With the price of textbooks increasing, the University of Wisconsin is teaming up with other colleges and institutions to explore and assess the usefulness of digital learning tools like e-textbooks.
In an effort to stray away from the usage of sometimes costly textbooks that UW students currently purchase, the eText Pilot program assigns the purchase of e-textbooks to be used via the web.
The program is currently being run through five UW classes this fall including Human Development 321, Circuit Analysis 230, Philosophy 211 and Marketing Management 300.
UW spokesperson John Lucas said he is very optimistic about the results of the program. According to Lucas, the university has taken an interest in e-books for a number of possible positive outcomes, but especially because the average price of textbooks has been increasing by about $680 per student per year over the past decade.
“Not only would e-books be less cumbersome and have potential learning benefits, but if they were a better cost also, it could be a good option,” Lucas said. “Especially if [the e-books] can do the job with the same, or better, material for less cost.”
Lucas added the e-books could become more beneficial than traditional textbooks with the ever-growing technology industry as more people are using iPads, Kindles and phones to read documents.
However, engineering professor Michael Morrow, who teaches the Circuit Analysis 230 class, finds both positives and negatives in the eText program.
Among the positives, Morrow said the program includes a new potential for collaboration among students and editors, which could provide for better learning and an easier way to carry and access course material.
Morrow added it will likely help alleviate the problem of high textbook prices because only half the cost of the book needs to be paid to purchase the version accessible online.
However, Morrow is also aware of some restrictions presented by the program.
“For most e-texts, the right to access them is lost between six months to a year, which is a serious problem in engineering because the students need references,” Morrow said.
According to Morrow, the purpose of participating in trial programs such as the eText Pilot program and a similar e-textbook program UW participated in during the spring of 2012 is to ensure the success of e-textbooks before they are used on a wider scale.
Lucas said for the program to be a viable alternative to traditional textbooks, several criteria must also be met to ensure its effectiveness.
“Two things that need to be considered are that the same learning outcomes still need to be achieved using the e-books, and that they are fully accessible to everyone,” Lucas said.
Lucas added the editors and publishers of textbooks must continue to be taken into consideration when purchasing textbooks. While the e-books would cost less than traditional textbooks, the editor’s need to be paid for his work must be respected, he said.
