how to choose a textbook fro a college course

When Selecting a Textbook

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How to choose the right coursebook for your class?

In this case, make sure to choose the coursebook based on the age of the class. Don't choose a book that prepares for another test as these tests are very different in construction and objectives.

How do you find out what books a college class requires?

Typically on the first day of a college class the instructor issues some sort of syllabus or notify the students of which books they need to purchase for the course. Talk with the department secretary of the school. Department secretaries typically have listings of each of the books instructors are requiring for a given course.

How to find the best books to buy for a course?

Look for the last name of the instructor of your course. These are the books you need to buy for the course. Call the instructor before the first day of class, if you are taking an online course or an untraditional college class. The instructor can give you the names of the books and the authors of those books. Go to class on the first day.

Why are textbooks important in college classes?

Textbooks are essential to guide learning in college classes. A good textbook, combined with course lectures and activities, can help student knowledge and understanding of the material solidify itself.

How do I choose the right textbook?

Open Textbook Quality CriteriaCriterion 1: Scope and Sequence. ... Criterion 2: Content Accuracy. ... Criterion 3: Instructional Design. ... Criterion 4: Text Clarity. ... Criterion 5: Visual Clarity and Fidelity. ... Criterion 6: Accessibility and Inclusive Design. ... Criterion 7: Ancillary Materials. ... Criterion 1: Content Relevance.More items...

When should you start buying textbooks for college?

Don't buy your books before class starts Buy your textbook right after your first day of class, when you get the syllabus. If your course requires multiple textbooks, wait to buy the other books until about a week or two before you need them.

How do professors get textbooks?

Most publishers supply free copies of textbooks to instructors who are requiring the text for their class. Either the instructor or the Department must request the book from the publisher.

How do you buy textbooks for college?

In many cases, books purchased online are cheaper than buying from a brick-and-mortar store.Look for Your Textbooks on Amazon. ... Check eCampus.com. ... Try Searching on Craigslist. ... Scan Through Online Stores With Allbookstores. ... Verify Your Final Price With Bigwords. ... Strike a Better Deal With Dealoz.More items...•

Where can I find free college textbooks?

15 Fantastic Websites that Offer Free College TextbooksBookboon.OpenStax.Open Textbook Library.Saylor Academy.IntechOpen.Lyryx.Online Mathematics Textbooks.Project Gutenberg.More items...•

Why are college textbooks so expensive?

Highly specialized material: Many college textbooks are highly specialized and the material is unavailable in any other book. The low volume of published books and the lack of market competition drive publishers to jack up prices.

Where do professors get their textbooks?

In general, professors accumulate books from grants, university resources, book giveaways, free books from publishers, their own money, and many other sources over time.

Do professors get paid for using textbooks?

On average, a textbook author can make anywhere from five to 15 percent in royalties for their textbooks, according to an article written by Dr. David Rees of Southern Utah University. So if a University Math II textbook costs $110, at 10 percent per 30 students in their class, that's $330.

How are textbooks developed?

Most textbooks are written by experienced teachers in co-operation with editors and consultants who guide the writers through the process of textbook development. Teachers interested in writing textbooks are sometimes under the impression that they should first write the book and then submit it to a publisher.

Who are textbooks written by?

Anyone can write and publish a textbook, but before it gets handed out to public-school students, the book's content would have to be approved by several review committees.

Who chooses textbook history?

2 Publishers customize the books for states and large districts to meet local standards, often without input from the original authors. 3 State or district textbook reviewers go over each book and ask publishers for further changes. 4 Publishers revise their books and sell them to districts and schools.

Why do teachers use textbooks?

The function of a textbook is essentially to guide the teaching and learning of the curriculum in a particular subject. Against the backdrop of poor teacher context knowledge, textbooks play a fundamental role in supplementing teachers' knowledge deficits.

What does a professor decide on a textbook?

In specialized courses with only one section, the professor chooses the material he or she will teach from - and that might include multiple books, one well-entrenched textbook, no textbook, their own notes or manuscript, materials available online, whatever . Often in departments which have many sections of the same courses, it will be a committee decision - or even the decision of the department - as to what resources to use for the course.

What happens when a new text comes along for a course?

If a new text comes along for the course, I’ll usually get a notice from the publisher or see something about it the mailing

Why do I use a $60 book in one class?

I would use a $200 book if I thought it had $200 worth of value for the students. I've therefore voluntarily used a textbook that expensive. I do use a $60 book in one class because it's the best book on the topic and one of the best books in computing.

What are the two extremes of textbooks?

There are two extremes of textbook: one which should be small and cheap and is only for one course; and those which contain a lot and maybe should be kept for the whole degree and possibly for professional practice thereafter (a course book).

Why is choice of text important?

It helps they students if there are copies in circulation from previous terms that they can borrow or buy used. For a course where there are other faculty teaching it as well as me, choice of text is usually a group decision. It just helps in many ways if different sections of the course use the same text.

Is choosing a textbook a trivial matter?

Choosing a textbook is not necessarily a trivial matter - I wanted a book that was a good fit for how I like to teach a class, that presents the material in a way that I can agree with, that covers all the material I want my students to learn, and that’s as easy as possible for my students to learn from.

