Traditional Textbooks Research Articles

Français interactif by Karen Kelton, Nancy Guilloteau and Carl Blyth

Reviewed by: Français interactif by Karen Kelton, Nancy Guilloteau and Carl Blyth Julian Ledford Kelton, Karen, Nancy Guilloteau, and Carl Blyth. Français interactif. 4th ed. COERLL, 2019. ISBN 978-1-937963-20-0. Pp. 345. As research on language learner identity reveals more about the plural identities of Generation Z students and the connection between learner visibility and engagement, the use of pedagogical materials that allow for sustained and substantial inclusive language instruction is essential. Similarly, pedagogical materials that support the inclusion of diverse cultural contexts are needed to honor the identities of the instructors who make up the language learning commu nity. Far from being a static first-year French textbook, Français interactif presents the open-access curriculum from Tex’s French Grammar <https://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex> and Français interactif <https://laits.utexas.edu/fi> via a highly customizable and robust online platform. While the grammar references, exercises, and verb conjugation tables that both Tex’s French Grammar and Français interactif provide are beneficial for the practice phase of language instruction, the customization that Lingco <https://lingco.io> offers is essential for the overview and communication phases. Additionally, the Lingco platform allows instructors to enhance obsolete templates within those texts and remove cultural references that are no longer relevant or present problematic ontologies. Beyond this, the platform has several additional benefits. First, the Lingco personnel are very responsive and eager to help. They are also eager to learn how they might enhance their product from language instructors and language students alike. Second, the Lingco platform is compatible with other learning management systems such as Brightspace, Canvas, or Moodle. Third, with specific regard to language instruction, the platform allows for multimodal and interactive student engagement. For example, instructors can upload various forms of audiovisual media on which to base units, assignments, and assessments. The feedback that learners receive can also be of various forms. The Lingco platform also offers the ability to create vocabulary sets that are ostensibly more pertinent to learners than those found in traditional textbooks. Seeing that the platform is equipped with voice-to-text capabilities, learners can listen to the vocabulary sets that the instructor creates. Instructors may also include visual cues for each word. Thanks to this customization, traditional topics encountered in the French curriculum can be presented more inclusively. Perhaps most importantly, Lingco provides a platform for exploring language learning pedagogies that affirm disability, gender, sexual, and trans identities. What is more, these inclusive approaches to language learning can also be shared, as instructors have access to the global community of French teachers who have opted to share their materials in the Lingco content library. To be clear, Français interactif works best for instructors who have grown weary of not finding inclusive material among the thick volumes of language-learning textbooks and have resorted to finding various ways of including supplemental pedagogical material. Though the successful [End Page 240] execution of the Lingco program will require the instructor to do more preparation up front, the platform provides the tools that such instructors need to create, store, and promote the language-learning experiences they have always envisioned for their students. Julian Ledford University of the South (TN) Copyright © 2022 American Association of Teachers of French

Comparison of academic performance with a traditional textbook versus a digital openly-licensed textbook

With the utilization of open educational resources (OER) and digital materials becoming more popular, research is needed to determine if academic outcomes are affected with the increasing shift to digital content. The goal of this research was to analyze the academic performance of students using a traditional physical textbook, as compared to those using an electronic copy of a similar textbook provided free through the campus library. The traditional and digital no-cost textbook comparisons were made between two sections of the same upper division undergraduate course taught at Hispanic-Serving Institution. The two sections of the course were taught during the Fall 2019 semester, both online, with the same faculty member facilitating both sections. There was no statistical difference in mean discussion grades, t(62)=-0.714, p=0.478, d=0.178444, mean written assignment grades, t(62)=-1.985, p=0.053, d=0.49613, and mean quiz grades, t(62)=-1.711, p=0.092, d=0.427858. However, when looking at the overall total course grade, the mean no-cost course was statistically higher than the traditional textbook course, t(62)=-2.097, p=0.042, d=0.524348. Instructors do not need to be concerned about student outcomes with the increasing implementation of such materials. Universities providing free digital access to textbooks can help address financial concerns for these students without sacrificing academic performance.

A diagnostic classification model of college instructors' value beliefs towards open educational resources.

