Philosophy
One of my projects for the summer is working on a philosophy of science textbook I've been developing bit by bit for a few years now.
It is one of the world's worst kept secrets that textbooks, required for virtually every course, tend not to be all that helpful to students. I can't count the number of times I've heard students tell me, "I tried to read the book, but I just don't get it" or "I only understand it when it is explained in class." I don't know how much of this is a result of (1) students lying and having not really read the textbook, hoping to be spoon fed the information instead of doing the hard work themselves (2) instead of active reading, students merely skimming the textbook and not really sitting down and reading carefully, working through problems, outlining arguments,..., or (3) textbooks not being a successful pedagogical vehicle.
My concern is the last one. Everyone who writes a textbook goes into the project thinking that this one will be different. This is going to be the textbook that succeeds in being clear, engaging, and instructive. And, of course, most fail to meet that expectation.
So what is it about textbooks that you really hate and what examples can you think of that made a textbook successful? What should I avoid and what should I try to include?
- The Price Of Textbooks
Few would dispute that the cost of college textbooks is out of control. I regularly have students come in to beg a desk copy because they have run into financial problems and simply cannot afford to drop the outrageous amounts that are charged. On the...
- College Book Rental Experiment
This might be a good idea especially for those required courses where the required books have little appeal beyond what is necessary to fulfill graduation requirements. "Textbook Publisher to Rent to College Students" by Tamar Lewin August 14th, 2009...
- Texts Books At Usc...more Problems
Currently, there is no answer. "Textbook prices are a formidable foe" by Torey Van Oot January 15th, 2009 Daily Trojan Venture to the third floor of Pertusati University Bookstore this week and you'll likely find most of the students roaming the...
- College Textbook Issue Again--studies
Full text and accompanying material for the May 2007 report "Turn the Page: Making College Textbooks More Affordable." Topics discussed include strengthening the market for used textbooks, increasing library resources, adopting alternatives that lower...
- Higher Education And The Science Textbook Issue
I have been reviewing some student emails and there have been numerous references to a school's science textbooks. There appears to be some issue with them. A number of students have complained that they are inadequate in that they fall short in understandable...
Philosophy
Textbooks
One of my projects for the summer is working on a philosophy of science textbook I've been developing bit by bit for a few years now.
It is one of the world's worst kept secrets that textbooks, required for virtually every course, tend not to be all that helpful to students. I can't count the number of times I've heard students tell me, "I tried to read the book, but I just don't get it" or "I only understand it when it is explained in class." I don't know how much of this is a result of (1) students lying and having not really read the textbook, hoping to be spoon fed the information instead of doing the hard work themselves (2) instead of active reading, students merely skimming the textbook and not really sitting down and reading carefully, working through problems, outlining arguments,..., or (3) textbooks not being a successful pedagogical vehicle.
My concern is the last one. Everyone who writes a textbook goes into the project thinking that this one will be different. This is going to be the textbook that succeeds in being clear, engaging, and instructive. And, of course, most fail to meet that expectation.
So what is it about textbooks that you really hate and what examples can you think of that made a textbook successful? What should I avoid and what should I try to include?
- The Price Of Textbooks
Few would dispute that the cost of college textbooks is out of control. I regularly have students come in to beg a desk copy because they have run into financial problems and simply cannot afford to drop the outrageous amounts that are charged. On the...
- College Book Rental Experiment
This might be a good idea especially for those required courses where the required books have little appeal beyond what is necessary to fulfill graduation requirements. "Textbook Publisher to Rent to College Students" by Tamar Lewin August 14th, 2009...
- Texts Books At Usc...more Problems
Currently, there is no answer. "Textbook prices are a formidable foe" by Torey Van Oot January 15th, 2009 Daily Trojan Venture to the third floor of Pertusati University Bookstore this week and you'll likely find most of the students roaming the...
- College Textbook Issue Again--studies
Full text and accompanying material for the May 2007 report "Turn the Page: Making College Textbooks More Affordable." Topics discussed include strengthening the market for used textbooks, increasing library resources, adopting alternatives that lower...
- Higher Education And The Science Textbook Issue
I have been reviewing some student emails and there have been numerous references to a school's science textbooks. There appears to be some issue with them. A number of students have complained that they are inadequate in that they fall short in understandable...