Abstract:

Technical innovation in education is a necessity today because of the high accessibility rate and significant role of Internet, smartphones, tablets and laptops in students’ life. Focus is shifting from hardcopies to the digital version of texts, assignments, assessments and projects. With a number of free interactive tools available online, the educational system is embracing the transformation readily. This paper deals with the process of e-book (iBook) creation through an iOS app iBooks Author, collaborating various projects by students of an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classroom. A specific vocabulary related theme was introduced to the class and the students evolved their own understanding and interpretation of the topic with in-depth study enhancing their cultural as well as social identities. Student engagement in groups for theme-based project was later combined as a single iBook by the teacher and shared with the class using a cloud service and also a projector for those who lacked an iOS device ( iPad, iPhone etc.). Together with text, student research came up with digitized posters, presentations, audio and video files, quizzes, 3D and 2D images etc. to be used in the iBook. Distinctive features of this mode of interactive learning are inclusion of local references in the iBook and propagating research culture among students at an early stage.

Keywords:

E-book, iBook, iBooks Author, Project Based Learning, research, collaborative learning, interactive learning, EFL.