The Gift of Choice
Student Sample
Strayer University
Prof Teacher
Date
The Gift of Choice
Like the “choose your own adventure” stories popular in students’ childhood, the debate on whether to use traditional or e-textbooks comes down to the concept of choice. Readers who could control the story through their choices allowed for a sense of interaction with the characters and the events that followed. A similar pathway is available for learners in the college classroom today.
E-textbooks are not going away. This is not a technology that appears, burns brightly, and fades from the view like so many social media platforms and technological trends of the past twenty years. According to Denoyelles, Raible, and Seilhamer (2015), “Over half of American college students have used an e-textbook in at least one course” (p. 2). At the fundamental level, e-textbooks offer a new way of interacting with learning material that can truly enhance the way a learner is able to learn and master content for a given class. Unfortunately, this mastery can be hindered by a variety of factors including technological skill level, reading comprehension on-screen versus on a printed page, and even the teaching ability of a professor (and that person’s engagement with the e-textbook tool). These variables make it difficult for a student to access the course material and that causes a disconnect with the class.
The solution is to give students taking a course a choice when possible. When provided a choice between a traditional textbook and an e-textbook, students take an active role in their learning and that empowers said students to be more responsible for their own progress. Some students may enjoy the immersive style that an e-textbook provides while others feel the experience is overly produced. These students may perform better in the course if given the option to interact with the material on their own terms through a printed copy. Choosing our own educational adventure will lead students to higher engagement with the course and allows for a well rounded educational experience.
In her paper published in the International Journal of Humanities and Arts Computing, Deanna Marcum (2014) said, “More than twenty percent of American adults surveyed had read an e-book in the previous year, and one-third of adults owned at least one e-reading device. Forty-three percent had read electronic content in some long form, such as magazines, journals, and newspapers as well as e-books, and to do so they used an e-book reader, tablet computer, desk computer, or cell phone” (p. 1). This growing contingent of people who interact with an e-book on a regular basis is a good baseline to discuss choice within the college classroom. Instructors cannot simply ignore the growing population of students who want to digitally explore their course content.
Not everyone feels that the e-textbook is the way to go. Elizabeth Dobler (2014) makes some interesting points about those who favor e-textbooks. She says, “Some students relish the opportunity to read a textbook on their mobile device, easing the transition between learning and digitally staying in touch with others. Still others wonder if the multimedia elements of an e-textbook will make learning easier and help them better understand what appears in the print text” (p. 482). This passage is important because it shows a prevailing attitude among younger, more tech savvy students that e-textbooks open up worlds that merely reading from a page cannot. Being able to see a topic from multiple angles can lead to a more rounded learning experience (similar to the way people interact with social media sites like Facebook).
What happens if the professor allows the students to choose their own learning path? Will students be biased based on their age or other variables? These questions were addressed in a study conducted in 2013 by Chulkov and VanAlstine. They explained that “No significant results were found to support a link between textbook selection and gender, age, or major” (p. 218). The results conclude that students did indeed make their selection of textbook format based solely on their belief that one method would be better for them and not because of any other variables. This reinforces the idea that e-textbooks are not favored solely by younger, more technically experienced students and that the method will work for all demographics.
E-textbooks are not for every student. Marcum (2014) said, “Online learning is a disruptive technology. We can expect to see many changes in higher education in the future. These challenging times are also times of extraordinary opportunity” (p. 10). It is disruptive because it is different and many people fear what they do not know. What is more common is often what people choose and traditional textbooks are more common so that is what many students will choose.
Students that prefer a physical textbook can be given the opportunity to learn the way they are most comfortable if they are offered the gift of choice. In 2008, Gregory found that many people preferred to have a book in their hands. It was noted that “Reading from a hard copy, of course, corresponds to the tactile quality of traditional books. Interestingly, student responses revealed a desire for the physical aspect a book provides, using language such as ‘hold’ and ‘tangible’ for reasons why they preferred a physical book to the digital format” (p. 270). Freedom of choice gives the chance to these individuals so they can learn and grow.
In addition to the observations above, Gregory also thought that the choice of a traditional textbook instead of an e-textbook may involve some amount of unplugging for students. Instead of staying on the computer for yet another part of their lives, students could choose to go analog with their studies as a means of living in the real world. It was also a way for students to “vary their information intake in such a heavily online, hi-tech culture” (Gregory, 2008, p. 270). I often find myself wanting to digitally detox so this makes complete sense for many students in modern society.
Opening up the choice for students best serves the student population as a whole. It is noted that “Making a variety of textbook formats available gives students options for meeting their preferences and learning needs and supports the potential for improving student learning” (Dobler, 2015, p. 485). At the end of the day, our schools and universities have a responsibility to teach students and to unlock their potential. This responsibility is best met by allowing students to grow and change in the environment that gives them the best chance to succeed. This makes all the difference in schools doing what they need to in order to have graduates who can be successful in whatever career they choose.
What about classes that are designed to have an online feature integrated into the course and that has assessments (assignments, quizzes, or other things) tied to it? An offline version (or print version) of these types of books is often not possible or very helpful. That means in these instances there can be no choice offered to students as the course itself requires that interaction. The courses that use these forms of e-textbook often do provide students with the opportunity to have a printed out version of the book but it is really more of an afterthought than a tangible way to reach people who prefer to hold the book instead. As education trends towards this type of book, students will need to become more tech savvy to keep up with that trend.
So here is the ultimate conclusion: student choice of textbooks gives the best chances for success when possible. A well rounded educational experience relies on things like interest, interaction, engagement with the material, and a positive attitude. Students who are given the choice of textbook feel like they are involved in their education and have a sense of empowerment. This sense of empowerment leads them to be more proactive about their work and gives them the best possible scenario for connecting with the material and the professor. The next time you teach a class and give the students a textbook, be sure to think of all students (not just traditional ones or non-traditional ones) and pick the chance to give them the choice. Empower the students and they will be successful now and in the future.
References
Chulkov, D. V., & VanAlstine, J. (2013). College Student Choice Among Electronic and Printed Textbook Options. Journal of Education for Business, 88, 216-22. doi:10.1080/08832323.2012.672936
Webpage: http://er.educause.edu/articles/2015/7/exploring-students-etextbook-practices-in-higher-education
Gregory, C. L. (2008). “But I Want a Real Book.” Referene & User Services Quarterly, 47(3), 266-273.
Dobler, E. (March 2015). E-Textbooks: A Personalized Learning Experience or a Digital Distraction? Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 58(6), 482-91. doi:10.1002/jaal.391
Marcum, Deanna. (2014). Digital transformations: The digital transformation of information, education, and scholarship. International Journal of Humanities and Arts Computing 8 (2014) Supplement: 1–11 DOI: 10.3366/ijhac.2014.0095
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