E-textbooks in college: Boon or Bane?

CHENNAI: Parents of college students would agree on this: educating your child drains you financially. In addition to college fees, charges for labs, equipment, field trips, private tution classes etc., high cost of textbooks piles on the expense list.

It’s one of the reasons for universities and colleges in Tamil Nadu to offer alternatives to traditional textbooks. With the help of technology, institutions have introduced open educational resources into their curricula either to supplement their curriculum or to replace traditional textbooks with e-textbooks for the courses.

However, experts say that both e-books and traditional textbooks have their own advantages and limitations.

As the speed of Internet connections have increased in the past few years, around 80% of the colleges, especially private institutions in the State, have introduced e-learning both in undergraduate (UG) and post-graduate (PG) courses. However, this does not help students in the rural areas, and even those living in the city suburbs, where frequent electricity cuts are a norm, and Internet connectivity is slow and choppy at best.

But college professors pointed out that at present textbooks are very expensive and many students could not afford them. College textbooks are bigger and heavier than school books. Even for teachers, it’s difficult to walk up and down the college corridors, and also the staircases, carrying a load of books in hand

Pros of digital world

“E-textbooks allow students to read from their phones and laptops. It’s a convenient way to keep track of their studies at any given point of time,” said K Lakshmanan, a senior professor from an engineering college at the outskirts of the city. “In today’s world, college students are rarely seen without a digital device, so e-books are also never lost. Accessing e-textbooks is cheaper than traditional textbooks.”

Students pursuing any engineering stream would have to spend Rs 15-20,000 during the four years of their study tenure. Even students of the Arts and Science stream will spend at least Rs 10,000 during three years of their course (inclusive of guides and other referral books).

“In addition, incorporating new information in the e-textbook syllabus is very easy for the publishers. When a new topic for the subject becomes available, it becomes necessary for publishers to update textbooks so that students have the latest information. Otherwise, students studying outdated text material will not be useful,” he explained.

B Mukilan, another professor in a private college, pointed to a common occurrence among college students. “In their rush to reach college on time, many students frequently forget to bring a textbook. They realise it only after reaching college or on their way to college. This is avoidable with e-textbooks,” he said.

Concurring with him was TM Kumaran, a physical education master in the city, who added that unlike most school students who live near their institutions, college students have longer commutes. “When they have to commute by bus or local trains or even walk long distances, carrying heavy textbooks is burdensome,” he stated. “Around a decade ago, e-books were not an option, but today, we must optimise the use of tech. Also, any textbook is printed in a standardised format, and not personalised to the student’s learning style. This can make studying more difficult. E-textbooks can help here.”

Limited by finances

Students from poor economic backgrounds cannot afford a high-speed Internet connection. A textbook gives students the freedom to study from anywhere, especially if they live in more remote locations.

“This flexibility makes it a simple and stress-free option,” said S Murugesan, a retired professor and in the city.

He said physical textbooks will give the students the much required freedom to highlight important information and make notes as they go through it.

“It’s common to have a mobile or computer system fail or discover that the battery had died. Digital is unreliable, especially when options to repair the device immediately are limited,” he said.

E-textbooks also contain more distractions as unwanted notifications pop up on the screen while students are reading. “Students come to college and university to study. Learning happens only when students read and discuss with their teachers and friends. When they hear a lecture, they may recall something they have read before and immediately wish to refer to a textbook,” averred PB Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary, State Platform for Common School System-TN.

Even judges and lawyers, during the course of arguments, refer to hardbound books to pick out points for their arguments, “When the lawyer reads a sentence, judges also look at the text and read the same from the actual book,” he said.

In the same way, college students may need the textbook with them during their working hours on campus. “Even in the digital world, when everything is available online, there is no substitute for an actual book that students hold in their hands. Textbooks physically present before the student will inspire, motivate and make them more focused in their learning process,” he opined.

However, a senior official from the Higher Education Department, clarified that in government colleges students have the choice to choose how they study. “Either through digital or traditional textbooks, it is their choice. The State government still distributes free textbooks for eligible students.”