Learning and education are the founding stone of a child future. The more the child is exposed to knowledge, the more he will develop his understanding and become an aware citizen. There have often been questions around an emphasis on a textbook for children. Some education researchers have been working on switching the focus on theory-based education to the functional module. But this debate is argued by many. (1)
Why are textbooks important?
Now if we take up the scenario where practical tutoring is a pioneer, then the very basis of introducing Alphabets and numbers to toddlers by their parents will not exist anymore. Can you imagine a day when you want to introduce alphabets to your little one but do not have a written textbook to do same. Or image you teachers want to teach their students the process of photosynthesis. Is it Possible without books? Your answer will be a big no.
Textbooks are the very base on which the entire system of learning grows, which make them critical in every child’s learning journey. To further understand the importance of textbooks you must know the benefits of the book in context to learning.
- The textbook provides study material for explaining, resigning and learning facts and figures.
- Coursebooks help students learn through chapters of the syllabus and with accurate pictorial representation.
- It helps them explore the world around them even while sitting in classrooms.
- Textbooks also inspire students and induce them towards developing reading skills, and reading fosters learning. (2)
- Students know what their course is and how much they have to study in a given time frame.
Remember textbooks are crucial and they help to overcome some significant hurdles in teaching, especially to students with the difference in languages or from a different part of countries or regions.
Can technology replace textbooks?
The answers are debatable, and most scholars still prefer the old-school style of teaching. Books provide us with a medium to connect to the subject of study. Things that we can touch and feel, the human brain tends to remember things that way better than what we hear. Take an example: you go to the cinema hall to watch a movie, how many of you can remember every scene and every dialog used in the film? Well not sure, now tell, you read a newspaper in the morning, and you read the big news or some sale coming up, how well do you remember it? You have my answer.
Even with technology advancing at a faster pace and the concept of virtual classes overtaking the traditional method of teaching, enough emphasis is laid on students to buy college textbooks. It’s not the fact about primary education or college or university; textbooks are essential at every stage of learning.
So, you see textbooks cannot be or should not be replaced. They have been the way we have learned and become successful in our society and achieved our goals and probably they must continue to do so for our generation. Technology is right, but overuse of anything, even technology is not good. If children get used to typing on tablets or laptops, they will forget how to use the pen.
Ana Miller is a creative writer. Her topics of interest and expertise range from psychology to all sorts of disciplines such as science and news.
