Guided response

http://tablets-textbooks.procon.org

Should Tablets Replace Textbooks in K-12 Schools?

Publishing for the K-12 school market is an $8 billion industry, with three companies - McGraw-Hill,

Pearson, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - capturing about 85% of this market. Tablets are a $72 billion

industry with 42% of US adults owning a tablet. As tablets have become more prevalent, a new debate has

formed over whether K-12 school districts should switch from print textbooks to digital textbooks on

tablets.

Proponents of tablets say that they are supported by most teachers and students, are much lighter than print

textbooks, and improve standardized test scores. They say tablets can hold hundreds of textbooks, save the

environment by lowering the amount of printing, increase student interactivity and creativity, and that

digital textbooks are cheaper than print textbooks.

Opponents of tablets say that they are expensive, too distracting for students, easy to break, and

costly/time-consuming to fix. They say that tablets contribute to eyestrain, headaches, and blurred vision,

increase the excuses available for students not doing their homework, require costly Wi-Fi networks, and

become quickly outdated as new technologies emerge.

Background of the Issue

Publishing for the K-12 school market is an $8 billion industry, with three companies - McGraw-Hill, Pearson,

and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - capturing about 85% of this market. [32] Tablets are a $72 billion industry with

42% of US adults owning a tablet. [33][34] As tablets have become more prevalent, a new debate has formed over

whether K-12 school districts should switch from print textbooks to digital textbooks on tablets and e-readers.

Proponents of tablets say that they are supported by most teachers and students, are much lighter than print

textbooks, and improve standardized test scores. They say that tablets can hold hundreds of textbooks, save the

environment by lowering the amount of printing, increase student interactivity and creativity, and that digital

textbooks are cheaper than print textbooks.

Opponents of tablets say that they are expensive, too distracting for students, easy to break, and costly/time-

consuming to fix. They say that tablets contribute to eyestrain, headaches, and blurred vision, increase the

excuses available for students not doing their homework, require costly Wi-Fi networks, and become quickly

outdated as new technologies are released.

2012 marked the first time that more people accessed the Internet via smartphones and tablets than desktop or

laptop computers. [37] By Jan. 2014, 42% of US adults owned a tablet computer, 32% owned an e-book reader,

and 50% owned one or the other (up from 29% in Aug. 2012), according to a survey by the Pew Research

Internet Project. [18] Approximately 227 million tablets were shipped in 2013, and that number is projected to

increase to 386 million by 2017. [38] A joint report by McKinsey and the GSMA predicts the mobile education

market could be worth $70 billion globally by 2020, and predicts demand for mobile education devices, like

smartphones and tablets, may be worth another $32 billion by the same time frame. [38]

43% of Americans read online books, magazines, or newspapers. [18] Amazon announced in July 2010 that e-

books were outselling paper books, and a July 2012 report by the Association of American Publishers showed

that e-book revenue exceeded that of hardcover books for the first time ever. [33] From 2008 to 2012, e-book

sales rose from $68 million per year to $3 billion. [34] While e-books sales rose 117% from 2010 to 2011, the

print book business declined 2.5% in 2011 to $27.2 billion from $27.9 billion in 2010. [33] However, over 90%

of educational textbooks are still read on paper, and only 30% of textbook titles are available electronically. [36]

In Nov. 2010, the US Department of Education released its National Education Technology Plan, a detailed

blueprint on how schools can improve learning with technology. Among its recommendations is to leverage

mobile devices ("the technology students already have") in the classroom. In his Jan. 2011 State of the Union

address, President Obama said, "I want all students to be able to learn from digital textbooks." On Feb. 1, 2012,

the US Department of Education and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in collaboration with

several tech organizations, released a downloadable "Digital Textbook Playbook" to "encourage collaboration,

accelerate the development of digital textbooks and improve the quality and penetration of digital learning in K-

12 public education." [6]

