Adaptive eBook

Abstract

A challenge identified in the current education system is that students, irrelevant of their reading capabilities, are required to follow the same literature. This paper presents a system designed to address such a challenge. The Adaptive eBook has the capability of switching the text to a simpler version, as soon as the built-in reading problem detector detects a reading difficulty. The system was developed with Year 4 students in mind and after conducting experiments with 45 Year 4 students from State and Private schools, it was seen that the Adaptive eBook does have the ability of helping students understand the text better, especially those who suffer from sentence length. From a survey given to 110 parents of Year 4 students on how they see the concept of their child having an Adaptive eBook, 80% of such parents believe that the system would help their children both from an educational perspective as well as a personal one. In addition to the positive results achieved, another success factor is the fact that the Adaptive eBook does not simply offer a helpful system to children, but it also offers an innovative concept that could be expanded and improved in several ways.