by Maureen Ngigi
When it comes to education there are many different ways to access things necessary to learn. Both textbooks and tablets are essential and useful in school. There are pros and cons to both methods, but it all depends on the student’s preference.
Tablets can hold hundreds of textbooks on one device including homework, quizzes, and other files, eliminating the need for physical storage of books and classroom materials. Rather than carry a textbook for each class, the students can simply download an online copy and enjoy learning without the heady load. Tablets contain many technological features that cannot be found in printed textbooks too. They give users the ability to highlight and edit text, and to even write notes without ruining a textbook for the next user. As well as search functions, there is a back-lighting option to read in low light, along with a built-in dictionary.
Some may argue the issue of manufacturing tablets is environmentally destructive and dangerous to human health. But in the making of textbooks, the rate of deforestation increases. Online textbooks don’t need paper, which means they don’t contribute to the damage to our ecological footprint. Unlike tablets, printed textbooks cannot crash and they do not freeze or get hacked; there is no chance of getting malware, spyware, or having personal information stolen from a printed textbook. Updating a textbook, however, requires the recall of all copies, whereas for online books, a simple update transfers to all copies worldwide.
In conclusion, although textbooks are one way to educate students, tablets increase the amount of learning without the need to overload your backpack with books. Tablets also improve student achievement on standardized tests and helps the student keep up with the ever changing technological developments.