Foundations for an e-Textbook: A Textbook Metaphor for Educational Content Aggregation

The concept of the textbook has been changing over the last two decades since the World Wide Web was introduced. The word “textbook” has become a metaphor when new dynamic, personal, open, reusable digital learning resources have appeared. The concrete name of this concept is still missing. We can meet words like “personal textbooks”, “open textbooks”, “flexbooks”, “personal digital library”. But what stays behind the concept of the future textbook? There are several main components: facilitator (teacher), who combines the first version of the textbook, consisting of learning objectives and outcomes, links to resources relevant to students’ general background, abilities and competencies; learner, his thorough profile information and personal learning objectives; and technology, that helps learner to achieve those goals and competencies that are relevant personally to student.