Unfulfilled potential in digital textbook development: Modern technologies and traditional literacy

Digital textbooks have become an integral part of modern education worldwide, transforming how students learn. This shift underscores the need for high-quality digital textbooks to support the development of student digital literacy. This study developed an analytical framework to address digital literacy focusing on four areas: information and data literacy, collaborative communication, digital content creation, and digital genre. By examining eight middle school English textbooks used in Korea, this study explored how digital textbooks address digital literacy. The findings indicate that the most frequently addressed area is information and data literacy, followed by digital genre. However, the textbooks lack explicit targeting of digital literacy skills or strategies within these areas. Opportunities are scarce for students to create digital content reflecting digital genres or to share their work in non-traditional ways. Overall, digital textbooks mirror their traditional counterparts and do not sufficiently meet the evolving demands of digital literacy. This study suggests that digital textbooks should shift from being tools that merely supplement traditional books into central components of the curriculum that effectively develop students’ digital literacy. The findings may guide curriculum designers and coursebook writers in more directly incorporating digital literacy into future digital textbooks.