Selecting an E-(Text)Book: Evaluation Criteria

This paper aims to propose a repository of pre-use evaluation criteria for language teachers who wish to introduce e-books or e-textbooks to their own teaching practices. By selectively using a set of such criteria, they will be able to evaluate to what extent a given e-book/e-textbook lends itself to utilisation within their own teaching context. The paper briefly reviews the potential advantages of technology-enhanced language teaching. Then, it presents a range of manners in which e-books have been defined, outlines their most essential features, and demonstrates exemplary classifications of e-book types. The evaluation criteria proposed are informed by an analysis of three independent studies into the guidelines for e-book and e-textbook design, as well as the types and features of e-books presented within the paper. The outcome is a list of evaluation criteria pertaining to three aspects of an e-book: (i) layout and design; (ii) content and functionalities; and (iii) the reading device, file format and distribution.