In 2013, Ohio schools received an opportunity to pilot digital texts and electronic educational content in the classroom and receive professional development on the implementation of these resources. The Electronic Textbook Pilot Project, funded by a $6 million state grant and administered by the Ohio Department of Higher Education, provided competitive grants to 271 K-12 educational institutions during the 2014-2015 school year. ODHE wanted to learn the benefits of using digital content, the challenges schools faced in the transition to digital content and what needs to happen to successfully implement digital content.
Schools involved in the project could choose any digital content to pilot. The eTextbooks ordered spanned all core content areas, as well as world languages, technology, music and physical fitness. At the culmination of the project, despite challenges, benefits were realized in the three key finding areas, and the information gathered will help inform schools considering digital content. The final report was released in December 2015. You can read the final report here.
