Five years later: A survey of state textbook reform

A survey was conducted to follow up the activities of a national project to improve the quality of textbooks available in American schools. The survey found that reform efforts have affected textbook policy in the adoption states throughout the country; nonadoption states, for the most part, have not addressed problems with textbooks. Changes in the adoption states are more incremental than dramatic; more diverse than focused; more in keeping with state cultures than national in character. Certain trends, however, indicate that policy makers continue to believe that their actions can improve the textbooks used in their schools. There is evidence that the adoption processes are increasingly focused on qualitive judgments about books being made by better-prepared and better-supported selectors. In addition, the adoption processes themselves are becoming less constraining on local district decision making through a variety of mechanisms.     

Impact of censorship cases on basal reader selection and reading curriculum

Censorship cases in Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee received international media attention. The events surrounding these cases at times became very violent and involved many methods of personal and professional intimidation. Informal survey techniques were used to assess the extent to which these cases would affect the local selection of basal reading textbooks. The results are reported here, along with recommendations for teachers publishers, and others interested in intellectual freedom. Patricia P. Fritchie is associate professor of education and director of the Reading Center at Troy State University-Dothan. She serves as state coordinator, Alabama Reading Association, for the International Reading Association. Dr. Fritchie is very active in textbook reviews and has served on the State of Alabama's Textbook adoption Committee.     

Training preservice teachers to analyze and evaluate textbooks

Learning how to evaluate reading texts should be an important part of preservice training. This study used a simulated textbook selection process to compare differences in the consistency of experimental and control groups in evaluating textbooks. The experimental groups, who were required to define their criteria operationally, were more consistent in their evaluations than the control group, who used traditional checklists. Jacqueline C. Comas is assistant professor of education at the University of Florida in Gainesville where she teaches courses in language arts and children's literature. She is a former classroom teacher, has served as a reading consultant, a reading/language arts supervisor, and has worked with textbook adoption committees for the improvement of instructional materials since the late 1970s.     

Will Library E-Books Help Solve the Textbook Affordability Issue? Using Textbook Adoption Lists to Target Collection Development

In response to rising textbook costs, many have urged adoption of open educational resources (OER) for students. However, library-owned e-books also provide free access to students, without the potential disadvantages of OER. In this study the authors explore the suitability of e-books as textbooks by examining the social sciences textbook list in Fall 2017 at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). Overall, 18% of the textbooks were available as a multi-user format and this rate increased with course level. Despite their limited availability, multi-user e-books provide a free, convenient option for students, and they may play a role in the textbook affordability solution.     

Incentivizing faculty for open educational resources (OER) adoption and open textbook authoring

This survey assessed the experiences of faculty who participated in a textbook affordability program at Rutgers University. The program provided incentive awards in exchange for replacing commercial textbooks with affordable course materials such as open educational resources (OER), self-developed course materials, course reserves, or library-licensed content. The survey collected faculty's perceptions about the award program, experiences with OER, and interest in open textbook authoring. Responses suggest that the program is well received and that funds are adequate for adopting new course materials. However, they also indicate that even participating faculty vary greatly in their knowledge and use of OER and their interest in authoring open textbooks. Ultimately, these survey results indicate the lack of a “one size fits all” approach to incentivizing the adoption of affordable course materials, the use of OER, and the creation of new open resources.     

Trends Influencing the Growth of Digital Textbooks in US Higher Education

Over the next 5 years, digital textbook sales in the United States will surpass 25% of combined new textbook sales for the Higher Education and Career Education markets. Moreover, we expect digital to be the dominant form factor in Higher Education textbooks inside of 7 years. This growth in digital textbooks will boost revenues in excess of $1.5 billion within 5 years (Private: Digital Textbooks Reach the Tipping Point in the US Higher Education—A Revised 5-Year Projection). This growth will also create avenues for new digital product models, allow new content publishers to enter the textbook market, lead to fundamental shifts in purchasing patterns around learning materials, and expedite the formal adoption of open educational resources to augment premium digital content.     

