The Future of Textbooks:
Evolutionary, Revolutionary or
More of the Same?
While forward-thinking educators, parents, and chiropractors have long called for an
alternative to the textbook-laden backpack, schools have been slow to consider such a
radical notion. Is all that about to change?
I s the print textbook – that old-fashioned, heavy, expensive staple of
the 20th century classroom – soon to be a thing of the past? Although
it’s hard to imagine the K-12 world, known for its resistance to change,
throwing out math, language and science textbooks in favor of digital
content, our nation’s current fiscal crisis, combined with major shifts in
the way we access and process information, is bringing the subject to
the fore.
Questioning the Old Model
College students have been protesting for quite some time about the
costs of required textbooks. In the K-12 world, where schools, rather
than families, bear the brunt of textbook costs and budgets are strained
to the limit, a number of districts and states are seriously questioning
– some for the very first time – whether textbooks are the best use of
instructional funds.
While some are looking at flexibility as a way to free up funds for
things that do not qualify as instructional materials, others are primarily
arguing that it is possible to get high-quality content, in a more
engaging format, for less money than schools have traditionally spent
on textbooks. Additional issues raised by critics of print textbooks
include the hidden instructional costs associated with textbooks,
expenses related to textbook delivery and storage, the difficulty in
keeping textbooks updated, and dissatisfaction with the textbook
adoption process in many states.
Going Digital
Digital textbook alternatives range from “print on demand” to
electronic textbooks or e-books. While the jury is out on how much
savings e-textbooks offer, and critics are dubious about the value of
having students read so much text on a screen, technology-enabled
features such as search, instant access, note taking, and a lighter
backpack are some of the benefits of e-textbooks.
The monograph summarized here is one of six that make up the 2009 CoSN Compendium. CoSN members have free electronic access to the complete monograph in the
MyCoSN section of www.cosn.org and non-members can order a copy in the Resources area of the site. To join CoSN or learn more about its programs and activities that
support leadership development for technology leaders, visit www.cosn.org or call (866) 267-8747.
Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) www.cosn.org
A collaborative effort coordinated by Judy Salpeter
Alternatively, districts such as the Charles County Public Schools in
Maryland are embracing a hybrid approach that combines off-line print
textbooks with digital supplements, and states including California
(which adopted Pearson Scott Foresman’s History/Social Science for California
in 2005) are adopting digital alternatives to textbooks that are somewhat
lighter on text and heavier on video, assessment, and interactive,
standards-based lessons.
Moving Beyond Textbooks
Educators like Matt Federoff of Vail, Arizona, argue for a more dramatic
change: doing away with textbooks entirely. Along with Floydada
(Texas) superintendent Jerry Vaugn and participants in last year’s
Congress on the Future of Content Digital, Federoff is calling for an
“iTunes model” or modular approach that lets schools choose from a
variety of digital resources – available free or through subscriptions – in
order to create their own alternative to textbooks. Teacher contributions
are a major component of such a model, allowing educators to work
collaboratively to build a curriculum that meets their needs.
The complete Compendium article includes:
• Quotes and examples from education leaders from many parts of the
country.
• A report by Geoffrey Fletcher on the findings of the Congress on the
Future of Content.
• Suggestions from Forsyth County (GA)’s Bailey Mitchell about how
the content delivery system of the future might evolve.
• Information on open-content textbook alternatives in use in several
states and districts.
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