Why doesn the use of textbooks meet student expectations?
In high school, most, if not all, of a textbook is required reading. After paying for a college text, students expect the book to be used the same way, and the time spent reading it to be a factor in their grade. However, some college faculty use textbooks to supplement or reinforce lecture content; students may only be assigned 50-60% (or less) of the text to read. Don’t students believe that, since college stores have a “captive market,” they are overpricing textbooks? Yes, they do. In fact, in focus group interviews with dozens of college students, NACS found that many believe stores try to take advantage of a textbook sales “monopoly.” The fact is, most college stores make very little money or no profit on textbooks, and there are a growing number of ways for students to get textbooks. Have students changed their book buying habits? While it varies significantly by discipline and course level, an increasing number of students are trying to get through classes without purchasing the
In high school, most, if not all, of a textbook is required reading. After paying $60 or $80 for a college text, students expect the book to be used the same way, and the time spent reading it to be a factor in their grade. However, some faculty use textbooks to supplement or reinforce lecture content; students may only be as signed 50-60% (or less) of the text to read.
