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Northwest and McGraw-Hill Conduct Major eBook Trial

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 03/16/09

A large public university e-text research trial is currently being conducted by Northwest Missouri State University and McGraw-Hill Education. The purpose of the test is to examine the potential for replacing students' printed textbooks with electronic versions. The preliminary phase of this study ended in December 2008 and involved four classes and about 200 students. This second phase involves 10 departments and 500 students. Initial results are expected by mid-April 2009.

"As we look ahead to the university's ever-growing operational costs, especially in today's challenging economic environment, we see ebooks as a proactive solution to address the considerable expense associated with higher education," said Dean Hubbard, Northwest's president. In a statement, the institution said ebooks typically cost about half as much as traditional printed textbooks.

In the second phase of the pilot program, the students download the McGraw-Hill e-books using VitalSource Bookshelf, an application for reading, managing, and interacting with digital content.

"We will be collecting data and evaluating responses from our students and faculty to determine both their satisfaction with the ebook format and the effectiveness of ebooks as teaching and learning tools," Hubbard said. "In addition, McGraw-Hill is making digital access codes available to up to 3,000 students who are taking courses based on a McGraw-Hill textbook. Those students have the choice of either using a traditional book or downloading the electronic material."

The ebook format allows students to highlight, search contents, share notes with classmates, create personal study guides, and print sections.

Hubbard said that if Northwest should decide to move forward with an ebook-only environment, the substitution of electronic learning materials for printed books could begin as early as fall 2009. Adoption would likely begin with a selected group of courses or disciplines, and additional academic programs would be added until most printed content was replaced by ebooks. The university has 7,000 students.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a writer who covers technology and business for a number of publications. Contact her at dian@dischaffhauser.com.

Comments

Tue, Aug 16, 2011 TRX http://www.123ebookdownload.com/category/Design-and-Graphics-Ebooks-Download/

Publishers are telling readers that the physical book isn't worth anything and that the entire value is in the story.Except when a writer's cut of a book's cover price is determined. Then the value of the story is minimal.As you said, that's another matter.While the view that the story is the entire value of a book is flattering to the writer,that's not the way that readers see it.To readers, e-book cost nothing to produce. Publishers know that isn't true.Writers know it too. But try to convince the general public of that. As far as readers are concerned,the incremental cost to produce more copies of an e-book is zero.So the readers expect an eBook to be priced less than a physical book. The real costs have nothing to do with it. http://www.123ebookdownload.com/category/Design-and-Graphics-Ebooks-Download/ DOT

Mon, Jun 29, 2009

According to McGraw Hill's site for other e-content, as well as VitalSource's for existing content, it is highly likely that these e-texts will NOT be available to read on handheld readers, such as the Kindle. In order to access the books, VitalSource requires students to run a program (VitalSource Bookshelf) that is compatible with their DRM implementation. The major publishers as yet have not come up with a textbook solution for the new handheld readers. With the relative newness of the Kindle DX, the limitations of the handheld reader formats, and the draconian terms that Amazon and other companies demand as a digital content provider to publishers, there is some doubt as to how quickly the publishers will embrace the device as a viable textbook platform.

Thu, Mar 19, 2009 Maggie Brevard County, FL

Is this similar to a Kindle or is this a stand alone software program that would be downloaded onto a computer?

Tue, Mar 17, 2009 Jane Kavanaugh Vincennes University

Is there a list of ebooks available or a list of books available in pdf files? These would be very good for students with learning problems who had assistive technology available.

Tue, Mar 17, 2009 Paul Bohman

I will also ask the question: will the ebooks be accessible to screen readers? To keyboard-only users? To users with other disability-related needs? Will the books be accessible to all?

Tue, Mar 17, 2009 A. Colyer Graham PSU

Ditto M Puchalski's query - it would be critical that such online resources be created in compliance with accessibility standards. Ensuring access for all students is important!

Tue, Mar 17, 2009

I am planning on using e-textbook in my genetics class this fall. The technology has progreassed so that students can annotate with comments from study group discussions, as well as insert hyperlinks to documents such as e-copies of primary literature. I've watched this technology develop and there are major advantages.

Tue, Mar 17, 2009 Daisy DuBose TCCD NE, Hurst, TX

I am very interested in knowing if you will be doing the keyboarding Lessons 1 - 20 and the Cortez SkillBuilding texts. I use both of these books for my classes.

Tue, Mar 17, 2009 M Puchalski Bucks COunty Community College

Is the format of the e-book and reader software ADA compliant?

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