99,000 K-12 schools spend $17 billion annually on instructional materials and technology. Many districts,

schools, and states have begun transitioning their instructional materials from paper textbooks to digital learning

environments, according to the "Digital Textbook Playbook." Florida has mandated that all K-12 instructional

materials are required to be provided in electronic format by 2015-2016. California launched a free digital

textbooks initiative in 2009, and West Virginia replaced social studies print textbook purchases with digital

textbooks. Georgia state law requires that electronic copies of K-12 textbooks be made available for use by

students, and the San Diego Unified School district has distributed 78,000 digital textbooks to teachers and

students since 2011 and purchased 26,000 iPads for district use in June 2012. [6] In June 2013, the Los Angeles

Unified School District (LAUSD; the second-largest school district in the country) approved an estimated $1

billion plan to purchase 640,000 iPads with Pearson curricula for all of the K-12 students in the district.[49] [50]

[51] The school district spent $61 million to purchase 47,000 iPads before the contract was suspended on Aug.

26, 2014 due to allegations of impropriety in the bidding process. LAUSD plans to re-bid the tablets project. [49] [50]

The percentage of K-12 classrooms with internet access has increased from 51% in 1998 to 98% in 2012, and

40% of elementary school teachers use computers during in-class instruction. Several meta-studies on the use of

computer technology in the classroom show a small but statistically significant increase in learning outcomes.

[17] Nineteen percent of children ages 2-5 in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Czech

Republic, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the UK can use a smartphone application. By comparison, 9% can

tie their own shoelaces. More children ages 2-5 can open a web browser (25%) than swim unaided (20%). 20%

of children ages 6-9 use email, and 14% are on Facebook. [40] A study by Nielsen Mobile Insights found that

53% of blacks and 57% of Latinos are smartphone users, well above the 45% rate of non-Hispanic whites. [41]

Blacks and Hispanics are more than twice as likely to use Twitter and rely on mobile phones as a primary

connection to the Internet than whites. [42][43]

The American Association of Publishers says that the average net unit price of a K-12 print textbook was $65 in

2010. [44] A 2005 report by Congress' Government Accountability Office found that print textbook prices nearly

tripled from 1986 to 2004, rising at twice the rate of inflation. [45] A report from the Student Public Interest

Research Group found that textbook wholesale prices have risen nearly four and a half times the rate of inflation

from 1990-2009. [46] Digital textbooks on average cost 50-60% less than new print textbooks. Tablets in the

United States cost on average $489 in 2011, $386 in 2012, $343 in 2013, and are projected to cost $263 in 2015.

[10][11] However, implementation costs for e-textbooks on iPad tablets are 552% higher than new print textbooks

in an average high school, and the annual cost per student per class with tablets is $71.55 vs. $14.26 for print

textbooks. [23] This difference is due to additional costs associated with building wi-fi infrastructure, training

teachers and administrators how to use the technology, and annual publisher fees to continue using e-textbooks.

According to an Apr. 2012 peer-reviewed study in Archives of Disease in Childhood, the average weight of a

student's backpack is 15.4 pounds (an average of 3-4 books), and the average weight of a tablet is between 0.75

to two pounds. [5] Pediatricians and chiropractors recommend that students not carry more than 15% of their

body weight in a backpack, but an Apr. 14, 2004 study by the State of California found that the combined

average weight of textbooks in just the four core subjects of History-Social Science, Mathematics,

Reading/Language Arts, and Science exceeded this percentage at nearly all grade levels from 1-12. [12]

According to data from the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, over the period from 1994-

2000 more than 23,000 youths ages 6 to 18 were treated in emergency rooms for backpack-related injuries, such

as contusions, sprains and strains to the back and shoulders, and fractures. California and Georgia are the only

states with legislation related to textbook size and weight, according to the Association of American Publishers.

[48] In California, the maximum weight for a textbook is three pounds for grades K-4, four pounds for 5-8, and

five pounds for 9-12. [39]

Pro & Con Arguments: "Should Tablets Replace Textbooks in K-12 Schools?"

