Are E-Textbooks the Future?

Electronic versions of the traditional hard copy textbook could be the wave of the future on secondary school and college campuses.  The buzz this week is that Apple, the trend-setter in all things digital, will announce some sort of e-textbook arrangement at the end of the month.  Meanwhile, some education officials in Alabama say they could save money in the long run by equipping all high school students with an electronic book reader.  And the California State Senate is considering a proposal to offer e-textbooks to college students for free.

Will an e-book save money for the student?  One study suggests that as of now, no.  A two year study at Daytona State College has found that students who tried electronic versions of textbooks saved only $1.00 compared to classmates who bought traditional hard copy editions.  The survey suggests that e-textbooks still faced several hurdles as colleges considered how to distribute them.

There's also the issue of rapidly changing technology and the possibility of obsolescence.  Apple, for example, introduces a new version of its iPhone and iPad every year.  The laptops my wife's school bought for all of the employees in 2010 are now two years old.  Will they be able to run this year's gotta-have-it education software?  If every high school student in Alabama does get an e-reader, how long will it be before those e-readers are considered obsolete?

What is true is that today's college students have a lot more options for textbooks than my generation did.  At Longwood College in 1984, the one and only source for a textbook was the Lancer Bookstore, located in the Rotunda basement beneath the main dining hall.  Today's Longwood students can still get their books from the campus bookstore, but they can also shop from online retailers like Amazon.com.  They also have the option of buying a new or used textbook, renting the book, or getting an electronic version.

My older daughter, Megan, is in the process of completing her college applications, which has me bracing myself for the day she heads off to college.  I'm also bracing for the costs involved, for tuition, room and board, and, of course, college textbooks.

Links:
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/new-study-shows-e-textbooks-saved-many-students-only-1/34793
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/74093.html