The Korean education ministry will make digital textbooks available from March this year, the
Korean Overseas Information Service writes. Some twenty elementary schools will start using digital textbooks for six subjects: Korean, English, mathematics, sociology, science and music. The textbook can be viewed using a personal computer and the report seems to indicate it is stored online. Features include video, animation, virtual reality and hyperlinks. The digital textbook also includes a student handbook, workbook, dictionary and reference materials which are updated when needed. Furthermore, a connection is available to databases of various organisations so that students can access and download more information than just what is in the textbooks. Korea has been developing digital textbooks since 2002 and tested these on 300 students in four different elementary schools in 2006. Twenty elementary schools will use the digital textbooks this year, and the number will jump to 100 elementary, middle and high schools nationwide by 2011.