The Teaching Professor has a couple of articles this time around regarding textbooks. The first, talks about how to help students use the textbook more effectively (students using and instructors using texts “properly”, what a novel idea!). The second is about what using the text really teaches students. From the first article, there are four general points that are obvious (but not so obvious) and useful reminders. The first being that you must model reading the text as well as additional readings in the lecture. I’ll add to this my own point, remember that students are not likely to be “geeking out” on this material like you might, and even if you have read the same material hundreds of times, do the same work that you assign your students… yup teaching is always work and you can’t get away from that. As you model reading, you should be referring to the text in class, the second point, and point out to where you are deviating from the text. Third, make a point of outlining key points. Students will highlight or underline these as you go through them, but then encourage discussion around these points. Finally, choose a good text – in my mind, one that you are going to use most of – if you have a choice.
The second article points out for all the problems with texts, they do teach vocabulary, structure (which, according to almost all the profs I had was poorly done in their mind… unless they wrote the book), reference and background. I don’t like how “gushy” this second article is, even though it makes a good point for texts. I’m of the opinion that these benefits are possible through other media and not just the textbook.
These two articles almost got me down the road about the actual value of textbooks, and how they are so bloody expensive and all that. But I stopped (one because I don’t have the time, two because I think that horse is quite badly beaten already). But I would like to close and say that while many textbook/instructor combinations are working very well, when the instructor actually cares about the material or is a passionate teacher; it seems that often the text is a crutch. Courses are already scaffolded around these books and instructors with little time, inclination or reward are not likely to go beyond what is given to them. This eventually leads to the ever so common practice of reading from the text in class. Ideally, texts should be research and lay articles that are identified on a yearly basis by the instructor. This way costs stay down, interest stays high and students get all the benefits of reading.
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