Future Considerations
Explore issues around the future of AIM in education, including new technologies, the revision of AIM production technical specifications, the market model, and potential changes in law.
Audio-Supported Reading for Students Who are Blind or Visually Impaired
The purpose of this paper is to define and elucidate the practice of audio-supported reading (ASR) as a powerful means of accessing and making productive use of text. ASR is introduced as a technology-based approach for augmenting and enhancing access to and use of text—either braille or print. Using a question/answer format, this paper addresses the theoretical underpinnings of ASR as an approach for improving the reading proficiency of students who are blind or visually impaired. Improvements in reading proficiency for this population should translate into greater gains in academic achievement as students experience increased opportunity to learn through reading after they have learned to read.
2020’s Learning Landscape: A Retrospective on Dyslexia
During the 20th century, the dominance of printed text as the core format of instructional materials and the one-size-fits-all mode of teaching benefited some students but created barriers for many. This article imagines the future of learning by “pre-creating” the Presidential Address at the IDA Annual Conference in 2020. It highlights the changes in policies, technologies, and principles around 2010 that converge to change the landscape for learning. In this new landscape, instructional materials and methods can be highly differentiated and adapted to meet the needs and preferences of individual students.
To showcase the different ways to support access to content and the different ways to support meaning making when reading, we've applied the UDL principles of design and created a UDL version of the article. Clicking on the title link of the article will open the UDL version in a new tab or browser window.
Thoughts About the Future of Instructional Materials
Are changes on the horizon for how textbooks are created and sold in K–12 and higher education? It seems as though we are at the very beginning of a shift to the creation and use of open source textbooks, digital textbooks, and the selection of alternatives that may or may not be accessible to individuals with print disabilities. This change surely warrants our attention to ensure that all learners have an opportunity to benefit from instructional materials in the years ahead.
Students at York Create own Textbook
This is an interesting example of students in an advanced placement Psychology class at York School in Monterey County, CA creating their own Psychology textbook using Wikispaces. This second-year effort builds upon the first version created during the 2009–2010 school year. For now, students still purchase their own commercial Introduction to Psychology textbook but the goal is to create one that will be modified and used as the course textbook in future classes.
Social e-Textbook Development
This media newswire describes the development of a social e-textbook that combines content, social media, and role-playing to move students to the center of the action in a Hope College “Communication and Conflict” course.
Colleges Lock Out Blind Students Online
As we transition from print to digital, we will need to continue advocating for accessible and supportive learning opportunities for all learners. Legal battles loom as colleges face limited choice of accessible programs on the market.
Increase Student Engagement by Getting Rid of Textbooks
This Edutopia guest blog from Shelly Black-Plock addresses some of the benefits and drawbacks associated with the use of textbooks. A link to the authors own blog, Teach Paperless, is provided at the bottom of the piece.
California Embraces Open Source Digital Textbooks
Kara Platoni provides information about the new CA open source textbook initiative. Both possible savings and the opportunities for customization are discussed.
Will College Textbooks be Obsolete?
Some thoughts from Sara Bernard on the MindShift web site. The piece refers to open source textbooks and to customizable e-textbooks from McGraw-Hill.
To Save Students Money, Colleges May Force a Switch to E-Textbooks
Jeffrey Young reports that a shift to e-textbooks may be stimulated by the need to reduce costs to students in higher education.
Changes Afoot in Textbook Publishing
Terry Kirkpatrick writes about new textbook customization and one-off printing initiatives.