Brazil’s National Textbook Program (PNLD) is undergoing a major transformation through the PNLD Digital initiative, which aims to provide accessible, high-quality digital textbooks to every student in the country. This large-scale digital shift presents a strategic opportunity to embed technology-enhanced learning (TEL) principles into Brazil’s public education system—leveraging digital innovation to enhance teaching and learning on a national scale.

This paper introduces the PNLD Digital Textbook Reference Model, a framework that guides the design of digital textbooks as interactive, intelligent, and inclusive learning environments. Grounded in core TEL principles—such as personalization, adaptivity, multimodal interaction, and universal accessibility—the model supports the development of learning resources that move beyond static content.

A key feature of the model is its offline-first approach, which supports the progressive loading of digital textbook resources through a custom digital reader, the PNLD Interactive Reader (LIP - Leitor Interativo do PNLD), specifically designed for the connectivity and infrastructure constraints faced by many Brazilian schools and students. This ensures reliable and equitable access to rich digital learning experiences, even in low-connectivity and resource-limited settings.

By adopting an open, modular architecture based on Web Publications, the model also enables the integration of AI-powered adaptivity, interactive content, collaborative tools, and immersive media (augmented and virtual reality). As a TEL-oriented framework, the PNLD Digital Textbook Reference Model lays the foundation for scalable, engaging, and equitable digital learning, advancing Brazil’s vision of inclusive and future-ready education.

Keywords: Technology-Enhanced Learning, Digital Textbooks, Offline-First Software, PNLD Digital Reading Systems, Inclusive Education.