixed at that moment compared to a standard textbook or an electronic version of a textbook, where it can't.
    A disadvantage of the modular electronic text would be the unavailability of internet access, some people might not have internet to access the text and that would be problem for them to follow up. In my opinion I prefer a standard textbook because it is hard for me to use this kind of electronic text. I have some difficulty keeping up with the topics because I have to open several of them and for that reason I would prefer having a standard textbook, I find it easy to use. I also believe that a standard textbook provides more information than the modular electronic text because it only provides us with the information necessary.

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  34. What are they key advantages and disadvantages of the modular electronic text we have used in this class as compared to a standard textbook or an electronic version of a textbook?
    I believe that over time electronic text books can replace physical paper copies. Having a modular electronic text will allow instructors to modify and adapt as the subject changes. Modular text may be edited or refined throughout the use of the material as content changes over time. The main disadvantage to electronic text is that it requires internet access as well as a device to access the content. Compared to hard copy books; you are not limited as too when and where you can read it. You can take these books with you and the material is constant. But as times change; devices will become less expensive and more powerful. I hope future instructors develop their own course modules and electronic text instead of relying on expensive paper bound textbooks.

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  35. One key advantage that our class module text has over traditional books and E-Books, is that it’s easier to search for a topic using the keyword search or tags in our class module. I can waste a lot of time flipping through a text book to find a one particular topic of interest. The E -Textbooks makes it a little easier to find a topic, but our class module search results are more precise. A disadvantage to our class module is that, it can be a little difficult to navigate at first because of the many different links. I actually got lost in between links a few times when I first started the CIS 275 class. However, once I got used to the modules, navigating through them became easier and fun.
    There are arguments that students don’t learn and retain as much material in an electronic text book that they would from an old fashioned text book. I believe some people may have to adjust to reading class material online. I found it more of an advantage to have access to my class material practically everywhere I go, as long as there’s a computer and internet around. Some people, like my girlfriend might find online reading as a disadvantage, because people are used to reading text books. My girlfriend said she finds it difficult to read all the class material on a computer, she feels more comfortable flipping through book pages and physically touching the book makes studying easier for her.
    Our class module’s came at a disadvantage when my computer’s internet connection was slow. I was also at a disadvantage earlier this semester, because I had to buy a new MacBook because my previous MacBook was stolen. Unfortunately my MacBook didn’t come with any word processing, or power point programs, so I had a hard time downloading the power point slides and reading them. I was very frustrated at the time, till I came across Google docs which pretty much carried me through the semester. With Google docs I was able to read the class PowerPoint slides as well as collaborate with classmates and complete my homework assignments.

    It will be very interesting to see how different E-Books and class modules will become when more schools, teachers, and publishers get involved in the creation process of E-Books. ,

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  36. THE advantage i noticed from using module text is the affordable in regards to not having to buy a book, and disadvantage would for me would be people would be companies not shipping books through the mail, and i work for the post office; we depend on companies using the mailing services. My sister is a student as well. We discuss the question, and she mention the online text or module text were the future of education. I believed she is right, like Steve Jobs mentioned in his speech to Standford. We are the future, and eventually our future would be the past. For those who founded the first text used in books. They're future paved our way too today, and our future in regards to e-books and module text will one day paved the way for the future generations to come. Out with the old, and in with the new.

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