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Are Textbooks Obsolete?Where should schools be focusing their spending?
Alexander Sturges & Christina Thames
In an increasingly digital world, should schools still be spending money on printed textbooks, or should they begin to funnel their funds into newer, more interactive eTextbooks?
The issue at hand…
vs.
Pros Cons
Don’t have to pump funds into technology
Contain outdated material
Convenient for teachers and students
Used for many years
Many are comfortable with traditional model
Expensive
Cheaper to replace Not making use of tech. opportunities
Sticking with Print
Uncited information is supported by multiple sources.
Pros Cons
Offer a wide array of possibilities Its novelty fades fast
Appealing and engaging to students Easier to break / Expensive to replace
Cheaper and sometimes free sources
Potentially distracting
Easier to hold/carry Not as manipulative as paper texts
Going Digital
Uncited information is supported by multiple sources.
So which one is actually better for
learning?
We support the transition to digital textbooks; however, there are some caveats to our argument.
Digital textbooks should be more broadly defined, rather than just digital versions of printed texts. They should include additional content such as classroom management systems, online connectivity, and multimedia content for them to be worth the shift.
Not all printed sources should be eliminated from the classroom. We should strike a balance and consider the needs of individual subject areas.
Our Position
Lack of supporting research that it actually is better (Hu, 2011; Hollander, 2012)
Many eTextbooks require yearly subscription updates
Many schools lack the technological infrastructure and funding to support
Further the digital divide and widen the gap between rich and poor
High learning curve for teachers eTextbook compatibility issues: “Faculty will find
themselves faced with the prospect of selecting course readings based on their compatibility with a particular device rather than on the suitability of the material for the course” (Streitfeld, 2012).
What if the system goes down?
The Other Side of the CoinDisadvantages of Going Digital
Uncited information is supported by multiple sources.
Many now come with digital supplementary materials
Replacement cost: Textbooks—$100 vs. Laptops—$300
Provide students a valuable, reliable, & convenient source of information
Act as a valuable reference source for teachers
Many students prefer the ease of skimming and locating passages in paper texts
Paper is better than the screen—Cambridge and UVA research (Williams, 2012)
The Other Side of the Coin (cont.)Advantages of Printed Textbooks
Uncited information is supported by multiple sources.
E-readers are lighter and easier to carry than textbooks
Easy to search, distribute, & transmit information eTextbooks can be easily updated with new info Can save schools $12.2 billion annually—or
$250/student (Electronista, 2012) Improves the learning process with interactive
material and multimedia content Appeals to the “digitally nimble youth” (Lewin,
2009) eBooks streamline the school enrollment process Apple & Obama
Our Side of the CoinAdvantages of Going Digital
Uncited information is supported by multiple sources.
Textbooks are outdated before their ink even dries
The same texts are used for 7-10 years Easily damaged, heavy, and large Present information as finite, linear, and rote Do not engage students in authentic learning US spends $8 billion annually on printed
textbooks (Hefling, 2012) Teachers have moved beyond the model of
simply teaching to the text
Our Side of the CoinDisadvantages of Printed Textbooks
Uncited information is supported by multiple sources.
At the district level, schools systems should pull together committees within content areas to assess which format (digital or not) would best serve each individual content area. A blanket policy is not going to help anybody.
Schools need to make to sure that they have the infrastructure (tech & personnel) to support wider technology use before spending money on devices or e-resources.
It’s probably best that students experience a healthy balance of both print and digital sources—we cannot disregard the value of printed texts solely based on the expansion of digital technology, but it is equally important to provide students ample opportunity to engage with this technology.
Our Recommendations
Bibliography