I am an entering freshman, and I have received emails from all 4 of my classes that the school is trying something new and promoting an e-text only version of a textbook. It increases savings, and they don’t even offer a physical on the bookstore… atleast I can’t see an option to buy it from the bookstore. I think this is ludicrous… many students like me find it much more convenient to have a physical textbook than to reading a 20 page reading on your computer with the distractions of the internet. Does anyone else think that this is absurd?
Is a physical version of the textbook available online through another website outside of your school? It’s possible the publisher also makes a print version of the textbook, but your school is just choosing not to sell it.
I know some of the schools (not college–the elementary, middle, and high schools) in my area now have all electronic textbooks (accessed through an iPad), rather than physical textbooks. I don’t personally know of colleges that are doing the same, but I’m not overly surprised.
Yes! I just read an article that students perform better and retain information better reading hard copy, print versions of textbooks. A lot of it had to do with not being distracted by other things like social media on their computer, as you mention.
It’s a shame the school doesn’t offer an option. (time for a student petition, perhaps?) Can you just buy the textbook through Amazon or some other source away from the school bookstore?
You can still buy the hard version from the publisher. You are not limited to the what the school offers. You can also probably buy a used version. If you buy a hard copy from the publisher you usually can get the electronic version and the “resources” free.
I should have edited the post while I can, but while there may be physical copies available online, I think it’s ludicrous that schools choose not to offer physical textbooks. If schools aren’t going to offer textbooks, then publishers are going to stop printing texts and future students might not have this privilege. I think its a shame that colleges decide on doing this. There are so many other places to cut down…this shouldn’t be one of them.
No, iamjack, you have it backwards. That is not what is happening. It is the publishers that are pricing things in an effort to get professors to transition to electronic resources that cost the publisher almost nothing to generate and where there is no possibility of a secondary market (they do away with the used textbook market that cuts into their profits). The profit margin is a lot higher for the electronic materials and they can be sure to sell it to every student-students can’t resell it. Not liking to be manipulated by publishing companies, many professors are steering away from textbooks (and the electronic versions of them).
Can you get the physical book from the library? I think it’s less trees to cut down, more Eco-conscious.
I know profs who don’t even bother ordering books to the local stores anymore because no one buys it there. I’m sure there’s a physical copy you can buy somewhere.
The high school I work at is moving towards all e-books. In the next few years, none of the books we use will be available in other formats.
It’s the way of the world, for any number of reasons-- environmental consciousness, lower cost, the ability to update material, the ability to choose what material is in the text.
Personally, I prefer a paper textbook. But that’s not he way of the world. So, like everyone else, I’m adapting to a changing world.
Alternatively, an instructor can used a legitimately free on-line textbook.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1289172-big-savings-for-u-s-students-in-open-source-book-program.html
Textbooks are now really small encyclopedias that don’t facilitate learning. Move to primary articles in peer reviewed journals (science) and original works (humanities). Having students memorize tons of facts in textbooks makes no sense and does not really teach students very much. Reading primary sources and peer reviewed articles is what most fields are all about anyway.
My kids never buy from the college bookstore anyway prices are too high. They look for good prices online, or rent from Chegg. After 1st semester they often found an older student who would sell or even give their books to them.
For the most advanced courses that are at the frontiers of knowledge, that makes sense and is done.
However, introductory and intermediate level foundational courses are a different story. Newton’s Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica and Leibniz’ papers may be great for learning the history of calculus and physics, but may not be the optimal materials for students to learn calculus and physics from.
Textbooks are largely unnecessary for any level. They may still be useful as a resource-as an encyclopedia but rarely as the primary means to learn about a topic. There may be exceptions-but a move away from textbooks and from the publishers resources that digest the material even further is a good thing, Too much pablum isn’t healthy!
There is often no way around buying the electronic version as some assignments or quizzes required the code. Both my kids have run into this, and the codes are expensive.
Yeah, if they are assigned there is not way around it.
I am fine with it. The world has moved to digital…even latecomers like healthcare and perhaps even late to the party education are rapidly moving away from ink on paper. It should not be a challenge for today’s college students. There are still work around options but it is a skill, reading digitally, challenged students should work on mastering.
For my D, the school negotiated with publishers to get the best deal on ebooks. She got a couple books like that this year and it comes with the access code for 1-4 years that may be required in some classes too. It is actually cheaper than buying used particularly if you need to buy the access code separately. In that case, the school do not make you buy the ebook, they just offer a cheaper option. Nevertheless, many classes may have a course pack, in digital format or not, that you can only buy from them and are often required.
Textbook may or may not be neccessary. Some classes may assign homework directly from the book that even older or international edition may not work.
I don’t like e-texts because I mark up the text a lot as I read.
Most textbooks exist in some version or another in the library or for sale through used book stores. If you can’t find the book there, get a couple reams of paper and a cheap printer, and print out the sections of the book as you need to read it.
What I can say is that college students with limited funds, love e-text. The e-textbook can be anywhere from 50-70% of the hardcover book. A lot of the e-text can be gotten for free online, totally eliminating expensive textbook costs in some cases. It is very easy to carry around a laptop (or e-Reader) with all your textbooks than backpack with the physical textbooks.