Balancing student needs and learning theory in a social interactive postdigital textbook

Digital technologies are revolutionizing many aspects of contemporary education. Nevertheless, the bulk of formal learning still takes place in classrooms and despite several decades of computers in classrooms, the textbook is often the primary instructional resource. This chapter will explore how user-centered design can define a future for the digital textbook in ways that incorporate emerging learning technologies but preserve the traditional functions of textbooks in classroom communities. The authors describe the methods and results of three separate user-centered design pilots we conducted to understand user needs: a diary study, a creative writing exercise, and a participatory prototyping activity. Results from each exploration are integrated to highlight commonalities and differences. The chapter closes with a reflection on the overall strengths and limitations of this approach.