Are textbooks still a thing?
I know many courses require a textbook, and mine are no exception. However I've found that in my field (computer art) a lot of times textbooks can be technical, boring, or somewhat confusing. I don't think I've ever referred a student to the book when a question came up, finding face-to-face instruction and an animated visual demo succeeding far better than the written words. Does this happen for anyone else?
James,
I think this is very wise on your part. You are helping the students to gain a solid foundation from the text as it relates to the historical information. Your use of current materials as supplements help to keep the students on top of the field so they are getting the latest information that is available.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The basic textbook in my field was first conceived and written almost 20 years ago. At that time, it was revolutionary for its clarity and comprehensive discussion of the structure of our business.
Unfortunately, technological changes in the field have made the original approach seem outdated. The author has revised the book several times and the latest version attempts to grapple with the fundamental changes to the business model.
However, there are still a lot of legacy concepts in the text and no one has stepped up to write a textbook that leaves all the outdated concepts behind (mostly because no one yet understands how the technological changes will impact our business long-term).
I supplement the textbook with a lot of current material but present the textbook as an historical document that explains why the established players in our field see the changes in our business the way they do.
It may be cheaper, but many students prefer the actual books. With a physical book, they can easily flip to a specific section, highlight/underline, make notes, place a bookmark/sticky note on an important page, etc..
Maybe this will change in the future, but I really hope not.
Melissa,
I agree. I teach some Doctoral Seminars and I teach them this way. The discussions are very rich as a result of the current information and cases we covered. Everyone is involved and gains different perspectives as a result of this delivery method.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I often find that in certain courses that are taught in a seminar format, that current events and relevant news articles about the content tend to be more relevant and interesting to the students than relying on a text book.
Robert,
There is not a specific guideline since decisions about content are field based. Generally around three years for most subjects would be the life of a textbook. Most new editions of textbooks come out every five years.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
but how long should you keep a text book before the info is outdated?
Sarah,
What has been your experience with using iPads as teaching tools?
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think it would be cheaper to have the students use Ipads. it would save on paper and books.
William, I think that can be a darned if you do, darned if you don't. By that I think it soley depends on the courses that you teach. I come from a family of educators myself, and they each teach something different. From social sciences to graphic design. Even when I was in nursing school, there was but so much that a book could teach us on taking vitals and drawing blood, these were mainly learned and perfected through the practicing of the technique. But technique can't show us social change. So they are still valid, but I think that it does depend on the course.
Megan,
See there is value in hanging onto one's books from college. As you say the value of books have a tendency to increase as the experience of individuals grows and they need additional information to answer challenges in the workplace.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I have found that I have referenced my old textbooks from school while in the job force. I may not have read them as much as I should have when I was in school But I knew where to find the information later in life. In fact they are going to play a big part in my new instructing positions. They offer other review question and explain information in a different way. I am happy I kept my books!
Mike,
Yes in response to your question about letting your students know you are there to help them with the text. Another approach might be for you to provide them with an outline of the reading for a topic so they will know what to focus on rather than just having to try to get through all of the text content and not really understand the application of the content.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I run in to this problem as well. Students at my school really seem discouraged by the prospect of having to read a text book as part of the class. I know that IT books can be very dry, but I have no control over the text that is selected. I'm assuming that I should ask my students if they need help with the text, am I correct in my assumption?
Brian,
Right you are about the use of a text book. It is only one source of information for students. They need to have others so they can use their other learning preferences at different times throughout the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I've found that while textbooks are a great source of information, they should never be used as a standalone tool. As an instructor, I want to ensure I'm reaching out and "touching" as many of my students' senses as possible. As you pointed out, there are other methods of instructions that do this - video, lecture, demonstration, etc. Any of these and more can be used in a complementary fashion with a textbook.
James,
If you provide them with direction as well as a reason for reviewing their text then you increase the value of it to them. This is important task for us to do or soon the students will dismiss the text as having no relevancy to them or the field.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Yes, I have often found that students do not find a physical book exciting and it does not really seem to hold their attention like something visual or tactile. But, I do notice students use certain pages from a text to study and can find atleast one thing interesting from each chapter/section of a text.
Text books are a must with our field. Students get a lot of information from them
