SenseCam walk in California Hills

A walk through the hills of California, captured by SenseCam.

Digital textbooks and student e-memory

In California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is advocating digital textbooks. E-texts are a great idea, for many reasons. No more heavy backpacks stuffed with books. Texts could be easily and frequently updated. Language text books could play audio clips. You could e-highlight and quickly re-find key passages by searching. E-texts could also include hyperlinks, so that when you are looking at a new math topic you would have a quick link back to an older supporting topic you had forgotten about.

Once students are carrying e-text devices to every class, there is a unique opportunity to take learning to the next level. After all, that e-text device could easily record audio, pictures, video, and typing - and should support pen-based input, too. It should become the ultimate digital student notebook as well, recording everything they ever learn. Lectures, chemistry labs, articles – they can all go in the student’s e-memory.

The governator’s idea is even more powerful than he realizes.

Hat tip: East Bay Homework Blog