Creating Digital Books

I am preparing for a workshop on creating eBooks.  I will demonstrate Apple iWork Pages, iBooks Author, and SoftChalk.  My special interest is creating interactive books.

• iWork Pages will save a file in an ePub format, which can be viewed on mobile devices.  The downside, is that the digital books are not interactive. 
• iBooks Author is my choice of platform.  The updates to the free software make it very easy to create interaction.  The downside is that you must use a Mac and that the books are available in iBooks Author for iBooks.  You can save the books as a PDF file, but then you lose all of the interaction.
• SoftChalk is a great tool to use when creating online lessons.  You can also design eBooks with the software and save them in an ePub format.  Although, SoftChalk indicates that there are a variety of interactive tools you can use with the ePub, I was able to only to create a one item interactive quiz.  Drag and drop and timeline revealed raw code.  I reported the problem.  The SoftChalk ePub feature is in beta development.  The other downside to SoftChalk is that the software is not free.  I am able to use it because our University has a site license. 

How to Use Hog Wild Questions - Interesting Concept

I was reviewing abstracts for a conference and ran across a concept developed by Ben Johnson - How to Use Hog Wild Questions.  Johnson suggests that the instructor could use Bloom's taxonomy and develop question while constructing a lesson.  It makes sense.  As I look forward to tweaking courses for next semester and developing a new one - I plan to use the concept. 

My idea is to "flip a lesson" into an interactive eBook chapter.  SoftChalk v9 and iBooks Author both provide ways to create an interactive ebook.  I will work on developing questions for the chapters using Johnson's approach.

You can read more about Johnson's concept on his blog at http://www.edutopia.org/blog/hog-wild-questions-classroom-ben-johnson

VitalSource Bookshelf for Electronic Versions of Many Books

I wanted to preview the electronic version of Informatics and Nursing.  Lippincott provides an eBook that uses VitalSource Bookshelf.  The software can be downloaded from http://support.vitalsource.com/kb/vbs-ht/download-the-latest-version-of-vitalsource-bookshelf

VitalSource Bookshelf is also the platform used by Elsevier for electronic books.  You have to first download the software to your desktop computer (it works on Macs and Windows computers).  After the software is installed, you create a username and password, to log.  Accounts is a menu selection in VitalSource Bookshelf.  Select it and enter the code for the eBook.  You can instruct the software to sync the eBook(s) with other devices

After software and eBook are installed on the Mac or Windows computer, you can install the software on your mobile devices.  I installed it on my iPhone and iPad.  When I signed in to the VitalSource Bookshelf site, I could see the Informatics and Nursing textbook with badge indicating that it was ready to be downloaded. The download took only a few minutes.  The eBook version of our textbook includes page numbers, which allows users to cite it in scholarly works.

The mobile version got terrible reviews from the Apple app store, but I did not experience any problems.

Because there are different platforms for eBooks, the features may vary.  For example, the eBook versions from Barnes and Noble and Amazon differ. eBooks from Amazon are read with the Kindle app.  eBooks from Barnes and Noble are read with the Nook app.

Apps for Creating eBooks

I started the quest for exploring the creation of eBooks in February 2012 when iBooks Author was released.  When preparing for two presentations on ePublishing, I found new apps for creating eBooks as noted below.

iBooks Author is still available free, but only on a Mac computer.  eBooks created with it open only on an iPad.  It provides interactivity not available in other eBooks creation apps.

I have included Pages, the word processing software for the Mac.  You can save Pages files as an ePub file format.  ePub formats support the use of media such as sound and video.  Pages for the iPad files can be "shared" but not saved with the ePub format.

Composer Pro (Demibooks), eBook Creator, Creative Book Builder, Book Creator for the iPad, and eBook Magic+ are apps that work on the iPad or also on the iPhone.  Most are associated with a nominal fee.

When creating an eBook it is important to consider the audience, the file size, whether interactivity is important, and how the eBook will be distributed.

iBooks Author

Free - Works only on Mac computers

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibooks-author/id490152466?ls=1&mt=12 

Pages

$19.99 for Mac computers

Available through the Apple App store.  Used to save files in ePub format.  Allows for the use of media.

