Textbook publishers and institutions of higher learning see the advent of smartphones, tablet PCs and ereaders as the beginning of a new era of learning.

As mobile devices become both more sophisticated and integral to consumers' daily experiences, many educators are seeking ways to integrate the technology into their course plans. Likewise, a number of publishers offer the majority of their textbooks in digital form, and several mobile developers have created interactive tools to engage students with their class work.

?Digital textbooks or ebooks are a key development in the evolution of digital learning tools and digital content in education,? said Tom Stanton, spokesman at McGraw-Hill Education, New York. ?We see ebooks as part of a transition from traditional materials to exciting new digital teaching and learning platforms that drive student achievement.?

McGraw-Hill produces learning materials such as textbooks for all levels of education.

Publishers and developers
McGraw-Hill said an estimated 95 percent of its textbooks are offered as ebooks across several academic disciplines.

The publisher claims these books are generally available for half the price of traditional textbooks.

McGraw-Hill ebooks can be found on platforms such as Apple?s iPad and iPhone, Amazon?s Kindle, Barnes & Noble?s nook, Sony?s Reader and via mobile applications.

McGraw-Hill?s ebooks are sold through its Web sites and via college Web sites, as well as through a digital textbook platform called CourseSmart.

CourseSmart is a digital textbook provider.

The company claims to provide students access to more the 90 percent of core higher education textbooks at savings of up to 60 percent on several platforms, including mobile phones.

The company released an iPhone application in 2009, and has since expanded its digital textbook platform to include an offering for the iPad as well.

Students can use the applications to find all of their digital textbooks in one place, quickly navigate through course materials using a search feature and and interact with textbooks by cutting, pasting and emailing sections, as well as making notes in the margins of texts they are reading for class.

Here is a screen grab of CourseSmart's iPad application:

?For years, publishers have been providing new ways for students to interact with their content and have a variety of [online resources] that provide students with an opportunity to interact with the course content through online quizzes, online homework, video and simulations, among other features,? said Heather Shelstad, director of marketing at CourseSmart, San Francisco.

?As technology continues to drive the digital transformation of education, we?ll continue to see this type of content innovation from publishers, and CourseSmart will ensure that students have access to these digital resources as they become available,? she sad.  

Another digital textbook platform called Inkling recently launched an application for the iPad, with functionality that allows students to collaborate by sharing notes and text highlights with one another.

The platform also integrates rich media such as videos and 3D graphics, as well as search functionality.

The digital publisher is partnering with a number of publishers such as McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons and Wolters Kluwer to develop more interactive educational content.

Inkling was unavailable for comment by press time.

Colleges
The arrival of tablet PCs has also grabbed higher education?s attention, and several national colleges and universities have implemented pilot programs to test the viability of mobile devices as learning tools.

For example, Oklahoma State University is running an educational initiative to test the effectiveness of the iPad in the class room.

Two different classes are using the iPad as a major tool for working through and discussing class materials.

?We?re testing the iPad to really see how we can push its limits in the classroom,? said Bill Handy, assistant visiting professor in the School of Media and Strategic Communication at Oklahoma State University, Stillwell, OK.

Students enrolled in the five sections that make up these classes were given iPads this semester, which they are free to keep even after the conclusion of the course.

The program was designed to pinpoint how mobile technologies could improve the ways individuals learn, inside and out of the classroom.

?That?s what we?re trying to test, but we have some theories,? Mr. Handy said. ?One is that we can look at certain devices as central to our lives.

?We use smartphones to take notes, to listen to music, play games, communicate with friends,? he said. ?One advantage of mobile devices is creating an environment conducive to being part of students? daily lives.

?Before we were trying to bring them into the academic world, but now we can position the academic world into their lives.?

?Now we can position the academic world into their lives.?

Meanwhile, Seton Hall University launched a program called the Griffin Technology Advantage, through which every entering freshman received a Macbook Pro and an iPad.

The university said it created the initiative to foster creative literacy by integrating technology into curricula.

Seton Hall was unavailable for comment by press time.

Additionally, Amazon also partnered with a number of national colleges and universities for pilot programs to test the effectiveness of the Kindle as a learning tool.

Participating schools included Princeton University, Reed College and Arizona State University.

Interactive educational tools
One thing publishers, developers and educators seem to agree on is that interactivity is vital to the success of mobile devices as tools for delivering educational materials.

Platforms such as CourseSmart and Inkling emphasize interactivity.

Likewise, publishers have keyed into mobile devices to deliver more tactile learning experiences.

?Through partnerships and the leveraging of new digital platforms and mobile devices, we are already delivering a richer content experience and enhanced functionality to college students,? McGraw-Hill?s Mr. Stanton said. ?Ebooks offer a variety of features including interactivity, audio and video, search capability and a note-taking functionality.

?All of these features are contributing to more effective and efficient learning,? he said.

While the mobile textbook market is still taking shape, it is clear that technology will be playing a large role in the classroom of tomorrow.

?The future of education is firmly in the hands of technology,? OSU?s Mr. Handy said. ?We need to look at it in terms of how we can integrate technology, instead of finding fault in it.?

Final Take
Peter Finocchiaro, editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer, New York

/>