Of cultures and compromises: Publishers,textbooks, and the academy

Relationships between professors as textbook authors and publishing houses as textbook producers have always been fragile. L. Kathy Heilenman examines this relationship and describes how current changes in the climate of universities and in the structure of publishing houses have converged to render this relationship more than usaually problematic. She concludes with suggestions for restructuring the relationship so as to encourage the production of high-quality, innovative textbooks in a partnership between publishers and professors. L. Kathy Heilenman teaches French at the University of Iowa and is one of the authors ofVoilà! a first-year college-level French textbook.     

Student Attitudes and Behaviors Towards Digital Textbooks

The purpose of this article is to add to the collective body of knowledge on student behavior and attitudes relative to the adoption of digital textbooks. The article summarizes an ongoing research project that examines past, current and evolving behavior in the classroom related to digital textbooks and school. It includes students, faculty and administrative attitudes behaviors and perceptions. This research was undertaken at the Sawyer Business School of Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts. Student attitudes and behavior toward their use of digital textbooks (eTextbooks) in higher education was examined in an ongoing longitudinal study over two years at Sawyer Business School, Suffolk University. Students in the class were divided into six teams. Five of the teams were assigned an eTextbook device and the sixth team was given a paper textbook for use through the semester. The digital technologies examined were: Amazon Kindle, Sony eReader Touch, Apple iPad, enTourage eDGe, and CourseSmart. Student attitudes and behaviors were examined pre and post class by survey each semester, and during the semesters through quizzes, journals and classroom discussion. Differential learning was measured between the six teams. Student attitudes and behaviors are becoming more receptive to and accepting of using digital textbooks each year. There was no significant difference in learning between the eTextbook devices teams or between them and the paper textbook team.     

高等教育教材出版面临的形势、问题及发展思路探析

为了全面提升服务教育强国、文化强国的能力和水平,以高质量教材体系助力教育改革发展,文章对我国高等教育教材出版面临的形势和问题进行了分析,结合出版单位在新形态教材和教材体系建设方面所做的探索,提出新时期高等教育出版要加强教学研究,培养专业化教材建设队伍;强化整体规划和过程管理,完善教材出版服务工作;依托在线开放课程探索教材建设新机制,构建完备科学的教材体系。     

Connecting adjuncts to the library: Hosting online sessions to increase awareness of OER,E-books,and other library resources

In Fall 2021, librarians at Florida Gulf Coast University partnered with the campus faculty development center to host a one-hour online instructional session for adjunct instructors to increase their awareness of e-books, OER, and other library resources, for the purpose of reducing textbook costs for students as well as enhancing course content. In order to host a session that was tailored to the attendees' knowledge threshold and interests, the librarians asked session attendees to complete a questionnaire before and after the session. The results of the pre-session and post-session questionnaire indicate that adjuncts are eager to connect with the library and have a high interest in accessing a variety of resources, including OER. Although the main objective of the study was to promote adoption of OER and zero-cost textbooks, the authors encourage other librarians to promote OER adoption holistically and within the context of all of the library's resources and services. This approach is especially critical for adjuncts, who are still on a “learning curve” and are unaware of all the services and resources the library has to offer.     

Open Source Textbooks: A Paradigm Derived from Open Source Software

This work exposes a new paradigm for the creation and publication of textbooks: open source. The phrase open source is borrowed from the computer software industry, where the word source has a technical meaning explained in this paper; open source software is software which has been developed by many collaborators using the internet to produce a final product. The contributors receive no financial compensation, yet there have been many successful open source software projects (Linux, Open Office, Apache, etc.). Open source textbooks use a similar financial model; the authors and contributors receive no direct financial compensation for their work. Contributors are listed in the produced work as primary author(s), co-authors, contributors, minor contributors, etc. according to the magnitude of their contribution. The produced work is available free for users on the internet. This paper will explain the open source process and will provide justification for open source as an effective paradigm; it will also present some existing open source textbook projects, as well as the author’s own open source textbook project.     

教材出版发行招投标中的问题浅析

随着市场不断规范,教材图书质量不断提高,但是为降低价格、打破行业垄断的中小学教材出版发行招投标政策,经过三轮试点,仍没有达到预期效果,本文结合试点中暴露出的问题提出政策有待完善的地方.     

