7 Things You Should Know About E-Readers

Abstract

E-readers are portable, low-power, high-resolution devices that display digital versions of written material from books, magazines, newspapers, and other printed sources. They typically use e-ink, a display technology designed to simulate printed paper that offers similar resolution as newsprint and, relative to an LCD screen, eliminates glare and reduces eyestrain. Digital texts can be updated easily and often include advanced features such as annotation, hyperlinking, cross-linking, saved views, interactive quizzes for individual study, analyses, and shared commentary. E-readers are changing the economics of text-based intellectual property, including educational materials, and a move to digital texts would have broad implications both for the traditional campus bookstore and for an institution’s library.

The "7 Things You Should Know About..." series from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) provides concise information on emerging learning technologies. Each brief focuses on a single technology and describes what it is, where it is going, and why it matters to teaching and learning. Use these briefs for a no-jargon, quick overview of a topic and share them with time-pressed colleagues.

In addition to the "7 Things You Should Know About…" briefs, you may find other ELI resources useful in addressing teaching, learning, and technology issues at your institution. To learn more, please visit the ELI Resources page.

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