Professional Development

Print, Online, or Both: The Future of Textbooks

A debate is raging in many school districts across the nation that could remarkably reshape the nature of U.S. education. Is it time to retire the printed textbook? Are e-books a better alternative for student learning, or is a more flexible, hybrid approach of print and online materials the best solution for today?

The publishing industry is grappling with this issue, too. Many in the industry predict that all textbooks will have digital incarnations within the next five years. But is there still value in the paper version?

The Great Textbook Debate

Some say that the best reason for keeping books around is that they're permanent. You don't have to worry about a textbook crashing or needing an Internet connection. And for students who don't have computer access either at home or at school, you can still put a book in their hands.

But there are also strong arguments for saying goodbye to traditional textbooks, including the belief that this transition will save more trees. Textbooks are usually heavy, which can impact students' physical health if they're carrying them around all day. For Computer Education classes, there's a good chance a new version of the software you're using will arrive shortly after the instructional materials hit the market. Updating online materials can be much easier and faster.

If your students are already working on a computer, wouldn't it make the most sense to use online instructional materials that integrate seamlessly with the software you're teaching? For example, Glencoe's Online Student Manuals allow students to move easily between the software they're learning and step-by-step project instructions. And these electronic texts don't take up valuable desk space.

Some states are looking toward a variety of open-source materials to provide one solution to budget woes. But this means that the content may be fragmented or unreliable. One criticism of open-source textbooks (which are free and often developed by numerous contributors) is that the material isn't properly field-tested and may not properly align with state or national standards. As Alan Penner, a Computer Education teacher in Moorpark, CA, states: "I think they are good supplemental tools for educators, but not a good base for instruction."

A Hybrid Approach

Glencoe's Introduction to Web Design and Introduction to Multimedia are designed to help make the seemingly inevitable transition to a fully electronic classroom easier. These field-tested and peer-reviewed programs have content you can trust and allow you to purchase either the print or electronic versions of the Student Edition textbooks.

The programs also include Online Student Manuals. These electronic instructional materials are easy to update and specific to the software you're using. If you've just upgraded to Adobe® Dreamweaver® CS4, you only need to upgrade the Online Student Manual. The Student Edition teaches core concepts that transcend software updates. Which means you'll save more funding money for the costly software and hardware your classroom needs.

For the time being -- regardless of whether the future of classroom textbooks lies in e-books, touch-user interface (TUI) books, flexbooks, open-source materials, or a reversion to the traditional paper approach -- the best solution for schools and students may be a hybrid approach that gives you the flexibility to teach with materials that match your needs.

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