Apps for the iPad and iPhone

Composer Pro

Free

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/composer-pro/id537026880?ls=1&mt=8 

eBook Creator

$3.99

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ebook-creator/id448273828?mt=8 

Creative Book Builder

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/creative-book-builder/id451041428?mt=8

$3.99

Book Creator for the iPad

$4.99

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/book-creator-for-ipad/id442378070 

eBook Magic+ ePub, PDF, Photo Book maker & JPG collages

$4.99

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ebook-magic/id424877762?mt=8 

Apps for Android Devices from Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/search?q=ebooks+creator&c=apps 

eBook Maker

Ideal ePub Maker

iBooks Author - Learning More

At our last ePublishing meeting a couple of weeks ago, JW recommended reviewing Lynda.com for the video tutorials on iBooks Author.  After reviewing about half of the 5+ hour tutorials - I completely agree.  The tutorials provide a visual approach to creating eBooks with iBooks Author.  I clearly see now how to keep the approach simple. Basically, the "easy" approach is to create a folder with all of the files used for the book:

• Chapter titles and subtitles
• Section titles and subtitles
• Chapter pages text
• Photos/screenshots
• Videos
• Other

You can use text from:

• Text files
• Pages word processing files
• Word word processing files

I do not see any advantage of using Pages or Word file types if you have already created chapters using iBooks Author because when you import the documents, they are imported as a chapter and you have to clean the information up.  Of course, you could create all of your chapters in either Pages or Word.  That said, using text (.txt) files is easy because when you slide over or copy/paste the .txt info, iBooks Author defaults to the text file type used for the book.

If you don't have access to Lynda.com or want to purchase access to the video tutorials - there is a free solution.  Learn iBooks Author by DIY Journo  has created many (25 as of this writing) short tutorials. To view a menu of the tutorials, go to http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5F5025728444BBA5&feature=plcp

Remember that iBooks Author is available only for the Mac.  I realize that less than 10% of my readers are Mac users.  If you are a Windows PC user, consider using a word processor to create your eBook.  There are applications available to save the file to an ePub file type where it can be distributed to eBook stores such as Amazon and Apple iBooks.

The book I am writing is entitled Data Analysis for Healthcare Professionals: Spreadsheet and Database Applications. It will address the many types of spreadsheet applications, but focus on Excel.  It will also demonstrate use of FileMaker Pro and Excel, but focus on FileMaker Pro because it works on a Windows PC, the Mac, and the iPad.  I plan to incorporate video tutorials and lots of screenshots. Hopefully, a working draft will be available for a course I am teaching spring semester.  Of course, the final eBook will be free and hopefully available from the Apple iBooks Store.  A couple ePublishing team members are writing eBooks on statistics.  Perhaps my eBook will complement their works.

If readers of this blog have suggestions about content they envision for the eBook - please share! 

eBooks and Helpful Apps

I read a great blog, How to Create Your Own Textbook — With or Without Apple. The best part was the information on apps that were new to me. The blog author identified three steps for creating an eBook:
1) Aggregation where you gather all of the information.  She mentioned Delicious and Diigo.  As I noted in an earlier blog, Diigo includes some fantastic tools for annotating websites that I need to use.
2) Curation where you identify what you want to accomplish and the pertinent resources.
3) Creation where you create a repository for the learning resources.

The author also provided guidelines for targeting readers.  The questions are pertinent to designing any learning content:

1. How are learners going to use the information in the learning content?
2. How will they demonstrate what they have learned?  How will the instructor know?
3. What assessments are pertinent?

The apps that were new to me are:

• Paper.li to create and publish your own newspaper
• Twitted Times, another personal newspaper app
• Scoop.it to create and publish magazines

More Thoughts re iBooks Author

After exploring iBooks Author and downloading the sample book chapter from Life on Earth, new concerns unfold.

• The Life on Earth download is an example of one chapter, yet the file is almost 1 gigabite (GB) in size and took 44 minutes to download to the Mac this morning.  According to iBooks Author, books uploaded to the iBookstore can be a maximum size of 2 GB or less.  
• iBooks Author help also notes that users with iPads that use the 3G network cannot download books larger than 20 MB. 
• There certainly will be a learning curve to develop or access copyright free graphics and media to use in the iBook.  It is challenging to get quality resources for a print book, much less an iBook.  

I would like to create a couple of electronic books.  Guess I will have to use the "start simple" philosophy and practice with the templates in iBooks Author.  This topic would be a great one for the MERLOT/Sloan Emerging Technologies conference this summer.  Hopefully, we will see some papers for proposed presentations submitted.

