Interactive digital textbook development methodology for higher education

As multimedia based distance learning and sensor-based ICT services gets popular and developed, students need unified learning environments that can provide one-stop learning contents access service with mobile devices. On the one-stop learning environments, students can access learning multimedia, digitized textbook, Q & A, references, and virtual experiment learning contents with only one educational device. The learners increasingly desire the virtual experiment learning contents with frequent interaction between students and learning contents. Thus, a methodology for digital textbook development with virtual experiment learning interactions should be standardized and developed. This study is on the desirable development plan of digital textbook under the virtual experiment e-learning contents and textbooks for the distance educational circumstance. The objective of this study is to propose a virtual experiment digital textbook development methodology to develop the digital textbook which unifies on virtual experiments learning contents, assessment Q & A, small-size examinations, printed educational materials (etc. textbook) and cuttingedge multimedia learning contents simultaneously, and activates various virtual experiment learning interactions of students. For this reason, we have developed the specialized methodology by analyzing the KNOU (Korea National Open University) digital textbook development methodology and e-learning contents for experiment subjects (chemistry, nursery, agricultures, etc.). Proposed digital textbook development methodology has been designed to provide an interactive learning environment that stimulates students to focus on learning environments such as simulation multimedia contents, lecture notes, digitized textbook, virtual experiments contents, and assessment Q & A. This study develops the digital textbook application of the chemistry subject for the freshman and surveys the students' feasibility of the digital textbook application.