Data-informed open education advocacy: A new approach to saving students money and backaches

The North Carolina State University Libraries has long recognized the financial burden textbook costs place on students. By crosswalking information on use of our textbook collection with textbook cost and course enrollment data, we have begun to map the environment for textbook use at the university and identified opportunities for faculty outreach in promoting alternatives to traditional textbooks, including our Alt-Textbook program. This article describes our programs, our investigation of textbook use patterns, and how we are using these data to inform our practice.     

Conduit http://www.conduit.com

Open access textbooks (OATs) and educational resources (OERs) are being lauded as a viable alternative to costly print textbooks. Some academic libraries are joining the OER movement by creating guides to open repositories. Others are promoting OATs and OERs, reviewing them, and even helping to create them. This article analyzes how academic libraries are currently engaged in open access textbook and OER initiatives. By drawing on examples of library initiatives across the United States, the author illustrates how libraries are facilitating the adoption and implementation of these affordable resources.     

Language adaptations: Award-winning children’s literature in basal textbook readers

One frequent complaint about basal readers is that, when they adapt high-quality literature, they make pointless simplifications that significantly detract from the value of the original stories. This article reports a study of adaptations of award-winning stories for three grade levels. The results suggest strongly that, at least during the past fifteen years, these complaints are unjustified. Jacqueline C. Comas is assistant professor of education at the University of Florida in Gainesville where she teaches courses in language arts and children's literature. She is a former classroom teacher, has served as a reading consultant, a reading/language arts supervisor, and has worked with textbook adoption committees for the improvement of instructional materials since the late 1970s.     

三种清末修身教科书版本考

梳理考证清末修身教科书的版本源流,对教科书文本研究、教科书出版史研究甚至教科书的思想研究有重要意义。文章围绕《蒙学修身教科书》《初级蒙学修身教科书》《初等小学修身教科书》,对这三种清末修身教科书的编纂、出版及版本情况进行梳理,以期厘清源流,辨别版本。     

开明书店与教科书出版

本文首先分析民国时期教科书出版发行的市场环境和政府政策,简要指出开明书店教科书出版过程;然后统计并分析了开明书店教科书出版数量、类别和特点,着重分析《开明活页文选》、《开明英文读本》和《开明算学教本》等教科书;最后分析开明书店编辑教育理念及教育实践的情况。     

晚清及民国时期教科书版权立法述论

针对晚清至民国期间,教科书版权保护力度逐渐增强,著作者权益逐步受到关注,教科书版权立法逐步完善这一版权制度化历程,指出版权立法作为近代教科书制度建设的有力工具,对促进教科书近代化意义深远,可为当前教科书版权立法提供历史的借鉴。     

教材出版转型机制与实践探索

文章以上海科学技术出版社推出的“上海中小学新科学新技术创新课程”为例,探讨出版单位应立足市场需求,发挥传统教材的出版优势,探索教材改革的转型发展。在详细介绍项目实施过程的基础上,总结提炼出教材出版的课程化、服务化、数字化体系的实施路径和应用效果,并进一步阐述转型探索为教材出版带来了新的发展机遇。     

E-books for the Classroom and Open Access Textbooks: Two Ways to Help Students Save Money on Textbooks

ABSTRACT

To help students withstand the rising cost of textbooks and in turn support the mission of student success, the University of South Florida (USF) has implemented two electronic resources–based initiatives as part of the Tampa Library’s Textbook Affordability Project. Through the E-books for the Classroom program, the library purchases electronic versions of texts required for coursework, providing equitable access to needed materials at no cost to the students. For the past 5 years, this program has evolved into a highly successful textbook affordability measure, acquiring hundreds of e-books and serving thousands of students. Additionally, the library, with the support of the Office of the Provost and in collaboration with Innovative Education, is publishing a faculty-authored multimedia Open Access textbook to be used by hundreds of students each semester in USF’s children’s literature courses. The USF institutional repository, Scholar Commons, will host the textbook, making it freely available on a global scale. This program effectively uses library expertise and skills, coordinating university-wide faculty, professional, and technical resources, to create library-as-publisher for the benefit of the students and textbook affordability.