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Electronic Readers Gaining Ground?
Houston Community College Southwest recently launched a pilot program introducing an electronic reader device in place of traditional college textbooks. The project, financed through HCC Chancellor Mary Spangler’s Innovative Fund Program, features an Amazon Kindle, and its goal is to determine if these devices are the future of classrooms across America. The pilot will involve a Philosophy and English course this fall and is tied to the College’s plan to find innovative ways to enhance student learning.
“We are very excited about having this cutting edge technology at the hands of our students,” says Dr. Doug Rowlett, HCC-SW English professor and head of the project. “We anticipate great results from the pilot and will closely monitor and research the outcome.”
The concept is easy and it holds several key components. One factor is mobility; the thought of having hundreds of textbook titles and research materials at your fingertips is astounding. Students will no longer have to carry around books in backpacks. Another factor is expense, with the rising cost of college textbooks; students now have another, inexpensive option. Its accessibility is also an advantage. Students will no longer have to wait in long lines at bookstores or search for online bargains. Everything is purchased online with the touch of a mouse, and books are downloaded in a matter of minutes. E-book readers also boast a cost-effective and environmental-friendly format. Publishers would spend less publishing books, and students would no longer need to purchase those 800-page biology texts, thus saving paper along the way.
The notion of a paperless classroom is still years away and there are barriers to overcome in order to get there. There is an initial investment to be made considering the Amazon Kindle and similar devices on the market retail for $149.99 and up.
The question is will the device deter or enhance student’s learning abilities and will it encourage or discourage traditional reading methods? That is all part of what HCC SW expects the pilot program to answer.
After the semester concludes this month, an intense assessment of the program will be conducted. Three key factors will be assessed. First is to measure student learning and retention to determine if there is any clear benefit to paperless classes as opposed to traditional classes. Secondly, to gauge whether e-books and e-book readers function well in the modern classroom and recognize if they offer a cost-effective friendly substitute for traditional textbooks. Thirdly, to work with HCC and other institutions’ efforts to create the beginnings of digital teaching and learning materials in an e-book format accessible to all students and faculty.
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