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The Education Bureau (EDB) released the Recommended e-Textbook List (eRTL) today (May 2) listing the first batch of e-textbooks with quality assurance under Phase One of the e-Textbook Market Development Scheme (EMADS) for school use in the 2014/15 school year. The first eRTL covers primary education subjects of Chinese Language, English Language, Putonghua, General Studies and Physical Education; and junior secondary education subjects of English Language, Geography, and Life and Society. Details of the eRTL are available on the EDB website (www.edb.gov.hk/ertl).
In response to the global trend of harnessing technology to enhance learning and teaching effectiveness, the EMADS was first launched in June 2012 to facilitate and encourage the participation of potential and aspiring e-textbook developers to develop a diverse range of e-textbooks in line with local curricula. Having undergone the field tests and quality assurance mechanism, the completed e-textbooks developed by successful applicants under Phase One of EMADS have been included on the first eRTL with a view to providing schools with more choices by expanding the textbook supply.
In addition to fulfilling the quality criteria of printed textbooks, different from common e-books in PDF format, the e-textbooks on the eRTL are expected to exploit the benefits of e-features, such as multimedia and interactivity, to enhance the effectiveness of learning and teaching of the subject.
Under the agreement with the Government, successful EMADS applicants are required to commit to the sales prices of the e-textbooks produced under EMADS for two to four years so as to maintain the stability of e-textbook prices. Compared to the prices of printed textbooks on the same subject, e-textbooks on the eRTL are generally priced more than 30 per cent lower. Prices of e-textbooks in some subjects are nearly 70 per cent lower compared to printed textbooks, which reflects that apart from providing schools with more choice, the development of e-textbooks has created room for reduction of textbook prices.
The try-outs under Phase Two of EMADS are now in progress and it is expected that e-textbooks that have undergone quality assurance will be available for school use in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 school years.
"Having said that it is a global education trend to enhance students' interactiveness and self-directed learning with the use of technology, it takes time for teaching professionals to realise the paradigm shift in order to exploit the e-learning resources effectively in the right place and at the right time. The EDB will progressively promote the use of e-textbooks and encourages schools to take account of their school contexts as well as the needs of students, and maintain communication with different stakeholders in order to strike a balance among their views and expectations.
"Concurrently, e-textbook review for different subjects will be opened up in stages with consideration of opinions from the textbook industry as well as users so as to pave the way for the development of a healthy, rich and sustainable e-textbook market in the long run and benefit our students," an EDB spokesman said.
Ends/Friday, May 2, 2014
Issued at HKT 16:54
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