Can students copy textbooks?

There were two major down sides to students copying textbooks. One is that they might not have the same version that I’m teaching from, especially if the authors just released a new edition. That can mean that students with a pirated version of the textbook might not be doing the homework problems or reading the same pages I expect when I make assignments. The other - more important - is that some students (especially in graduate school) might need to refer back to their texts later on in their careers and the actual textbook is likely to be a longer-lived and more durable reference over the years.

What is a Merlot book?

Textbooks specifically designated for free use. MERLOT also has tutorials, lesson plans, and other educational resources. A large collection of learning "modules" (readings, tutorials, games, videos, etc.) made available for reuse by other educators. An organization dedicated to free, reusable educational resources.

Can you get discounts for multiple books?

Some publishers may give discounts for multiple books bought at one time, if your department can agree on a set that students can use for several courses. Commonly used books (for instance, books used in several sections of the same course) are also easier for students to sell back to the bookstore.

Can you publish a textbook online?

Did you write your textbook (or are you interested in writing one)? Consider publishing it online, especially under a Creative Commons (or similar) license.

How to find the books you need for a college course?

Visit a student bookstore on or near campus. These bookstores coordinate efforts with instructors of the college courses to have the books on hand that students need. Find the subject area of your course and look for the course number. Books here are organized by the instructors' last names. Look for the last name of the instructor of your course. These are the books you need to buy for the course.

How to know which books to buy for college?

If you don't know which books you are supposed to buy for a college course, talking with someone else who is taking the course can give you some insight into which books you should purchase.

How to call the instructor before class?

Call the instructor before the first day of class, if you are taking an online course or an untraditional college class. The instructor can give you the names of the books and the authors of those books. Go to class on the first day. Typically on the first day of a college class the instructor issues some sort of syllabus or notify the students ...

When do you buy books for college?

Part of doing that is to buy the books you need for your college classes within the first couple days of when the class starts. Sometimes finding which books to buy for college classes is trickier than you might imagine, as it's not like high school courses in which the teachers pass out the books on the first day of school.

What happens on the first day of college?

Typically on the first day of a college class the instructor issues some sort of syllabus or notify the students of which books they need to purchase for the course. Talk with the department secretary of the school. Department secretaries typically have listings of each of the books instructors are requiring for a given course.

What do you need to teach business English?

If you are going to teach a Business English or ESP (English for Specific Purposes) course you will need to not only find a standard special English book but also use the Internet as a means of finding specific information and content related to the industry.

What are the important considerations in a class?

Important considerations include the age, final course (are the students going to take a test?), objectives, and whether the class is made up of students learning for work purposes or for a hobby.

What are the basic skills required for a syllabus?

Standard syllabuses require books that will cover grammar, reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills .

What is the lexical approach?

If you would like to take a different, non-grammar based, approach then take a look at either the lexical approach (focusing on building language skills from vocabulary and linguistic forms ) or the Brain friendly approach (focusing on bringing a wide variety of learning types into play).

How to get cheap textbooks?

Finally, remember that buying from other students can often yield the quickest path to a cheap textbook. Check bulletin boards around campus or virtual bulletin boards on Facebook or Craigslist . Students often post offers to sell their used textbooks on these types of boards. You can also try posting a request on your campus’ bulletin board for specific textbooks and see if you get any offers.

How much does a Cengage textbook cost?

This can save students money and is also environmentally friendly. The textbook publisher Cengage offers individual chapters for as low as $1.99 through the eChapters part of its textbook marketplace, Cengage Brain. Students can choose to print out the chapters they have purchased or read the chapters on their computer screens.

How long can you rent a textbook?

The leading textbook rental service is Chegg. Chegg users can rent a textbook for a semester (125 days), a quarter (85 days), or for 60 days. The company guarantees that the books it rents will never have stains, water damage, missing or loose pages, or writing within the book. It also offers users the option to buy a textbook after renting it for those cases in which you change your mind. Other sites that offer a similar service include campusbookrentals and bookrenterm.

How to find cheaper books?

To find the best deals, use a comparison search engine such as Bigwords, Booklookr, or Bookfinder. On a website such as Bookfinder.com, you enter the title, author, or ISBN of a book you are looking for into the search box, and the website will give you a list of online booksellers who offer the book, sorted from the lowest to highest price.

Is college textbook expensive?

College textbooks are notoriously expensive. Community college students, especially those who are just beginning college or returning to school after years in the workplace, may experience sticker shock upon their first visit to the college bookstore.

Can you get textbooks cheaper than free?

If you really want to save money, check your campus library and local library to see if they have copies of the textbooks you need. You can’t get it any cheaper than free!

Can students buy textbooks in e-book format?

Many students are finding that they can save significant cash – and the environment – by purchasing their textbooks in e-book format. Coursesmart, an e-book service owned by five textbook publishers, offers over 4,000 textbook titles, which is approximately a third of the entire market, according to a New York Times article on the e-textbooks. In addition to being able to read textbooks online, Coursesmart users can choose to highlight and print certain parts of their textbooks.