iBooks
On July 19, 2010, Apple updated iBooks to version 1.1.1. This update adds a key feature, “the ability to experience books that include audio and video.” This is terrific for a wide variety of learners from individuals just learning to read to experienced readers. The key component is the expanded interactive nature of digital books. This is important because iBooks is a mainstream application, not just a special education focused tool. This certainly looks to be a step in the right direction towards the goal of more universally designed literacy resources. Researchers at Penn State will be pleased about this ability, as it will empower them to start to use more interactive books on the iPad. You can see some of the work they do on this terrific website, aacliteracy.psu.edu.
Here is what the update brings:
• The ability to double-tap an image within a book in order to view it in greater detail.
• The ability to experience books that include audio and video.
• Look up definitions to English words inside books without a specified language.
• An answer to an issue that may have caused some book downloads to not complete.
• The addition of many stability and performance improvements.
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Just to add to the wonderful features of iBooks, it can also use a refreshable braille device to display the books in contracted braille. If the braille device has bluetooth (such as the Refreshabraille from APH) it is super simple to connect and use.
BTW, I have also used this braille device with Pages. The text can be entered from the braille device in contracted braille, but comes out in normal text in a Pages document. This is SO great!