PRO Tablet

1. Tablets help students learn more material faster. Technology-based instruction can

reduce the time students take to reach a

learning objective by 30-80%, according to

the US Department of Education and studies

by the National Training and Simulation

Association. [6]

2. 81% of K-12 teachers believe that "tablets enrich classroom education." The survey

of technology in the classroom by the Public

Broadcasting Service (PBS) also concluded

that 77% of teachers found technology to

"increase student motivation to learn." [7]

3. Tablets can hold hundreds of textbooks on one device, plus homework, quizzes, and

other files, eliminating the need for

physical storage of books and classroom

materials. The average tablet contains

anywhere from 8 to 64 gigabytes (GB) of

storage space. On the Amazon Kindle Fire,

for instance, 1,000 books take up one GB of

space. [8]

4. E-textbooks on tablets cost on average 50- 60% less than print textbooks. According

to a 2012 report from the Federal

Communications Commission (FCC), K-12

school districts spend more than $8 billion

per year on textbooks. [6] E-textbooks can

save schools between $250-$1,000 per

student per year. [9] Tablet prices also

continue to drop, making them increasingly

affordable. Tablets cost on average $489 in

2011, $386 in 2012, and are projected to cost

CON Tablet

1. Handheld technological devices including tablets are associated with a range of

health problems. Handhelds contribute to

Computer Vision Syndrome, which causes

eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, and dry

eyes, according to the American Optometric

Association. [20] People who use mobile

devices more often have a higher incidence

of musculoskeletal disorders associated with

repetitive strain on muscles, including carpal

tunnel syndrome, neck pain ("text neck"),

shoulder pain, and fibromyalgia. [21][22]

2. Using tablets is more expensive than using print textbooks. Implementing tablets in K-

12 schools requires purchasing hardware (the

tablet) and software (the textbooks), building

new wi-fi infrastructure, and training

teachers and administrators how to use the

technology. Implementation costs for e-

textbooks on iPad tablets are 552% higher

than new print textbooks in an average high

school. Lee Wilson, a prominent education

marketing expert, estimated the annual cost

per student per class with tablets to be

$71.55 vs. $14.26 for print textbooks. [23]

3. Tablets have too many distractions for classroom use. Students may pay attention

to apps, email, games, and websites instead

of their teachers. 87% of K-12 teachers

believe that "today’s digital technologies are

creating an easily distracted generation with

short attention spans." [24] Four-fifths of

students aged 8 - 18 multitask while using

digital media. [25]

$263 in 2015. [10][11]

5. Tablets help to improve student achievement on standardized tests. Publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt tested

an interactive, digital version of an Algebra 1

textbook for Apple's iPad in California's

Riverside Unified School District. Students

who used the iPad version scored 20 percent

higher on standardized tests versus students

who learned with traditional textbooks. [4]

6. Tablets contain many technological features that cannot be found in print

textbooks. Tablets give users the ability to

highlight and edit text and write notes

without ruining a textbook for the next user.

Tablets have a search function, a

backlighting option to read in low light, and

a built-in dictionary. Interactive diagrams

and videos increase student creativity,

motivation, attentiveness, and engagement

with classroom materials.

7. Print textbooks are heavy and cause injuries, while a tablet only weighs 1-2

pounds. Pediatricians and chiropractors

recommend that students carry less than 15%

of their body weight in a backpack, but the

combined average weight of textbooks in

History, Mathematics, Science, and

Reading/Language Arts exceeds this

percentage at nearly all grade levels from 1-

12. [12] According to the US Consumer

Product Safety Commission, during the

2011-12 school year more than 13,700 kids,

aged 5 to 18, were treated for backpack-

related injuries. [5]

