Will digital textbooks replace print textbooks as the standard material for teaching and learning languages? Will instructional design reach the point where computer-based learning systems do away with the need for instructors? Will continued advances in machine translation serve as further de-motivation for learning a language at all? To provide perspective on these questions, this presentation introduces four main trends currently emerging around digital textbooks: 1) adaptive learning; 2) predictive analytics; 3) programmed instruction; and 4) open educational resources. Through analysis of exemplary case studies, I argue that these trends signal a historical change not only in the meaning of textbook content, but even more significantly in the form and function of the textbook itself.
Download as PDF