Open educational resources (OER) can be cost-effective alternatives to traditional textbooks for higher education faculty to decrease student spending on textbooks. To further advocate college instructors' use of OER, understanding their value belief towards integrating OER in teaching is necessary but currently absent. This study thus analyzed 513 college instructors' value beliefs about using OER in college teaching by applying a psychometric model known as diagnostic classification models (DCMs). The findings of this study validated the three constructs in value beliefs measured by an OER user survey: engaging students, customizing classroom materials and supporting personal professional development. The results showed that a considerable number of college instructors maintained a low level of value beliefs towards using OER. We further provided individualized classification for each college instructor in terms of the three types of value beliefs. In addition, this study investigated how pre-determined latent classes of value beliefs influenced college instructors' practice and perception of using OER. Particularly, college instructors who value OER to address their profession needs are more likely to adapt OER in their teaching rather than merely reusing existing copies. Practical implications of supporting higher education faculty's use of OER are discussed in the end.

Beyond Pressbooks: Towards Decentralised Open Textbook Platforms

Open Educational Resources (OER) are defined by UNESCO as “any educational resource that may be freely accessed, copied, re-used, adapted and shared and which are available under an open license or are in the public domain for use without paying royalties/license fees.”(Study On International Collaboration on Open Educational Resources (OER), 2017). In particular, Open Textbooks (a form of OER that provides an alternative to traditional publisher textbooks) has been found to both reduce costs for students (Wiley et al., 2012) and have been found to be as effective or more effective than traditional textbooks (Robinson et al., 2014). In Australia, Open Textbooks continue to grow in use, being developed through grant projects through the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL) and other groups, however as Stagg and Partridge (2019) note, awareness and understanding of OER and open textbooks is still quite low amongst academic staff in some institutions.Additionally, Lambert and Fadel recommend that more resources be earmarked for creation and use of Open Textbooks(Lambert &amp; Fadel, 2022) In this presentation, an alternative to the widely used PressBooks platform is presented as a work in progress, one that that decentralizes the requirement for a single space to author and store Open Textbooks. PressBooks is an open-source platform for the creation of open textbooks based on the WordPress blogging system. For most organisations, it is primarily implemented as a hosted system, meaning institutions pay for PressBooks to store and maintain their books. Some universities in Australia are exploring PressBooks through pilots that tend to limit instructor access and creation of materials. Inspired by BCCampus’ Open Textbook Repository (https://open.bccampus.ca/) and a lack of accessible options for open learning materials creation, the presenter began to explore alternatives. theopenbook was developed as a Wordpress theme that could be added to any existing Wordpress site, either hosted on WordPress’s free site (www.wordpress.org) or on any university or privately-hosted Wordpress site. It provides a fast and modern user experience and navigation, while also providing easy block-based authorship, license selection on each book, design and accessibility choices, LMS / VLE embedding, upvoting and commenting, with ePub and PDF export currently in development. Like PressBooks, theopenbook allows for more plugins to be added for collaborative annotation, text-to-speech, automatic podcast generation, dead-link checking, H5P integration and even student-editable content, which can build connection between students while also demonstrating learning (Snowball &amp; McKenna, 2016). Providing multiple means of access, in a mobile-friendly and flexible manner provides students with new ways to interact with learning technologies, learning materials, and each other. For authors, it provides fast and way to start creating with minimal professional learning requirements. theopenbook is currently being piloted at https://edtech.une.edu.au/books/, housing all learning materials for the University of New England’s Graduate Certificate in Digital Learning.

Do OER Textbooks Have Value Beyond Cost Savings?: An Analysis of Student Attitudes and Faculty Teaching Strategies in an American University

The study examines the use of Open Educational Resource (OER) textbooks by 704 students in 9 courses at an American public research university in their learning. It seeks to better understand the effectiveness of OER in comparison to traditional textbooks by surveying how often students read OER textbooks and examining how instructors in the courses are teaching using OER. The study found an alarming trend, the impact of OER has been limited because of students not reading assigned textbooks, and instructors not actively teaching with them. This may be reflective of a phenomenon not previously noticed by OER researchers, high textbook prices causing many instructors to abandon serious use of textbooks while students are still painfully purchasing them, causing students to develop a habit of not reading textbooks. Findings of the study suggests that student textbook use, their attitudes towards textbooks and how instructors are teaching with OER textbooks are important factors in assessing the effectiveness of OER.

