One of the first criteria I employ for selecting a text book is price. Our current department 'common' text goes for $130 which I think is outrageous. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am reviewing Introductory Statistics: Concepts, Models, & Applications. The electronic version of this text sells for $58.50. As a bonus, you can add the paper text to the electronic version and receive both for $67.75. Personally, I feel like this is a pretty good deal.
Of course, the textbook needs to be effective as well. With this in mind, I have been testing the functionality of the electronic text in order to identify advantages of electronic over paper. The AtomicDog Publishing company appears to provide standardized tools for each of their textbooks. One such tool is the 'Learn More' function. This function enables the instructor to add references to additional content within the text. For example, I commonly use YouTube videos in class in order to engage students in meaningful discussion. The electronic text enables me to add a note to particular sections of the text asking students to do additional work beyond the text. For practice, I embedded a note directing students to a specific URL and asked them to view the video so we can discuss in class. The student will then go to the end of the text and notice a '+' sign indicating to them the professor has added content. The students then click on the link the instructor created (and named) and the instructions and URL pop up. I am not sure if you will be able to see this, but I am pasting the URL to the note a student will see:
http://www.atomicdog.com/MyBackpack/ContentDisplay3-0/main.asp?book=ds-5-2-10035&Session=091A90E3-2AC6-4E5B-987F-FD39FBE826BC
Of course, the link name is given a title so they do not see the address as you do. I must say I really like this tool and can see using it in both my UG and Grad courses. See ya!
Wow! That sounds really great, for a number of reasons. Lower cost is certainly a big bonus. But how handy it would be to embed notes and links within a text. First of all, it may engage students more with the reading. It becomes more interactive, and students can interact at the point where it is most effective (right after reading the related text), rather than in class perhaps days after they've done their reading. Second, I would think students would be less likely to just skim (or skip!) the assigned reading if they knew that embedded in that reading were notes that may contain assignments or activities. In an English class, that would be a real bonus. Students often try to skip the reading by watching the movie version of books or reading the Spark Notes. Have you used this tool yet, or is is something you've just started exploring? If you've used it, what has been the student response? I wonder if you can get literature texts...I'll have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds good! Linking other outside sources into the reading would be a huge benefit! I just had a conversation with my sister about textbooks because she really likes the one that she is using in her Spanish class because of all the extra resources online (not the same as the ones you mentioned). The only hesitation I have with electronic textbooks (don't get me wrong...I would love to save paper and money!) is that I have trouble reading long texts on the computer. The screen can give me a headache sometimes. Is there a way around this?
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