25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
eTextbooks—The Future of eLearning
Dr. Roger Von Holzen
Director—Center for Information Technology in Education
Northwest Missouri State University
Ms. Darla Runyon
Assistant Director/Curriculum Design Specialist
Center for Information Technology in Education
Northwest Missouri State University
Introduction
Over the past several years, online classes have been slowly delving into the realm of eTextbooks,
primarily motivated by cost and delivery issues. Until the fall of 2008, that was the case with Northwest
Missouri State University. But starting that fall, Northwest undertook an initial pilot study to test the
feasibility of moving toward an eTextbook-based academic environment. The pilot focused on utilizing
Sony’s eReader. During the second phase of the pilot, Northwest expanded its eTextbook offerings to
over two-thirds of its 6,500 students, but this time, basing the delivery of the eTextbooks via campusprovided notebook computers. The third phase of the pilot has focused on the full integration of the
eTextbook and other publisher-created electronic resources into comprehensive online, blended and websupported classes.
The Cost of Textbooks
The typical college student spends up to $1,000 per year for textbooks—and that’s assuming he/she can
afford to actually purchase the books. For the average undergraduate student at Northwest Missouri State
University, the cost of textbooks is around $180 per year. Northwest achieves such cost savings through
its textbook rental program. But in an effort to further save students money and to expand access to the
electronic learning resources that publishers are beginning to provide, Northwest is moving to an
integrated eTextbook-based academic environment with critical cost-savings and learning-enhancing
attributes.
The cost of student textbooks is a growing concern among higher education’s constituency, namely
students, parents and members of state legislatures. This concern was also expressed as part of the cost
containment goals for higher education as framed by the Higher Education Reauthorization Act passed by
Congress in late 2008.
At most universities a student typically goes to a bookstore to purchase the course textbook as
recommended by the professor. The student may choose to purchase a new textbook or a used textbook,
or, as is occurring more and more often, choose to purchase an eTextbook. But nearly 40% of college
students are choosing the option not to purchase textbooks at all due to the costs of textbooks.
Integrating eTextbooks
Textbooks are one of many learning resources. Building upon the course management systems which are
part of most university campuses, they have the potential of being a more powerful resource if the
traditional text is augmented with review quizzes, recommended and targeted review readings, interactive
learning activities and/or video segments to reinforce important instructional concepts. Such enhanced
learning resources have the potential to accelerate student learning. These enhancements are much easier
to integrate and deliver in the eTextbook format. In the long haul, accelerated learning may account for
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
the success of eTextbooks along with the convenience of integrating multiple learning resources into a
single delivery system.
eReaders and eTextbooks
In the summer of 2008 the President’s Cabinet at Northwest Missouri State University was given a
demonstration of the Kindle eReader. It was quickly agreed that the textbook rental program for
Northwest’s students needed to be reviewed. The Kindle was then compared to Sony’s Reader Digital
Book. Both devices are similar in size and screen design. The Kindle features broadband
communications and permits wireless purchasing and downloading of eBooks. The Sony, on the other
hand, requires that a purchased eBook must first be downloaded from the Internet to a PC before it can be
downloaded to the eReader via a USB cable. Since Northwest already provided laptop computers to all
of its full time students and preferred to avoid the proprietary Kindle eBook platform, the open source
PC-based eBook environment of the Sony appeared to be a better fit. Additionally, pricing and
eTextbook availability helped solidify the selection of the Sony Reader for deployment during Phase I of
the pilot study of the eTextbook initiative.
At the fall 2008 campus-wide faculty meeting, the features of the newest eReaders were presented as
were the potential cost savings for the student textbook rental program. At the end of the meeting
Northwest’s president asked for faculty volunteers to participate in having their students try an eReader
and eTextbook for at least part of the fall semester. There was a very positive response with over 50
faculty members volunteering to be involved with an initial eTextbook deployment. Four faculty
members were ultimately selected, mostly based on the availability of appropriate eTextbooks. About
200 eReaders were purchased for the pilot study, which was to determine if eReaders were the optimal
means for distributing eTextbooks. The eTextbooks were loaded and the eReaders were distributed to the
students by early October. A survey at the end of this pilot indicated that the Sony eReader did not have
the features that students were looking for in an eTextbook.
This information led to the beginning a second pilot in the spring of 2009 using the student-issued
notebook computer for the eTextbook. Northwest Missouri State University supplies a laptop computer
to every student and is a textbook rental campus. These two factors allow for a unique combination for
implementing an eTextbook initiative. eTextbooks also provide faculty with increased ways to enhance
delivery of course content and students with more flexible ways to interact with content using the course
management system and the notebook computer.
Integrating an eTextbook Initiative Campus-wide
The beginning of a more extensive campus-wide deployment will take place in the fall of 2009. A
process for purchasing, distributing, and implementing eTextbooks is being developed. Mini-grants have
been offered for faculty who are developing courses using an eTextbook. These grants will provide
faculty with training on how to integrate eTextbooks with their current course sites, demonstrate how to
use an eTextbook, and determine if there are learning assets and course packs available for the course. A
preferred common platform for the delivery of eTextbooks has been chosen that will support the major
textbook publishers. Single sign-on to the course site will provide students with access to their course site
and the eTextbook eliminating the need for PINs. Student tutorials will be developed exploring the full
features of eTextbooks. These tutorials will be built into each the course sites of the courses using an
eTextbook to aid in helping students more fully use the platform and the eTextbook.
The eTextbook project completes Northwest Missouri State University’s vision by filling in the last piece
of the Electronic Campus initiative puzzle. Through the Electronic Campus initiative, students were
already supplied with the technology needed to deliver the eTextbook. eReaders did not support
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning
For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference
interactive content that faculty and students were using through eCollege nor the capabilities demanded
by students for utilizing an eTextbook. The eTextbooks and distribution platform were chosen based on
level of interactivity and ease of integration.
Author Summaries
Roger Von Holzen is the Director--Center for Information Technology in Education Northwest Missouri
State University. Roger graduated from the University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point with a bachelor
degree in history and taught high school history and computer science for 10 years. After obtaining a
masters' degree in computer studies from Northwest Missouri State University in 1987, he began teaching
in the Computer Science department at Northwest. Since completing his doctorate in instructional
technology from Texas Tech University in 1993, Roger has been extensively involved in the various
technology initiatives undertaken by the university, leading to his appointment as the director of the
campus' faculty technology center in the spring of 1999.
Address: OL 246
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468
Email: [email protected]
URL:
http://www.nwmissouri.edu/cite/index.htm
Phone: 660-562-1532
Fax:
660-562-1949
Darla Runyon is the Assistant Director and Curriculum Design Specialist for the Center for Information
Technology in Education at Northwest Missouri State University. She received her Masters in Education
from Colorado State University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Secondary
Business Education from Northwest Missouri State University. She is working on completing her
dissertation and PhD in Learning Technologies at the University of MO—Columbia. Currently, Darla
works in the CITE office at Northwest and assists faculty in the design, development, and delivery of
instructional technology.
Address: OL 246
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468
Email: [email protected]
URL:
http://www.nwmissouri.edu/cite/index.htm
Phone: 660-562-1532
Fax:
660-562-1949
Copyright 2009 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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