Estel Sprague, Chemistry Department coordinator and professor in the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, didn’t think twice about running an electronic textbook pilot within his department when UC Bookstores suggested includED, a program developed by textbook retailer Follett that offers students digital access to course materials and texts.
“We got involved to save students money and offer them electronic access that was more cost effective than the full-blown textbooks,” Sprague said. “Those cost over $200, and the e-books we’re testing now are around $90.”
Estel Sprague, A&S Chemistry Department coordinator and professor
Estel Sprague leads an e-text pilot for his entire department.
For the roughly 1,850 students enrolled in CHEM 1040 on UC’s West Campus this semester, includED will save them 37 percent more than purchasing traditional textbooks. Under this pilot program, students' course tuition fees include the cost of the e-text.
“Because the cost is covered by students’ tuition, professors knew all the students would have access to course materials from the beginning of the semester,” Sprague said. “We could get started immediately.”
IncludED also means a much easier time managing homework for Sprague, who teaches about half of those 1,850 students each semester, plus a more individualized reading approach for chemistry learners.
“The electronic textbooks adapt the text to the students based on how they answer questions along the way, and all homework grades are kept electronically and easily transferred to Blackboard,” Sprague said.
Though not enough time has passed for Sprague and the other professors on his team – Tom Ridgway, Albert Bobst and Peter Padolik – to know whether or not e-texts will completely replace CHEM 1040 textbooks in future classes, they’re carefully monitoring students’ success rates and teachers’ ease of use.
“We’re all in the same boat right now,” Sprague said. “We’re trying to help each other out and are all talking about it.”