8. Tablets help students better prepare for a world immersed in technology. Students

that learn technology skills early in life will

be better prepared to pursue relevant careers

later in life. The fastest growing and highest

paying jobs in the United States are

technology intensive. Employment in

"computer and information systems" is

4. People who read print text comprehend more, remember more, and learn more

than those who read digital text. The brain

interprets printed and digital text in different

ways, and people generally read digital text

20-30% slower than print. [26][27] According

to Pulitzer Prize winning technology writer

Nicholas Carr, peer-reviewed studies show

that reading hyper-linked text may increase

the brain's "cognitive load," lowering the

ability to process, store, and retain

information, or "translate the new material

into conceptual knowledge." [28] In addition, students who type lecture notes instead of write their

notes by hand tended to write more, process less, and

perform worse on recall tests.[52]

5. Many students do not have sufficient home internet bandwidth to use tablets.

Students "need home broadband to access

digital content and to complete Internet

based homework," according to FCC

Chairman Julius Genachowski and Secretary

of Education Arne Duncan, but about a third

of Americans – 100 million people – do not

have broadband internet at home. [6] A 2010

FCC survey found that nearly 80% of K-12

schools reported broadband connections that

were "inadequate to meet their current needs. [47]

6. Manufacturing tablets is environmentally destructive and dangerous to human

health. According to the New York Times,

the "adverse health impacts from making one

e-reader are estimated to be 70 times greater

than those from making a single book." One

tablet requires the extraction of 33 pounds of

minerals, 79 gallons of water, and 100

kilowatt hours of fossil fuels resulting in 66

pounds of carbon dioxide. Print books

produce 100 times fewer greenhouse gases.

Two gallons of water are required to make

the pulp slurry that is pressed and heat-dried

to make paper, and only two kilowatt hours

are required to form and dry the sheets of

paper. [3]

expected to grow by 18% between 2010-20,

according to the US Bureau of Labor

Statistics. [13]

9. On a tablet, e-textbooks can be updated instantly to get new editions or

information. Schools will not have to

constantly purchase new hardware, software,

or new physical copies of textbooks. FCC

Chairman Julius Genachowski and Secretary

of Education Arne Duncan said that "too

many students are using books that are 7-10

years old with outdated material." Tablets are

especially beneficial for subjects that

constantly change, such as biology or

computer science. [6]

10. Tablets lower the amount of paper teachers have to print for handouts and

assignments, helping to save the

environment and money. A school with

100 teachers uses on average 250,000 pieces

of paper annually. [14] A school of 1,000

students on average spends between $3,000-

4,000 a month on paper, ink, and toner, not

counting printer wear and tear or technical

support costs. [15]

11. Tablets allow teachers to better customize student learning. There are thousands of

education and tutoring applications on

tablets, so teachers can tailor student learning

to an individual style/personality instead of a

one-size-fits-all approach. There are more

than 20,000 education apps available for the

iPad alone. [16]

12. Files on one tablet can be downloaded onto any other tablet, increasing flexibility

and convenience for teachers and

students. E-textbooks and other files can be

stored on "cloud” servers and accessed on

any equivalent device. Users can sign into an

account on a different device and access all

of their information.

7. A broken tablet requires an experienced technician to fix, which can be costly and

time-consuming. Textbooks can usually be

repaired with basic supplies such as glue or

tape.

8. Print textbooks cannot crash, freeze, or get hacked. Unlike tablets, there is no

chance of getting malware, spyware, or

having personal information stolen from a

print textbook.

9. The average battery life of a tablet is 7.26 hours, shorter than the length of a school

day. Tablets constantly need charging,

increasing electricity demands on schools

and the need for new electrical outlets. [29]

10. Tablets are more susceptible to theft than print textbooks. In San Francisco, New

York, and Los Angeles, robberies related to

internet-enabled handheld devices (including

tablets) have accounted for 50, 40, and 25

percent respectively of all robberies in 2012.

Stolen and lost internet-enabled handheld

devices have cost Americans more than $30

billion in 2012. [30]

11. Tablets enable students to cut corners or cheat on schoolwork. Students can easily

avoid reading and analyzing texts on their

own because they can quickly look up

passages in an e-textbook and search for

answers on the internet.

