Spring Break
Courses offer online textbook alternatives
Issue date: 10/9/08
However, another student who wished to remain anonymous was less enthusiastic. "Some of the questions are not related to what is talked about in class," he said. "It makes you worried, because you wonder if you missed something."
Draper acknowledged that there is still some uncertainty about OWL's efficiency.
"It is still too early in the semester to tell just how effective it is," he wrote.
In addition to the use of excerpts on E-Reserves and WebCT and the use of OWL, some professors have found a new way to bring textbooks to students. International Economics Professor Frank Weiss uses the commercially owned Web site aplia.com, which puts entire textbooks as well as supplementary material online.
Aplia has agreements with publishing companies that allow the use of their material. Weiss, senior lecturer and associate chair of the Economics Department, wrote in an e-mail to the News-Letter that said "Aplia made tie-in sales with textbooks . . . So, Aplia makes deals with publishers."
Weiss claimed that the main advantage of Aplia and online textbooks in general is cost. He wrote, "New editions of virtually unchanged textbooks come out very frequently. [The economics textbook] can cost almost $200, something I have always resented and resisted foisting on the students. The Aplia text costs $30 for students. The Aplia homework costs $35, which I was going to require anyway . . . for a total of $65."
The main disadvantage of online textbooks is that students cannot take notes in the margins or highlight significant passages. However, Aplia has a policy that allows students to print out one copy of the textbook.
Weiss stressed the importance of a textbook's quality. He wrote, "I would only have used an online textbook if I thought the textbook [was] good. The medium is secondary."
According to Collier, the library staff and professors continue to work to ensure that their online materials abide by copyright regulations and are helpful to students.
"Cooperation between Library staff and faculty and staff who use learning management systems . . . to support course instruction continues to evolve," she wrote.
Draper acknowledged that there is still some uncertainty about OWL's efficiency.
"It is still too early in the semester to tell just how effective it is," he wrote.
In addition to the use of excerpts on E-Reserves and WebCT and the use of OWL, some professors have found a new way to bring textbooks to students. International Economics Professor Frank Weiss uses the commercially owned Web site aplia.com, which puts entire textbooks as well as supplementary material online.
Aplia has agreements with publishing companies that allow the use of their material. Weiss, senior lecturer and associate chair of the Economics Department, wrote in an e-mail to the News-Letter that said "Aplia made tie-in sales with textbooks . . . So, Aplia makes deals with publishers."
Weiss claimed that the main advantage of Aplia and online textbooks in general is cost. He wrote, "New editions of virtually unchanged textbooks come out very frequently. [The economics textbook] can cost almost $200, something I have always resented and resisted foisting on the students. The Aplia text costs $30 for students. The Aplia homework costs $35, which I was going to require anyway . . . for a total of $65."
The main disadvantage of online textbooks is that students cannot take notes in the margins or highlight significant passages. However, Aplia has a policy that allows students to print out one copy of the textbook.
Weiss stressed the importance of a textbook's quality. He wrote, "I would only have used an online textbook if I thought the textbook [was] good. The medium is secondary."
According to Collier, the library staff and professors continue to work to ensure that their online materials abide by copyright regulations and are helpful to students.
"Cooperation between Library staff and faculty and staff who use learning management systems . . . to support course instruction continues to evolve," she wrote.
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