Many schools have been implementing interactive workbooks. Thus, this change is not just out of necessity. These workbooks present many advantages to both learners and educators. Interactive workbooks are the next innovative development coming out of the digital learning age. Therefore, publishers can include these top 5 features listed below.
Why Should Schools Utilize Digital Workbooks?
Interactive workbooks are the digital version of traditional printed workbooks, but with added features, making the learning more engaging. Schools include them for the many advantages they offer:
- They are convenient and cost-effective, requiring no printing or carrying of paper copies.
- Students can access a semester or year of materials on one digital device. They can also access digital workbooks across multiple devices.
- Schools can add their branding to customized workbooks.
- Interactive workbook content is easy and efficient to update.
- They provide a multisensory approach to learning — kinesthetic, auditory, and visual — which aids in retention.
- Digital workbooks save educators time for grading and tracking progress because it is automatic.
Top 5 Features Publishing Leaders Can Employ
Because of these advantages, publishing leaders can increase their creative and entertaining learning resources for students. Schools partner with publishers or create their own digital workbooks with online tools. Therefore, publishing leaders can help their school clients convert an existing workbook in pdf or other formats into interactive online workbooks.
With these features, digital workbooks produce a more meaningful, engaging, and complete learning experience. Therefore, content leaders should consider adding the following top five features to interactive workbooks:
1. Hyperlinked Content
One of the great advantages of digital workbooks is the content can be hyperlinked. This feature allows for easy navigation from one section to another. As a benefit, students can access external websites, videos, textbooks, dictionaries, podcasts, and any other online material for enriching learning opportunities.
2. Videos, Images, and GIFs
Besides that, videos, pop-up images, and educational GIFs can be embedded directly into interactive workbooks. The videos provide valuable learning opportunities for hands-on demonstrations, real-life examples, and visual and auditory explanations of concepts. Also, students can click on pop-up images for high-resolution representations of the material. Furthermore, animated GIFs can demonstrate how things work, making complex concepts more easily understood.
3. Questions, Quizzes, and Tests
Additionally, interactive workbooks allow for regular assessment of students’ knowledge through questions, quizzes, and tests. These assessments, presented in various formats, include drag and drop, matching items, fill-in-the-blank, multiple-choice, essay questions, puzzles, and other choices. Even more helpful, automatic tracking aids both students and teachers by gauging needs and achievements. Thus, the feature improves student outcomes.
4. Widgets
Furthermore, content leaders can add helpful widgets to digital workbooks. These interactive tools include calculators, graphs, social media feeds, maps, charts, translators, live weather, and other features. With the addition of widgets, students have a wealth of resources at their fingertips.
5. 3D Models
Finally, 3D images give students the ability to explore objects from all perspectives. They can click, drag, and turn models of anatomy, machines, geological formations, and DNA strands, to name a few. These 3D models, like hands-on experiences, help students understand challenging concepts.
To summarize, schools are incorporating online coursework rapidly, and digital workbooks enhance this learning mode. When publishing leaders add these different features to interactive workbooks, students benefit from a more engaging learning experience.
