The outbreak of corona-virus or popularly known as COVID19 has left students in shock and a terrible condition. One would think that their education may have come to a standstill.
But that’s not the case because of the corona-virus pandemic students have gained a new companion and have learned many lessons online through them. We are talking about audiobooks and ebooks.
Ebooks vs Audiobooks
Now if we compare audiobooks with ebooks, then audiobooks are expected to supersede ebooks. Audiobooks are a lot more convenient to use. They give the listener a certain amount of flexibility to do something totally unrelated while listening to them at the very same time.
Ebooks, on the other hand, are more accessible than audiobooks and you can find a larger library of ebooks than of audiobooks. Also, ebooks tend to give readers a chance to experience the book in their own way. It contributes to improving vocabulary, sentence formation, and reading speed of an individual. And by using some of the best ereaders.
But, overall both of them have their own advantage and disadvantage there is nothing much to complain about.
Ebooks and Audiobooks used in E-Learning
Due to the prolonged unavailability of physical books the COVID-19 pandemic has now led to a huge uptake/download of ebooks and audiobooks all over the globe. These are not only favorable for students and teachers but for all age groups those who love reading books and also for those who love to listen to them.
As months are passing by during the corona-virus pandemic the sales of ebooks and audiobooks have been increasing day by day. Many famous publishers are now operating and have started the digital version of their books.
Famous publishers like Penguin Random House have ensured that the people all over the world have access to books by launching many of their titles in a digital version first.
Not only that, but Penguin Random House has also adapted its publishing schedule and some of their latest launches have been either ebooks or audiobooks. During the month of April 2020, they also launched their very first exclusive ebook store that too within the Kindle store. The list included some of their bestselling ebooks.
Certification Courses
Nowadays, open online courses or any other certification courses are trending because they are easily accessible and students who are sitting at home can use their free time to update their skills. Students get easy access to ebooks & audiobooks as references about the course so it can help in their better understanding.
General Knowledge and Soft Skills
ebooks and audiobooks not only help in education but they also contribute to attaining general knowledge, which is very significant for this generation. It acts in their favor when they are to apply for jobs or internships.
There are numerous books that are based on how to improve soft skills like teamwork, problem-solving, communication, time management, etc. Skills which if mastered properly will help you excel in life. The audiobook version of these books helps students and adults gather more information at a faster pace.
Famous Personalities
Famous entrepreneurs and businessmen have released ebooks of their journeys so that they can be accessible to students. These books talk about how these individuals faced issues and overcame them. Something which many students can use so they don’t lose hope in this pandemic.
How Has This Affected the Sale of Physical Books?
A recent study from a few of the industry sources has revealed that, even after lifting the prolonged pandemic, the sale of the physical books is down by 80% which is huge. But according to experts, these stats are still in the early days and as the days go by or the retailers stagger to their feet, physical books are going to be back in again.
Audiobooks and ebooks have reduced the cost which came from buying a book physically. Both of these are available at different prices and at times they can be downloaded for free.
Not only from the students’ point of view but even the teachers are benefiting from this change to the digital world. There are huge advantages like being able to directly share what they want to teach; page number, book, audiobook, etc. Physically and mentally both the students and teachers are benefitting during such challenging times.
However, in many regions, it is said that many of the bookstores have already received an enthusiastic response from the customers. Surely, the lockdown has changed the whole education system through ebooks and audiobooks and also how people or students used to read books. But in places where students don’t have proper internet access, physical books are still preferred.
The worldwide pandemic has accelerated the adoption of audiobooks or ebooks by bringing a huge amount of new users onboard and they are unlikely to give it up so soon. There is a lot of growth when it comes to ebook and audiobook platforms. This growth is taking place every day but there is a prediction that these platforms will fall when everything resumes back to the old normal if it does.
That was just the basic map of how audiobooks and ebooks have contributed to E-learning and other parameters of gaining skills. But let us, however, give you a nice introduction about these two saviors which have made it possible for anyone to gain knowledge at any given time.
What are ebooks?
An ebook is also known as an electronic Book it consists of texts, images, or even both at the same time. Ebooks can be read on dedicated e-reader devices. It can also be read on any electronic device which features a controllable viewing screen.
People and students go for ebooks because they are in fact very cheap in comparison to normal books. The digitized version of the book also increases the comfort as individuals can buy or download them off the net whilst just sitting at home.
Advantages of using ebooks:
- Highlighter– Highlighting important lines is very easy with ebooks. The reader of ebooks can easily make highlights without even worrying about the integrity of the book. For most of the eBook readers, it is easy to scroll through the whole book to find the highlighted part.
- No Clutter– One does not have to worry about having a huge library to store their books if you are a huge reader. Ebooks are a huge space saver. You can store up to a hundred books on your phone easily.
- Portability– You do not have any particular place to switch to ebooks, one can take their library anywhere and can open anytime that they want to. Each and everything is stored in the user’s online account or on the device itself.
- Cheaper– Ebooks are very much cheap as compared to physical books and audiobooks. Therefore users can purchase books at a considerable discount from the paperback or the audio-book versions. Ebooks can help you download books connecting to Wi-Fi and it does not distract you with popups or advertisements.
What are Audiobooks?
An Audiobook can also be called a talking book. It is basically a recording of a book or some other work which has been read out/recited. A reading of the complete text is described as ‘unabridged’. These spoken audio clips are mostly made available for school students and at public libraries.
Audiobooks are released in many different languages. Thus one can get their hands on the desired audiobook and listen to it in different languages. Audiobooks are, however, more expensive than ebooks.
Advantages of Using Audiobooks:
- Listen Anywhere/Anytime– Listening to something does need patience and silence one can listen to audiobooks anywhere. They can be heard anytime you have just got to pay attention.
- Bookmarking Facility– Yes, bookmarking is also made available in audiobooks but it is not as easy as ebooks or physical books. One can still bookmark a 30-seconds clip of their book with Audible. This bookmarked clip can also be shared with anyone socially.
- Ready-to-go-audiobooks are always ready at any time of day, but at some point, Audiobooks can be less useful if you want to read or take some notes out of it. Taking an Audible Membership would be a better choice for students to get better audible books online.
Conclusion
Looking at the current situation of today’s world we can make sure that the future students will have their studies online itself. This is the new age where everything will be digital. Talking from payments to ordering food everything will be online sooner or later.
Believe me guys there will even come a time where people will never have to move out of their house. Everything will happen just with the help of the internet and a click from your finger.
Altogether there are both pros and cons while reading ebooks or listening to audiobooks. Keeping yourself updated in today’s world is the biggest challenge that one will face in the upcoming days.
The internet usage will be multiplied like never before, and there will be more videos to watch than textbooks to read. The future generation will have a different life which no one has ever thought of. Hence one should be prepared.
