Introduction

Interactive textbooks have emerged as powerful digital learning tools, enabling students to engage with embedded questions, visualizations, and other interactive elements that enhance comprehension and retention.[EVL15] However, creating and editing these textbooks remains a challenge for educators who lack technical skills. The TeachBooks team has developed a platform to make creation and collaboration easier, but the current workflow requires knowledge of Markdown and Git, creating a barrier for less technically-experienced users. This barrier limits participation in interactive textbook development to those with specialized skills, contradicting the inclusive mission statement of TeachBooks:

“Our philosophy is to make it possible, practical and fun for all teaching teams, regardless of experience. Because while TeachBooks can be made by individuals, we’ve seen that a team of teachers and student assistants can make a TeachBook that’s more accessible, attractive, and more interactive than any one person could make alone.[Tea24]”

To address this problem, we have designed and implemented a browser-based visual editor that allows educators to edit interactive textbooks without ever touching Markdown or the command line. The implemented editor supports fundamental textbook components including text formatting, media insertion, and code block management while maintaining integration with the existing GitHub-based infrastructure.

This report is structured as follows: First, we analyze the problem in depth, examining existing workflows and their limitations. Next, we define the project requirements using the MoSCoW prioritization method. We then present the product design, detailing the editor’s functionality and integration with existing TeachBooks infrastructure. Subsequent sections cover implementation, testing, development methodology, and ethical considerations. Finally, we conclude with recommendations for future improvements and reflections on the project’s outcomes.