Introduction to Pressbooks
Pressbooks is an online platform designed for authors and publishers to create and format books in various formats, including PDF for print or print on demand, EPUB for ebook platforms like Apple iBooks and Kindle, and Webbook for both private and public use. It is widely utilized by independent authors, small to medium-sized publishers, and educational institutions globally.
Using optimized templates, Pressbooks ensures that books appear professional across different shapes and sizes. Users benefit from a straightforward interface that doesn’t require complex software, allowing for unlimited editing, updating, and re-exporting of books. Collaboration with other authors and editors is facilitated, and the platform supports a range of book formats. Pressbooks also offers affordable access and grants complete control over the distribution and sharing of content through downloadable exports.
Key Takeaways
Pressbooks webbooks are online editions of your book hosted on Pressbooks, available for free distribution to the public. They are commonly utilized for creating and disseminating open educational resources (OER). Unlike static formats such as PDF or ebooks, a webbook represents a dynamic, live version of your book that does not require exporting or downloading.
This guidebook aims to explore how educators can effectively integrate both pop culture and digital media in the classroom to support the mental health and wellbeing of students.
In today’s digital age, youth are more immersed than ever before in pop culture and digital media. It is integrated into the daily lives of young people, with both benefits and risks associated. The introduction of affordable phone plans and the advancement of the Internet have resulted in a surge in the popularity of social networking sites, apps, streaming services, and video games.
Today’s youth have unprecedented access to digital media technology and pop culture content, and they are more technically savvy than ever before. Digital media has become an integral element of youth’s lives, shaping their personal and societal identities. It has impacted their perceptions of themselves and the world around them, informing many aspects of their lives, including language, values, and personal expression.
In 2018, nearly all US teens aged 13 to 17 (95%) reported having access to a smartphone, with 45% reporting being online on a regular basis. Similar to a survey conducted in Canada in 2019 by the Canadian Health Survey on Children and teens, teens aged 15 to 24 reported the greatest rates of media use, with 91% using social media and 68% playing video games on a consistent basis.
Promoting digital media grounded in evidence and supporting mental health is essential, given that studies indicate that 70% of widely used literacy apps lack references to learning sciences (Jackson, Shell, & Tare, 2022). Leveraging research to inform product development can result in more effective educational tools. Ultimately encouraging students’ metacognitive processes, confidence, and engagement leading to more of an inclusive digital tool (Jackson, Shell, & Tare, 2022).
References
Colvard, N. B., Watson, C. E., & Park, H. (2018). The Impact of Open Educational Resources on Various Student Success Metrics. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 30(2), 262-.
Jackson, S. R., Shell, A. R. & Tare, M (2022). Student engagement with evidence-based supports for literacy on a digital platform. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 54(2), 177–187. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2020.1821412
Pressbooks. (2013). Pressbooks User Guide, https://guide.pressbooks.com/
Statistics Canada. (2020). Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, 2019. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/200723/dq200723a-eng.htm