12. The higher cost of tablets marginalizes poorer school districts and increases the

"digital divide." Rich school districts can

afford to implement e-textbooks on tablets,

while poor school districts cannot. Low

income schools are less likely to implement

an e-textbook program than to pay for

teachers or basic classroom supplies.

13. High-level education officials support tablets over textbooks. Secretary of

Education Arne Duncan and Federal

Communications Commission chair Julius

Genachowski said on Feb. 1, 2012 that

schools and publishers should "switch to

digital textbooks within five years to foster

interactive education, save money on books,

and ensure classrooms in the US use up-to-

date content." The federal government, in

collaboration with several tech organizations,

released a 70-page guide for schools called

the "Digital Textbook Playbook," a

"roadmap for educators to accelerate the

transition to digital textbooks." [6]

14. Students who own tablets purchase and read more books than those who read

print books alone. The average tablet-

owning US student reads 24 books per year

on a tablet compared with 15 in print for

those who do not own a tablet. [17] According

to a survey by the Pew Internet and

American Life Project, 30% of e-content

readers (including 40% of those under age

30) say that they now spend more time

reading than they used to due to the

availability of e-content. [18]

15. Using a tablet is so intuitive that it makes learning fun and easy. In two isolated rural

villages in Ethiopia, the One Laptop Per

Child organization dropped off closed boxes

containing tablets pre-loaded with

educational apps, taped shut, with no

instruction. Within five days, elementary

school-age students without prior education

were using 47 apps per child, per day.

Within two weeks, they were singing ABC

songs, and within five months they had

successfully hacked the tablet's operating

system and customized the desktop settings. [19]

13. Tablets increase the number of excuses available for students not doing their

schoolwork. Students have new available

excuses, including: "the tablet broke/froze,"

"I forgot the tablet at home so I can't do

schoolwork today," and "I couldn't find my

charger."

14. Tablets shift the focus of learning from the teacher to the technology. This change

marginalizes decades of learned wisdom in

the teaching profession in favor of an

unproven technology. According to

education reformer Mike Schmoker, until the

core elements of literacy and critical thinking

are learned by every student, "it makes little

sense to adopt or learn new programs,

technology, or any other innovations."

Technology gets in the way and makes

learning and teaching more burdensome. [31]

15. Many textbooks are not available in digital format or on the specific tablet

used by a school. As of 2012, only 30% of

textbook titles are available electronically.

There are many different companies that

manufacture tablets, and most contract with

one specific e-book seller. This means that

some textbooks may not be sold across all

tablets. [32][33][34]

16. Tablets may be too difficult for less- technologically-savvy students to operate. When Daytona State College conducted an

electronic textbook focus group, the most

common reason given for withdrawing from

the group was "I did not feel that I had the

technical ability to read or reference my

textbook from a computer." [35]

17. Tablets are unnecessary because print textbooks that are not brand new still

convey relevant information to K-12

students. A K-12 student learning from an

older print textbook still learns the basics of

anatomy, physics, algebra, geometry, and the

US government

Did You Know?

1. A 4GB tablet filled with 3,500 e-books weighs a billionth of a billionth of a gram more than if it were empty of data - a difference that is approximately the same weight as a molecule of DNA. The

same number of physical books would weigh about two tons. [1]

2. In San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles, robberies related to internet-enabled handheld devices (including tablets) have accounted for 50, 40, and 25 percent respectively of all robberies in

2012. [2]

3. Manufacturing one tablet requires the extraction of 33 pounds of minerals, 79 gallons of water, and 100 kilowatt hours of fossil fuels resulting in 66 pounds of carbon dioxide. [3]

4. Students who used an interactive, digital version of an Algebra 1 textbook for Apple's iPad in California's Riverside Unified School District in 2012 scored 20 percent higher on standardized tests

vs. students who learned with print textbooks. [4]

5. During the 2011-12 school year more than 13,700 US children, aged 5 to 18, were treated in hospitals and doctors' offices for backpack-related injuries (5,000 in emergency rooms) such as

contusions, sprains, fractures, and strains to the back and shoulders. [5]