Alberta schools prepare to turn the page to digital textbooks

Textbooks for K-12 students across Alberta are going digital as the province shifts away from printed resources starting this summer.

But parents and educators wonder how government will make sure digitally delivered textbooks, workbooks and learning resources reach all students, including in areas with spotty Internet and for families that can’t afford computers, tablets and e-readers.

Alberta Education informed school districts earlier this month the learning resources centre, an Edmonton warehouse that distributes printed textbooks and resources, will stop taking orders on Aug. 30.

The learning resources centre processes about 16,000 items a year for the K-12 system, mainly orders from teachers and administrators. The centre sold $23 million worth of material in 2012-13, but Alberta Education forecasts a decline to $11 million in sales for 2013-14.

Demand is shifting from print to digital learning tools and the centre’s business model isn’t sustainable, Alberta Education says on a question-answer sheet about the change. “Moving forward, there will no longer be a need for the province to have warehousing and shipping capacity for large quantities of K-12 print resources.”

The learning resources centre will now act as a broker that helps school districts connect with vendors, suppliers and publishers and get the best prices on school material for the K-12 education system.

Other jurisdictions are also shifting to digital textbooks from print, including Singapore, Portugal, Florida, California, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Utah and Maine, according to information from Alberta Education.

School districts can still get printed material directly from publishers and braille books will still be available through the province.

The changes will be phased in between now and March 2014, headed by an Alberta Education transition team.

Many Alberta students are used to digital learning, and moving away from print could mean new learning resources get to Alberta kids faster than traditional textbooks, said Brad Vonkeman, president of the Alberta School Council’s Association. Printed material must still be available for students who need it, though, Vonkeman said.

Edmonton Public Schools sent information about the change to school principals on Friday, said school district spokesperson Jane Sterling.

“More and more, schools are going paperless. This will only be become perhaps a problem if a student doesn’t have a computer at home,” she said.

Not every student will have an iPad or tablet to read the material, so schools will likely have to spend more money to buy printed materials directly from publishers rather than at the discounted price from the learning resources centre, said Philip McRae, executive staff officer with the Alberta Teachers’ Association and adjunct professor in education at the University of Alberta.

It’s possible digital documents will be licensed for use in classrooms for short time periods, added McRae, who researches digital technology in education and recently wrote a paper exploring the perils of widespread technology in schools.

There is evidence publishers and educational technology companies hope to profit off students by selling them resources “from kindergarten into their professional life,” McRae said.

The shift away from print in classrooms fits into Alberta’s curriculum redesign and vision for a more flexible education system that harnesses the power of technology, Alberta Education’s question-answer document says.

This spring, Education Minister Jeff Johnson announced changes to Provincial Achievement Tests and Grade 12 diploma exams that include computer-based exams instead of the paper-based system in place now.

The government has invested millions of dollars over the past few years to establish its ultra-high-speed SuperNet system, which connects about 4,700 government offices and expands Internet service into rural communities.

All schools are connected to the SuperNet, which means students can download digital textbooks at school, said Bette Gray, executive director of the learning and technology resources sector with Alberta Education. School districts decide what devices students use to access the information and are responsible equipping students with the tools they need to learn the curriculum, Gray said.

It hasn’t been decided yet if the province will authorize or recommend the digital resources schools use or if school districts will pick resources themselves that match the curriculum.

Digital resources are accessible from anywhere, can include multimedia and specialized software such as speech-to-text programs, can be personalized for each student and can be updated often, unlike a textbook, Gray said.

“If you went to a textbook now to learn about the flooding in Alberta, you’re not going to find anything, whereas with a digital resource, it’s at their fingertips all the time,” she said. The transition will take time, Gray added.

“It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s the right move to meet the needs of our kids.”