The Effect of Video- and Audio-Assisted Reading on Saudi EFL Learners’ Reading Fluency and Comprehension

To be successful, students must have excellent reading abilities, as reading is the most important skill for achieving high levels of learning and personal development. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of using audio-visual aids to develop reading fluency and comprehension among English language students of the University of Jeddah. This quantitative research employed a quasi-experimental method. Data were collected from a reading comprehension test and a reading fluency test, measuring students’ word count per minute. Participants were divided into four groups, two each (a control group and experimental group) of men and women students. The men and women experimental groups comprised 26 students each, while the control groups comprised 24 and 28 students, respectively. The experimental groups watched videos to activate their thinking before reading the passage, and then read comprehension passages. Contrarily, the control groups were taught conventionally. Two achievement tests were used as pre-test and post-test to determine the improvement in the experimental groups. Independent- and paired samples t-tests were performed to compare the results of the two groups, which showed that the experimental groups outperformed the control groups in reading comprehension and reading fluency (p &lt; .05). This study also investigated the differences between men and women regarding reading fluency and reading comprehension; the results did not show any differences between them (p &gt; 0.05). These positive results shows that video and audio are effective for students in developing and supporting their reading fluency and comprehension. Therefore, it could be integrated and combined with traditional textbooks as supporting material to enhance reading skills among English language students.

SOCIO-ETHICAL VIEWS OF ABDURAHMON TASHKENDI AND THE CONTENT OF THE WORK ON ‘MEYOR UL-AHL” (AXLOQ ME’YORLARI)

Based on the foregoing, it should be noted that the relevance of this study is determined by an in-depth study of the philosophical and scientific doctrine of the object and the current level of study of its social and ethical significance. Today, the study of Eastern philosophical thought, its unique undiscovered spiritual heritage, the study of valuable works left by our ancestors are relevant in all respects. In this regard, one of the most enlightened figures of the East, especially Central Asia, Abdurahmon Sayyoh Tashkendi, the work “Meyor ul-ahlak” and the study of social and moral considerations, the analytical study of the work as a source and its role in Eastern philosophy consists in identifying. “Meyor ul-ahlak” by Abdurahmon Sayyoh Tashkendi and the ideas presented in it are very interesting. In general, the publication "Meyor ul-ahlak" was intended to simply and clearly highlight the topic of morality in the upbringing of Muslim children in the educational institutions of Turkestan. At a time when traditional textbooks on morality, created in the Middle Ages in local and large-scale Russian-speaking schools, were excluded from the curricula, the ideas put forward in them, as well as the Islamic tradition, there was among people a great needed for morality textbooks revised by local enlighteners in accordance with the requirements of the time.

A qualitative investigation of psychological need-satisfying experiences of a mobile learning application: A Self-Determination Theory approach

Much research on mobile learning is cross-sectional or lacks a theoretical basis for investigating the mechanisms of mobile learning and achievement. This may be a concern as well-formulated theoretical frameworks allow results to be interpreted and contextualized in a coherent and integrated fashion that could then be valuable when interpreting findings in educational contexts. The main aim of this study was to investigate biology students’ experiences of using a mobile application for learning about species identification. We use Self-Determination Theory as a guiding framework to investigate students’ experiences of need-satisfaction of autonomy, competence, and relatedness within a mobile application, and whether this influences students’ learning processes. We conducted four focus groups with 26 biology students in higher education. Based on our thematic analysis, we find that students experienced the satisfaction of all three psychological needs while using the mobile application. Specifically, students’ needs were satisfied by experiencing choice, feedback, mastery, cooperation, and discussion. These elements in turn were related to the process of identifying species. Contradictory to what we expected, students reported more learning from a traditional textbook, compared to the mobile application. Our results provide useful information for learning designers, which suggests that it is important to take need-satisfaction into consideration when designing technology. Our study offers new insight into the underlying need-satisfying experiences of mobile learning, and it provides an understanding of how the different elements of need-satisfaction contribute to different species identification processes.

