STEP FOUR: Make some preliminary decisions about the structure of your chapters and the features you want to include in each of them.
If you are compiling an anthology, the Editor’s Toolkit: Writing an Interactive Ebook Anthology will go over each and every step in compiling an anthology and help you decide which steps are best for your project. You will receive guidance on writing interactive content for anthologies and third-party text.
If you are writing an original text, your editorial team can guide you through the wide variety of features found in college and university textbooks and ebooks and help you select those that best meet the needs of your students.
In general, when deciding on the pedagogical features you want to have in your chapters, you should ask yourself three questions to help students stay engaged, review the material, and check their comprehension:
- What should I offer students before they read the main block of instructional content, so they can approach the instructional content with confidence and enthusiasm, prepared to master it?
- How should I organize and present my instructional content so that it is clear, accessible, and engaging? How can I help students actively learn as they are reading?
- What should I include after students have read the instructional content, so they can demonstrate their comprehension and, perhaps, have opportunities to apply what they have learned?
A helpful way to think about the original instructional content in an ebook is to equate it with the lecture portion of a class session.