ITEXTBOOKS: THE NEXT GENERATION OF ELEARNING

Modern technology has immensely influenced popular doctrine of education and learning and they must be adjusted to the new techonlogy-supported lifestyle. Mobile devices, like tablets and smartphones, are most acceptable technological learning tools because they have many advantages over traditonal teaching tools. Main idea of mobile learning is that studens can learn at the any place with the any device. While pedagogical and didactic ideas behind may seem to be straightforward, i-textbooks present a technological challenge - from preparing content, authoring tools, managing learning units, improving processes, to compilations of learning units in i-textbooks and using them for active learningonhome computers or tablets.Except of the availability of learning, mobile learning allows the use of interactive learning materials - audio/video elements, interactive tasks, tests, quizzes, animations and interactive didactical games. In the paper we propose a new aged version of textbooks, i-textbooks, which truly base on the idea of mobile learning - using them anytime and anywhere, on all devices with higher interactive levels and are specifically designed for active learners and more complex cognitive processes of all age groups and educational levels. While the pedagogical idea behind may seem to be straightforward, i-textbooks present a technological challenge - from preparing content, authoring tools, managing learning units, improving processes, to compilations of learning units in i-textbooks and using them for active learning on home computers or tablets. In the paper, the challenges we tackled when developing i-textbooks for natural science courses in primary and secondary school are discussed and solutions (technologies, strategies, processes and products) are proposed. Special emphasize will be given to solutions for achieving device independent usage of i-textbooks which represents significant obstacle.