An Evidence-Based Review on Selected Traditional Formulations against Pediculosis

Pediculosis is a growing social problem in both developed and undeveloped countries. Resistance to chemical treatments and toxicity of insecticidal compounds are reasons why alternative medications should be proposed for this parasitic infestation. This study attempted to investigate traditional anti-lice treatments, and draw together scientific insights into lice management through the study of Persian Medicine manuscripts. Lice infestation formulations were searched in seven traditional textbooks (al-Manṣuri fi al-ṭibb, al-Qanun fi al-ṭibb, Kamil al-ṣina‘ah al-ṭibbiyah, Qarabadin Kabir, Qarabadin Salehi, Makhzan al-Adviyeh, Eksir Azam) pertaining to one millennium period, from the 9th to 19th century. Twenty multi-component medications were selected for the study of ingredients and their active compounds. PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus were searched to find pediculicidal or insecticidal evidence. In vitro studies and clinical trials reporting anti-lice and/or insecticidal activities were summarized.&#x0D; Formulations had four kinds of base (oil, vinegar, alcohol, or water). Oils act through occluding the respiratory spiracles of lice. Vinegar loosens the attachment between nits and hair shaft, improving the removal of nits from hair. Essential oil- and tannin-containing plants made up the majority of anti-lice components in the current study. Seventeen out of twenty-seven medicinal plants were reported to have pediculicidal and/or insecticidal activity. Considering the results, further investigation leads to the designing new treatments against pediculosis.&#x0D;

The Blepharoplasty Teacher: Kirigami Model for Learning Eyelid Anatomy.

Blepharoplasty is highly desired for both functional and aesthetic improvements, and it is a common operation performed for patients over the age of 65.1,2 The ability to master the complex periorbital anatomy foundational to blepharoplasty remains challenging for both students and trainees. The three-dimensional understanding of layered structures is hard to obtain through two-dimensional textbooks,3,4 and although the use of technology, including three-dimensional applications, has improved the breadth of anatomy resources, it is hindered by accessibility and cost.5 Therefore, we developed a low-tech, low-cost teaching model, the Blepharoplasty Teacher, that creatively uses the principles of kirigami, the art of paper folding and cutting, to improve education and knowledge retention of the eyelid anatomy critical to the operative approach in blepharoplasty. The Blepharoplasty Teacher device is printed double-sided on 8.5 × 11-inch paper. Figure 1 depicts a representative image. The entire Blepharoplasty Teacher is included as supplemental digital content with instructions for assembly. (See Document, Supplemental Digital Content 1, which demonstrates the Blepharoplasty Teacher, designed by Amy Zhong, M.A., and printed with permission from Mount Sinai Health System. Print on a double-sided sheet of paper and follow the instructions to create a booklet with seven picture panels by cutting and folding along the dotted lines. Cut along the dotted lines on the eyelid to expose each layer, https://links.lww.com/PRS/F444.) A randomized controlled trial was conducted to analyze the efficacy of the Blepharoplasty Teacher in improving education and knowledge retention.Fig. 1.: The Blepharoplasty Teacher, panel 1, printed with permission from Mount Sinai Health System.Study participants comprised 21 first-year and second-year medical students who had previously completed their medical school anatomy course. They completed a 10-question pretest about their knowledge and comfort with blepharoplasty anatomy, and then had 30 minutes to study from either the Blepharoplasty Teacher (n = 11) or a traditional textbook (n = 10). They subsequently completed a 10-question posttest about eyelid anatomy and their comfort level with this anatomy. The surveys contained anatomically based questions adapted from the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons in-service examination review material. (See Document, Supplemental Digital Content 2, which shows pretest and posttest questions adapted from the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons in-service examination review material, https://links.lww.com/PRS/F445.) Students who used the Blepharoplasty Teacher significantly improved their test scores by an average of 1.4 points out of 10 (p = 0.017), whereas students who used the textbook did not achieve significant improvement (p > 0.05) (Fig. 2). Eight students (73 percent) using the Blepharoplasty Teacher improved their score by at least 1 point as compared to three (30 percent) in the textbook group (p = 0.05). Six students (55 percent) who studied from the Blepharoplasty Teacher felt more comfortable with eyelid anatomy after the study as compared to one student (10 percent) using the textbook (p = 0.031). Nine students (82 percent) who used the Blepharoplasty Teacher would recommend it to a colleague.Fig. 2.: Test score improvement of students who used the Blepharoplasty Teacher compared to students who used textbook pages. *p < 0.05.These findings demonstrate that students who used the Blepharoplasty Teacher achieved significant improvement in their test scores, developed an increased comfort level with eyelid anatomy, and would recommend use of this device to a colleague. Thus, not only was the Blepharoplasty Teacher helpful in knowledge retention, but it was also an enjoyable resource that students believed would benefit the education of their peers. Further research should focus on widespread testing of the Blepharoplasty Teacher among medical students and plastic surgery trainees, as well as on creating similar models for teaching the anatomy of other complex structures.

