Assessment of our modular electronic text

In this assignment, you will reflect on the future of the textbook, and write a short, collaborative document.

We have discussed the future of the textbook and looked at a modular biology e-text from Nature Publishing, the Merlot collection of teaching modules and the Kahn Academy. Some of you have experience using e-books from other publishers.

Study the presentation that describes our modular course and electronic text, and answer this question:

What are they key advantages and disadvantages of the modular electronic text we have used in this class as compared to a standard textbook or an electronic version of a textbook?

Write the first draft early -- new ideas will come to you as you write and afterwards. Write with a partner -- be sure to get someone to review your draft and give you feedback. Discuss the topic with them and you will get new ideas. (Your partner does not have to be someone in this class).

When your answer is complete, post it as a comment on the topic module on our course (first link below) and print a copy to turn in. On the copy you turn in, add the name of your writing partner and their relationship to you -- classmate, professor, father, etc.

Link to topic module on our course.
Link to topic module on modular teaching material.

Compare text and word processing files

The purpose of this assignment is to show the difference between text and word processing files.

Create a short text document using Notepad. Then copy and paste the same text into a Word document.

Save both, then open the Word document using Notepad.

What do you see when you view the Word document using Notepad? Why are there so many weird characters?

How large are the two files?

Why is the Word file larger if they both contain the same words?

Link to topic module

Word versus Notebook

This assignment illustrates a pure ASCII text file, as opposed to a word processing file.

Type and save a paragraph using Word and type and save the same paragraph using Notepad.

What were the sizes of the two files after you stored them?

Open the Word file using Notepad -- what do you see?

How do you explain the difference between the Notepad version and the Word version?