Apple iBooks Author for Interactive Textbooks and Mobile Learning [VIDEO]

By RJ Jacquez on January 19, 2012 in eLearning, Mobile Learning

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Today Apple unveiled iBooks 2 for the iPad and iBooks Author for the Mac. The idea is to revolutionize Textbook as we know them (static) and make them interactive through video, audio, quizzes and other types of interactivity. Having experienced many eMagazines on the iPad, which have many of these interactive features, I along with many people knew that eventually Textbooks would be next.

What I didn’t know was how easy Apple would make it for anyone to create these interactive books, using video, audio, Keynote presentations and even simple-to-create quizzes, that’s where iBooks Author for Mac comes in.

Perhaps the most impressive thing here is that connecting your iPad to your Mac gives you a real-time way to Preview your interactive book right on the device. It really is something.

Here’s a video I just did on how easy it is to create an interactive textbook using iBooks Author. The whole process feels a lot like developing eLearning courses, but with a mobile learning twist to it. It’s fascinating for sure.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Mobile Learning,mLearning,Apple,iBooks

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About RJ Jacquez

Hi, my name is RJ Jacquez and I help learning organizations and individuals mobilize their learning and make a successful transition from e-Learning to Mobile Learning (m-Learning). I teach a monthly workshop online on how-to design Mobile Learning. I'm a Blogger here, blogging the Mobile Learning Revolution as it happens. Before that, I worked for Adobe Systems and Macromedia as a world-wide Senior Product Evangelist for e-Learning tools. I'm honored to be among great company in the following lists and articles: 1) mLearning’s game changers: Who’s on your dream team? (http://t.co/7j5KoylW) 2) Top 25 Most Influential Bloggers in Technical Communications (http://bit.ly/a8ooZC) 3) Top 20 most influential tweeters in eLearning, training and HR (http://bit.ly/KCOjqf). 4) I was also mentioned in this article on Why Every Company Needs a Robert Scoble (infographic) for my work as an Adobe Evangelist (http://bit.ly/v0IMHs). Please follow me on Twitter @rjacquez

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The Real Killer Feature in Apple iBooks Author is Preview

Cathy Rodriguez

Fantastic article and video! I impressed how quickly you got it out. The software has my brain spinning about possibilities for learning and also technical documentation. Should be an interesting year!
- Anonymous
  
  Thanks, Cathy. I was so excited when I was reading the news and then I download the app and just couldn’t wait to record the video. Loads of possibilities here. I’ve already started putting together outlines for possible short interactives eBooks.
John Peterson

Incredible, had a play this afternoon following our twitter conversation. Just hope that here in the UK ipads become more affordable/accessible in schools for all.
- Anonymous
  
  Hi John, I had fun tweeting throughout the event with you, too. Incredible indeed, I’m still going crazy over here thinking of all the possibilities and how easy the darn thing is. Wow!
Joseph Suarez

Thanks for the demo! It’s good to see it’s as easy as the Apple promo videos show it as being. It’s unfortunate that there isn’t a PC version of iBooks Author like there is iTunes. I’m sure I’m not the only one with a PC and an iPad that would love to start using iBook Author but can’t.
- Anonymous
  
  Yeah I think it’s unfortunate there’s no PC version, but who knows Apple eventually came out with iTunes for PC, maybe they will do the same for iBooks Author. Thanks for the comment, Joseph and I’m glad you watched the video.
Renaldolawrence

Hey man as usual you are right on the ball. I tried it and love it. Lucky enough to be in the States when it came out so I could get it straight away.
Cant believe it is this simple to create interactive content and deliver it straight to the ipad. this product makes it easy to not only create books, but product spots, interactive photo albums etc. Waiting to see how I can share it with others, other than using the apple store.
- Anonymous
  
  Hi Renaldo, glad you stopped by and checked out my thoughts on iBooks Author. Glad to see you like it and see the potential this new technology has for all things interactivity. After a few days of digesting this, I’ve come to realize that perhaps it’s not so much that I’m excited about iBooks Author itself, but more about the tone this sets for the way we will publish and consume content moving forward. I think it’s only a matter of time before other companies in this space help makes this new paradigm global. Take care, my friend!
William E Combs

I am a bit frustrated that there does not seem to be a widget for adding an MP3 audio file to the iBook. I am hoping that there is a way to do this and that once selected, the MP3 audio file will continue to play even if a page is turned.
Kathy Slattengren

Thanks for the
Npcoelho

Thank you. But I would like to know this. Once the students clicks on …let us say “b)” but the correct answer is “a)”, can I author this ibook in such a way as to make a video be sshown immediately after he chooses the wrong answer, a video explaining to the studet what he should have learned in order to answer correctly that question ? Is there such a capacity for this new interactive textbook?????????

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