101 preguntas para ser profe de ELE: Introducción a la lingüística aplicada para la enseñanza del español by María del Carmen Santos Méndez

Reviewed by: 101 preguntas para ser profe de ELE: Introducción a la lingüística aplicada para la enseñanza del español by María del Carmen Santos Méndez John Zyck Méndez Santos, María del Carmen. 101 preguntas para ser profe de ELE: Introducción a la lingüística aplicada para la enseñanza del español. Edinumen, 2021. Pp. 247. ISBN 978-84-91793-86-1. A textbook designed for students considering a career in teaching Spanish as a world language, 101 preguntas para ser profe de ELE: Introducción a la lingüística aplicada para la enseñanza del español attempts to answer questions pre-teachers may have prior to their commitment to the profession. The book is divided into four broad categories, or “bloques,” related to ELE (“español como lengua extranjera,”): “Panorámica General,” “Aspectos Profesionales,” “Aspectos Didácticos,” and “Aspectos Lingüísticos.” Though at least ten questions are answered in each section, the majority (80) are covered in the latter two categories, hence other sources may be needed to supplement the material covered in the former two. Since this book was written in Spain, the reader must be aware of the strong European preference in each chapter regarding teacher preparation and professional organizations, though space is dedicated to other such organizations worldwide. One question is answered per chapter in an average of one to three pages. Each chapter begins with the theme question (e.g., Question 16: “¿Qué asociaciones representan al profesorado de ELE?”), followed by an ice breaker question, the answer(s) to the chapter’s theme question, key ideas, and a reference to additional online material via “Extensión Digital en ELEteca.” Embedded within each chapter are references to other related questions throughout the text by their assigned number (e.g., Question 16 relates to Question 13 regarding reference documents), providing contextualized information throughout the book. The text is visually appealing as charts and pictures supplement the written material to promote stimulation while reading, though many pictures are for enjoyment rather than explanations of concepts. The primary strength of this text lies in the breadth of topics covered within a relatively small book. The author dedicated much time to academic as well as personal aspects to be examined when deciding on becoming a Spanish teacher. Academic aspects covered include the designing of activities, the distinct areas of communicative competency, and several key concepts of second language acquisition (e.g., input, output, and noticing). Personal aspects include the question regarding the “need” to study abroad, the question of teaching ability as a non-native speaker, and the question on how to secure employment. Such a rare, yet crucial, combination of information in one text provides an excellent background for the student’s consideration, reducing possible anxieties for students who may not have had access to opportunities that others did. The primary area of concern for this reader is the lack of detailed explanation on any one topic. Since each question has a short amount of space dedicated to its answer(s), many, if not all, topics may lack much needed deeper explanations, unless the student has taken at least one previous course on such material. In the introduction, the author states, “este libro ha sido diseñado para atender una necesidad existente entre estudiantes, docentes y personas interesadas en el español, en general, y en su enseñanza, en particular, a través de un recurso de consulta rápida y esencial” (10). Due to the brevity of the material presented, this text is more of a dictionary rather than a traditional textbook treating the subject on language teaching and, therefore, may be insufficient as a stand-alone text to be used in pedagogical courses. However, the text is a solid book as an introduction to pedagogical and linguistic considerations for would-be educators of the Spanish language. If the student is particularly interested in teaching in Europe, the text is an even stronger asset as the author dedicates several chapters to details related to working in Spain and similar European countries. If the student is looking to work in the United States or other countries, the student...