Kno - Digital textbooks for the iPad

I read an email from Jim W. yesterday about Kno.  The company was started by a person who used to work for Apple.  Kno provides digital textbooks for the iPad.  It allows the reader to set goals and see comparisons with other students.  There was an article about the app on CNET this morning. You can read more about Kno from their website at http://www.kno.com.

Transferring an eBook ot the iPad

I just finally finished writing a chapter for a textbook on distance learning.  One of the sections in the chapter had to do with eBooks - so of course, that took some research.  I had already downloaded some eBook readers (discussed in an earlier blog) to my iPad. I knew that I could purchase or in some cases with really old books, like those written by Florence Nightingale, download for free.

The new adventure was to figure out how to check out eBooks from the local public library.  I went to the Twin Lakes Library website and found a tab that had all of the eBooks.  It included both audio books and digital books.  There were not as many digital books  as audio.  One blog I read during the research indicated that eBook publishing companies were hesitant to make their resources available because of concerns about losing sales.  Oh well....

One of the YouTube videos on the topic indicated that Adobe Digital Editions was a free app for checking out an eBooks, so I downloaded it.  It required for me to enter my Adobe ID and password.

On the local public library website, I found a book by a favorite author.  When I tried to check out the book, it was not available.  A couple of days later, I received an email stating that the book was available for checkout.  I downloaded it to Adobe Digital Editions. The following steps were use to get the eBook to the iPad.

• Downloaded the Bluefire Reader from the Apple store onto the iPad
• Synced the iPad with iTunes
• Added the eBook from Documents > Adobe Digital Editions to Bluefire Reader
• Opened the Bluefire Reader and authorized it with my Adobe ID and password
• Done!

Well, that might seem like a complicated process, but in reality, most of the steps had to be accomplished only once.  I have all of the necessary applications downloaded.  The next time I check out an eBook, all that I have to do is to add it to the Bluefire Reader and sync.  

Loaning/borrowing a Kindle eBook

Amazon allows users to loan ebooks now.  You can read more from http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_200549320_receive?nodeId=200549320&#receive

From what I understand - the public library can be the lenderer or any one of us can loan our ebooks.  If I loan one of my ebooks, I will not be able to read it when the book is checked out.  The loan period is two weeks.  During that time, the borrower can "mark up" the book, but that will not be available to the lenderer when the book is returned.  The ebook can be loaned to a person only one time.  The second time, the borrower will be required to purchase the book. 

Wow!  What a terrific idea! 

Free eBooks until the End of August

Kaplan is offering free ebooks until the end of August. An example is the Kaplan RN Review manual. You have to download them to a mobile device (iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch) using iTunes. Read more at http://www.tuaw.com/2010/08/25/a-barrel-of-free-books-from-kaplan-makes-a-great-back-to-school/

Downloading eBooks to the iPhone Using Google Books and Stanza Software

I am doing the final preparation for a Writing for Publication workshop this week.  I discovered that I can download some free eBooks, such as Florence Nightingale's Notes on Nursing and Isabel Hampton Robb's Nursing.  What wonderful resources for courses such as Introduction to Nursing!! 

I wanted to see ways that faculty and students could take an advantage of the eBooks, using a desktop, laptop, PDA, or Smartphone.  I had downloaded Stanza software for the desktop a few weeks ago.  I was able to save the e-book to may iPhone.  This particular feature makes Stanza software superior to Kindle (which can only access books on the Amazon web site) in my opinion.  Stanza software is able to use many file formats (See figure below).

Google books allowed me to save the Nightingale and Hampton Robb books as PDF and ePub file formats.  I chose ePub (Open eBook) for the download.  The steps for transferring the eBook from the computer to the iPhone are noted below.

1. Open Stanza desktop>File>Open menu and selected the eBook from where it is saved.
   
2. Go to Stanza Tools and make sure that Enable Sharing is selected.
3. Connect the iPhone to the computer or make sure that it is connected to the same wireless network as the computer with Stanza desktop.
4. Open Stanza on the iPhone.
5. From the library menu, select Shared Books>Your computer's name.
6. One the desktop computer, grant permission to share the book.
7. Select the book you want to download.

 The entire process took only a couple of minutes and was really easy to do.  The information on how to download eBooks from Stanza is on the software Frequently Asked Questions.

PS - Google Books does have information about copyright and how to avoid copyright infringement.