The Cloud-Based Textbook: From Choice to Advantage

A common feature of professional learning in different disciplines is that the skills and knowledge are acquired through students' understanding, memory, and practice. This paper examines the impact of the cloud-based textbooks on students' learning achievements and finds that the use of cloud-based textbooks can affect and improve some students' academic achievements significantly. At a university in China, our team conducted a study of offering free cloud-based textbook for a class of 160 students in 8 weeks. It was found that more than 50% of students were open to using cloud-based textbook. In the final exam, students who used cloud textbooks scored significantly higher on total scores and difficult questions than those who did not. The result also showed that the cloud-based textbook's satisfaction rate reached 73%. The research team also found that female students have a higher percentage of in-depth reading after choosing to use cloud-based textbooks than male students. Based on these evidences, a plug-in containing a simple quiz game and card reward mechanism is recommended as supplementary content that affects the positive impact of students' interest in electronic textbooks.