Are Veterinary Students Using Technologies and Online Learning Resources for Didactic Training? A Mini-Meta Analysis

Over the last years, there has been an increase in online educational resources and media device use for educational purposes in veterinary settings. However, an overall analysis of these studies providing measurements of the use of learning resources and media devices could be particularly useful for veterinary teachers. The evolution of technology, coupled with the advent of pandemic-related restrictions in person lessons, has made it imperative that educators consider how students may access educational material, as well as what type of educational material may be available to them. Databases including PubMed, Scopus, CAB Abstracts, and Web of Sciences were searched for relevant studies from January 2012 to June 2022. A mini-meta-analysis for proportions was performed using RStudio. Results highlight a high use of portable media devices with differences among countries, continued good use of traditional textbooks, moderate use of online tools, and low use of research papers. The results suggest that despite living in a technologically advanced world, veterinary students have attitudes towards digital resources that cannot be assumed.

Pre-service Teachers’ Use of Technology as Reorganizer to Promote Differing Levels of Conceptual Understanding

Research suggests that tasks that use technology as a reorganizer (technology is used to produce dynamic representations) are linked with the development of students’ conceptual knowledge, yet many secondary mathematics textbooks in the USA predominantly include tasks that use technology as an amplifier (technology is used to produce static images). Thus, if teachers wish to incorporate tasks that use technology as a reorganizer, they must locate these resources elsewhere or construct them themselves. This study took place in a technology, pedagogy, content course where each prospective teacher (PT) engaged in at least one component of an ideation, rehearsal/refinement, enactment, and reflection intervention, where they were asked to adapt traditional textbook lessons to promote students’ rich conceptual understandings of function transformations via technology as reorganizer tasks. A total of 15 PTs agreed to participate, 8 seeking a grade K-8 certification and 7 seeking a grade 6–12 certification. On the initial lesson plan involving linear function transformations, the majority of PTs (13 out of 15) used technology as an amplifier, but on the final lesson plan involving absolute value function transformations, 13 PTs used technology as a reorganizer. There were also increases in the incidence of lesson elements that promoted moderate or rich forms of conceptual knowledge between the initial and final lesson plans. We discuss the implications of these results and introduce readers to dynamic conceptual components as manipulable bridges between different mathematical representations that hold the potential to develop students’ richer forms of conceptual knowledge.

Asynchronous learning among otolaryngology residents in the United States

ObjectiveOtolaryngology resident learning has historically relied on didactic lectures, textbook reading, and practical hands-on patient care. However, evidence suggests that an increasing proportion of residents in other specialties are deviating from this paradigm. This work aims to characterize otolaryngology residents' current asynchronous learning practices (i.e., personal learning outside of didactics and patient care). MethodsA thirteen-question survey of otolaryngology residents in the United States was performed from 10/1/2020–12/1/2020 assessing demographics, educational resource utilization, and educational resource preference. ResultsNearly all (99 %) respondents reported engaging with educational materials outside of didactics and case prep. Textbook reading comprised 27 % of residents' total study time, with additional time split between board-review book reading (20 %), searching the web (18 %), watching online videos (15 %), and listening to podcasts (10 %). Residents' highest ranked resources were videos, board-review books, textbooks, podcasts, and recorded lectures. Among electronic and multimedia resources, more than half of residents used the following resources: Iowa Head and Neck Protocols (91 %), Board Vitals (75 %), UpToDate (60 %), YouTube (57 %), Google (56 %), and Headmirror (54 %). ConclusionCurrent otolaryngology resident learning involves substantial use of asynchronous learning, including videos, web-based learning, and podcasts, which currently outpace traditional textbook- and didactic-based education. This underscores the need to consider a paradigm shift within academic otolaryngology education away from textbooks and other tradition media to the generation of high-quality multimedia resources for resident learning.

Phytochemical Classification of Medicinal Plants Used in the Treatment of Kidney Disease Based on Traditional Persian Medicine.

