How Do Students Use Textbooks?

1. How Do Students Use Textbooks? Dennis Jacobs Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of Notre Dame TextRev provides a window. Indiana University

2. Indiana University

3. Currently Available Chemistry Textbooksa General (majors) 54 General (non-majors) 25 Organic 57 Analytical 25 Environmental 88 Physical 35 Biochemical 59 aJ. Chem. Ed., Book Buyers Guide, September 2000 Indiana University

4. What Informs a Textbook Adoption? • Instructor’s Experience with Current Textbook • Anecdotal Student Feedback • Info from Publishing Company Representatives • Opinions from Faculty Colleagues • Brief Reading of Select Topics from Dozens(?) of Competing Textbook Products • Roll the Dice Indiana University

5. TextRev A Tool for Instructors in Any Discipline • As of Fall 2001, TextRev surveys are administered on-line at www.textrev.com • Instructor gets immediate summary of class survey results • After a statistically significant number of users respond to a particular textbook product, a partial summary of the textbook ratings are displayed on the site. Indiana University

6. TextRev Surveys • > 6500 Students Surveyed • > 110 Course Sections • > 90 Instructors • > 40 Institutions • Doctoral Universities • Master’s Colleges or Universities • Baccalaureate Colleges (4 year) • Associates Colleges (2 year) Indiana University

7. Make a Prediction • Which category of first-year students report spending more time studying General Chemistry each week? • ‘A’ students • ‘B’ students • ‘C’ students • ‘D’ students Indiana University

8. Self-Reported Hours per Week Spent Using Textbook Resourcesa Anticipated Grade Relationship Between Anticipated Grade and Time Spent Studying Chemistry aTextbook, solutions manual, study guide, textbook’s web-site, accompanying CD. Indiana University

9. Self-Reported Hours per Week Spent Using Textbook Resourcesa Anticipated Grade Relationship Between Anticipated Grade and Time Spent Studying Chemistry aTextbook, solutions manual, study guide, textbook’s web-site, accompanying CD. Indiana University

10. Fraction of Time Spent per Week Using Textbook Resources (2084 students) (1187 students) 6.0 hours 4.1 hours Anticipated Grade 3.11 2.82 Indiana University

11. TextRev General Chemistry SurveyComparison Between 1st and 2nd Terms 1st Semester 2nd Semester (n = 250) (n = 168) Anticipated Grade 3.21 3.06 Hours per Week Using Text Resources 3.6 hrs 3.6 hrs Same class of 450 students, same instructor, same textbook Indiana University

12. TextRev General Chemistry SurveyComparison Between 1st and 2nd Terms 1st Semester (250 students) Helpfulness of: Max of 10 Images/photos 6.8 ± 0.3 Real World Applications 4.7 ± 0.3 Animations 5.3 ± 0.4 In chapter problems 7.0 ± 0.3 End chapter problems 7.4 ± 0.3 Rating of: Clarity of Soln Manual 6.6 ± 0.3 Same class of 450 students, same instructor, same textbook Indiana University

13. TextRev General Chemistry SurveyComparison Between 1st and 2nd Terms 1st Semester 2nd Semester (250 students) (168 students) Helpfulness of: Max of 10 Max of 10 Images/photos 6.8 ± 0.3 5.9 ± 0.4 Real World Applications 4.7 ± 0.3 3.6 ± 0.3 Animations 5.3 ± 0.4 4.1 ± 0.4 In chapter problems 7.0 ± 0.3 7.7 ± 0.4 End chapter problems 7.4 ± 0.3 7.7 ± 0.4 Rating of: Clarity of Soln Manual 6.6 ± 0.3 5.7 ± 0.3 Same class of 450 students, same instructor, same textbook Indiana University

14. Instructors Indiana University

15. Students Indiana University

16. Hrs/wk Indiana University

17. General Chemistry Students Less than 1% of the students had specific homework assignments on the CD Indiana University

18. Time on Task • “Time plus energy equals learning. There is no substitute for time on task.”Arthur W. Chickering and Zelda F. Gamson, “Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education,” Jossey-Bass (1991) • Out of class assignments should have a clear purpose, should be relevant to students’ lives, and should be at the same time challenging and manageable.S. Black, American School Board Journal, 183, p. 48 (1991) Indiana University

19. Task Hrs/wk Time spent on Task: Impact of Assigning/Grading Homework Problems When homework is assigned, General Chemistry students spend two additional hours per week studying. Indiana University

20. Indiana University

21. Indiana University

22. The Data Can be Mined to Get At More Complex Issues • Within a given book title, what textbook features appeal most to non-science majors at a liberal arts college? To engineering majors at a research university? • What is different about the study patterns of non-traditional versus traditional students? Of male versus female students? • How does the time a student commits to studying depend on the instructor’s use of the textbook resources? Indiana University

23. Who Benefits From Comprehensive Textbook Evaluations? • Instructors • Course Design - Instructors learn how their own students utilize and value the textbook resources for the course • Textbook Adoption - Learn how instructors and students in similar settings rate the features of competing textbook products • Publishing Companies, Editors, & Authors • Feedback on the ways instructors incorporate textbook features into their course design, and on the corresponding student response as to the helpfulness and quality of these resources. • Views from different demographic sectors • Students • Improved course design, improved textbooks, better education Indiana University

24. Study the Representative Data Set • When you view the data, what strikes you? What puzzles you? • Write some specific questions, that you would like your students to answer, about the ways they use and value textbook resources. • If you were considering whether to adopt a particular textbook/resource for a course that you will be teaching next year, what specific questions would you want to ask of faculty and students who are using that resource now? Indiana University