Earlier this year, the state of California launched a digital textbook program in order to provide several schools in the region with free and suitable materials online. Despite the state’s current budget crisis, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger helps districts to save money by requesting for a review on open-source digital science and math textbooks.

According to a survey conducted by the California Learning Resources Network, or the CLRN, a big percentage of the respondents were embraced the initiative with ample optimism. A majority of the respondents sees the program as a significant first step for the schools in California towards the approaching digital age. A number of the respondents were also able to view the digital-textbook program as an effective way to boost the learning opportunities provided for numerous students.

The survey took hold of a total of 850 respondents that was mainly composed of teachers and administrators. Six out of 10 respondents believe that the digital-textbook program will help schools to save money by replacing traditional schoolbooks with the new digital ones. Ninety percent of the surveyed educators are anticipating more improvements on the program. They hope to see more developments on the initiative, such as more subjects, as well as more interactive format varieties.

Although the initiative was just launched recently, more than half of the administrators and educators who were surveyed were already aware of the Digital Textbook Initiative. The participants of the survey were also asked how the students are able to read the digital textbooks. Thirty-four percent suggested that the digital texts will be read through computers, 23% answered “projected,” another 23% answered “paper,” while the remaining 20% chose the eReader or other means.

More than half of the participants also agreed that the free digital textbook initiative will be able to help schools save money, as well as increase learning and teaching opportunities.