Methods This review was focused on studying the various secondary metabolites in model plants of Iranian herbal medicine known as treatment of kidney diseases in traditional Persian medicine textbooks including Makhzan-ol-Advieh, The Canon of Medicine, and Taghvim al-Abdan fi Tadbir al-Ensan. Results Secondary metabolites of 94 medical plants belonging to 42 families were reported with their scientific and family name. Conclusion Although herbal medicines are gaining rapid popularity among people and the pharmaceutical industry, the understandings of the phytochemical and therapeutic properties of medicinal plant are important for developing effective nephroprotective medicines. Therefore, the relationship between traditional uses and biological properties should be clearly verified through further studies.

Exploring UK veterinary students' use of online resources as a tool for studying small animal internal medicine.

Despite an increase in the use of online resources, their use by veterinary students, especially in the study of small animal internal medicine (SAIM), remains poorly understood. A questionnaire-based study consisting of 26 survey items and 263 responses from seven UK universities investigated the use of online resources among clinical veterinary students studying SAIM and whether this was affected by age, gender, year of study or entry status. Random internet searches were the preferred method of clarifying queries, except for graduate-entry students and age categories 18-21years and 28 years and over who preferred traditional textbooks. Online searches were preferred over emailing instructors or contacting instructors in person. Despite 73.3% of participants not automatically trusting information from online sources, only 47.1% fact-checked, although this was higher among the graduate-entry group (62.5%). Frequent social media use was reported; however, only 44.8% of students reported using social media to discuss SAIM. Video clip usage was high, and 82.9% of students reported video clips were useful for understanding SAIM concepts. Online resources are a useful tool to complement traditional resources; however, a level of academic oversight may be required to ensure appropriate and effective use of these resources.

Emotion, cognitive load and learning achievement of students using e-textbooks with/without emotional design and paper textbooks

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore how e-textbooks with emotional design affect students' emotion, cognitive load and learning achievement. There were 147 freshman students in total: the experimental group I, II and control group consisted of 49, 47 and 51 students, using e-textbooks with emotional design, without emotional design and traditional paper textbooks. The results reveal the following: Students' emotion after using e-textbooks with emotional design is more positive than those using e-textbooks without emotional design and paper textbooks. Students' cognitive load after using e-textbooks with emotional design is significantly lower than those using etextbooks without emotional design. Students' learning achievement after using two types of e-textbooks is better than after using paper textbooks. Comparing all types of textbooks altogether, emotion has a significantly positive correlation with learning achievement, and both emotion and learnng achievement are significantly and negatively correlated with cognitive load. For the three types of textbooks, the relationship between emotion and learning achievement all becomes not significantly correlated. For two types of e-textbooks, cognitive load and learning achievement become not significantly correlated, disturbed by the digitalization of textbooks. Instructors are suggested to firstly adopt e-textbooks with emotional design, those without emotional design secondly, and paper textbooks rank last.

The Textbooks Are Too Damn High: Calling for a More Nuanced Evaluation of OERs

As a response to rising textbook costs, the emergence of Open Educational Resources (OERs) has been welcomed by many institutions, teachers, and students. OERs are a free alternative to the traditional textbook, one that promises both access and equity. However, without care, the implementation of OERs can complicate or even worsen the problem they are meant to solve. In particular, the current and consistent lack of appropriate pedagogical framing and relevant faculty support can actually render OERs a barrier, rather than a boon, to student success.

Faculty Select

EBSCO's Faculty Select database provides a central platform to discover open educational resources (OERs) and digital rights management (DRM)-free e-books. OER content is from several established and well-known content providers: BC Open Textbook, Milne Open Textbook, OpenStax, and the Open Textbook Library. The database also searches OAPEN Library's Open Access content and DRM-free e-books available for purchase from EBSCO. The database is configurable, upon implementation, to search EBSCO's Open Access Monograph Collection and owned DRM-free e-books. Users can preview content and then request course-friendly links for OER and owned DRM-free e-books or request the purchase of DRM-free e-books. This database may be of interest to faculty and librarians searching for affordable course content to replace or supplement traditional textbooks, depending on the institution's budget and needs.

Discussion

Discussion