School Readings in the Digital Age: Why Online Books Are Changing Everything

In the past, when teachers would say, “Open your books,” we would all pull out large, heavy books that would barely fit in our backpacks. But today, things are changing faster than ever. School readings are increasingly being read online, and there are even some digital textbooks. Instead of carrying an entire library on our backs, we can now access stories, texts, and articles with just a few clicks on our phone, tablet, or laptop.

Online reading certainly has its advantages. The most interesting thing about online reading is the freedom it gives us. If you get stuck on a part that you don’t understand, you can immediately look up an explanation, watch a short video, or check a word without having to look it up in a dictionary like before.Plus, many online reading books have interactive features—marking, notes, audio versions, and even short quizzes to help you better understand.

And let’s be real: it’s much easier to have an online book and be able to read it without having to go to the library or wait or fight with a friend for the latest printed copy of the book. But it’s not just about convenience—reading online can actually make us read more. Many students say they find it more interesting when the text is digital, because it feels more modern and less boring.

But online reading has its drawbacks. Sometimes your Wi-Fi will decide to go out just when you need it most. And yes, it’s tempting to switch tabs and watch YouTube “just for a minute.” But if we use it wisely, online reading can make learning faster, easier, and much more interesting.

In recent years, concrete attempts have been made in our country to make textbooks available in digital form — not just as a supplement, but as a real option. The portal e-ucebnici.mon.gov.mk is a digital library intended for primary and secondary school students, where approved textbooks can be freely downloaded as e-books.

Additionally, the nastava.mk platform offered the first set of interactive digital textbooks for students in grades IV, V, and VI — textbooks that, in addition to text, also contain audio, video, images, and opportunities for quizzes and assignments. This means that students can learn in a different, more unusual way — with digital content that complements classic textbooks.

However, it is important to note that for now, digital textbooks are used as an additional alternative, not as a replacement for paper textbooks — that is, for every e-book, there is also a printed version.

The Macedonian Parliament in 2021 published a comparative analysis on “Prevalence and Use of Digital Textbooks in Selected Countries”. In the majority of those countries (26 out of 27), the use of digital textbooks is not mandatory — schools, or teachers decide for themselves whether to use print, digital, or combined editions. In only one of the countries analyzed (Italy) is the use of digital textbooks mandatory, although this does not mean that printed textbooks have been abolished. In about nine countries (including Slovenia, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Austria…) there are national online platforms where students have direct access to digital textbooks and additional electronic teaching materials — text, images, interactive quizzes, assistance for students with special needs, etc.

Although our country is still in the phase of gradual introduction, it is clear that the foundation is already being built for a more advanced, accessible and interesting way of learning. Like most European countries, we are moving towards a blended model — where students will be able to choose, and learning will be flexible, interactive and more successful.

All this shows that digital reading and the use of online textbooks is not just a current trend, but a natural step forward in modern education. Ultimately, digital reading books and textbooks are not just a technological novelty, but an opportunity for education to become closer to students, more effective and much more interesting than before.

Bookshop.org’s new e-book platform, as seen on an iPad.