Due to the high-rate of iPad deployment with the University of Ottawa Department of Family Medicine (DFM), the DFM Faculty Development team identified the Essential Teaching Skills (ETS) program as an opportunity to replace the paper-based participant guides with eBook for iPad and electronic PDF participant guides that provide appealing content to support workshop delivery. With Apple iBooks Author software, the creation of eBook participant guides in both eBook for iPad and PDF formats can be achieved with less effort as compared to traditional paper-based participant guides. The challenges that had to be overcome in this project related to: (1) file size of the eBook for iPad due to video content, (2) eBook distribution, (3) Apple introducing a new version of iBooks and iBooks Author two days before deployment, and (4) physician training on how to use the iBooks app. Initial reaction to the eBook has been highly favourable. The eBook supports a shift to more economical, interactive teaching materials in a community with a high-rate of iPad use.

1. Going Paperless:
Using iBooks in Faculty
Development Workshops
Rebecca J. Hogue,
Madeleine Montpetit,
Colla J. MacDonald
Twitter: @rjhogue
Email: rhogue@pobox.com

2. Rebecca J. Hogue
• PhD Candidate, University of Ottawa
• Faculty of Education
• Thesis project in the Department of Family Medicine:
“Teaching Family Medicine Preceptor to use Tablet
Computers: A Educational Design Research Study”
• Specialize in mobile learning, eLearning, and creating
educational programs to support technology adoption
Rebecca.Hogue@uottawa.ca
http://rjhogue.ca
@rjhogue

3. Introduction
Context:
– uOttawa Department of Family Medicine,
» Approx 250 preceptors in academic teaching
clinics and community-based clinics
– Needs:
» Physicians didn‟t want paper-based resources
» Electronic resources with active hyperlinks
– Opportunities:
» Large adoption of iPads in user base (TOH)
» Free iBooks Author software
Rebecca J. Hogue, PhD Candidate, @rjhogue

4. Study Purpose
• Validate the feasibility of using iBooks Author to
generate PDF and eBook guides
• Terminology note:
– iBooks Author – application on a MAC
– iBooks App – application on the iPad (and now Mac)
to read eBooks
– eBook for iPad – special type of eBook for viewing
in the iBooks apps
Rebecca J. Hogue, PhD Candidate, @rjhogue

5. Research Questions
1. Can an electronic resource (e.g. participant guide) be
created using the iBooks Author Software in a cost
effective manner?
2. Can the participants guides be effectively distributed to
workshop participants?
3. How satisfied are the workshop participants with the
participant guides?
Rebecca J. Hogue, PhD Candidate, @rjhogue

6. Educational Intervention
• Essential Teaching Skills 2: Supporting Learners in
Difficulty
– F2F 4-hour workshop
• Two versions of participants guides were created:
– eBooks for iPad
– PDF for any other device
Note: eBook now available in the iBookstore (search for
“essential teaching skills”
Rebecca J. Hogue, PhD Candidate, @rjhogue

7. eBook Features
Ability to highlight
and take notes
Change font size,
view in portrait or
landscape
Integrated video
clips and
hyperlinks
Rebecca J. Hogue, PhD Candidate, @rjhogue

8. Design and Development Process
1
• Iterative cycles of writing and reviewing using Microsoft Word and Microsoft
PowerPoint
2
• Review and approve final content of participant guide in Microsoft Word and
Microsoft PowerPoint
3
4
5
6
• Build the eBook in iBooks Author
• Export the eBook as an eBook and again as a PDF
• Create ‘how to use iBooks’ screencasts (e.g. http://ipad-fm.ca)
• Build a website for distributing the guides (e.g.
http://familymedicine.uottawa.ca/ETS2)
Rebecca J. Hogue, PhD Candidate, @rjhogue

9. Guiding Design Principles
1. Keep it simple (don‟t add features that increase cost or
file size)
2. Use same media and images on PPT and participant
guide
3. Use active hyperlinks to external resources
4. Consider whether content can be made local
(embedded)
5. Be aware of copyrighted material
Rebecca J. Hogue, PhD Candidate, @rjhogue

10. Lessons Learned In Development
• It is faster to use iBooks Author software as compared
to Microsoft Word
• The file size of the iBooks Author source file and the
eBook file can grow very quickly
• Major Apple announcements can cause problems
• Distribution of the eBook version using a website posed
challenges
– Not enough notice (1 week, not 48-hours)
– iBooks app version issues - Not knowing Apple IDs
Rebecca J. Hogue, PhD Candidate, @rjhogue

11. Workshop Facilitator Evaluations
Rebecca J. Hogue, PhD Candidate, @rjhogue

12. Workshop Participants
Active
hyperlinks
to resources
Rebecca J. Hogue, PhD Candidate, @rjhogue

13. Issues Identified in Evaluations
• Inability to load eBook for iPad (issues with
versions of iBooks)
• Difficulty navigating
• Comments about inability to annotate
• Facilitators were concerned about having to
teach iBooks
Rebecca J. Hogue, PhD Candidate, @rjhogue

14. Discussion
• Positives:
– Participants liked the electronic format
– Ease-of-use scores were higher for
electronic versions than overall likely due to
hyperlinks
• Challenges:
– Distribution of the eBooks
– Novice user-base not doing the tutorials
Rebecca J. Hogue, PhD Candidate, @rjhogue

15. Limitations / Future Research
• Limitations:
– iBooks Author requires Mac with Lion OS
• Future research:
– 3-month feedback from participants
– Implementing eBooks across all ETS workshops
• Latest Apple announcement: eBooks for iPad can
be accessed on a Mac
Rebecca J. Hogue, PhD Candidate, @rjhogue

16. Tools
•
•
•
•
•
•
iBooks Author (free from Apple Inc.)
Computer with Apple OS 10.7.4 or higher (Lion)
eBook requires iPad 2 or newer
PDF reader on any computer or tablet
Screencast-o-matic ($15/year)
Reflector ($10) to record „how-to‟ screencasts
Rebecca J. Hogue, PhD Candidate, @rjhogue

17. Conclusion – Practical Tips
• Fully develop content using common tools
• Keep your content simple
• Give participants enough time (>1 week) to install the
guides in advance of the workshop
• Provide „how to hands-on‟ tutorials
• If feasible, use the iBookstore
• Be aware of Apple announcements
Rebecca J. Hogue, PhD Candidate, @rjhogue

18. Thank-You
Questions?
Rebecca J. Hogue
Twitter: @rjhogue
Email: rjhogue@pobox.com