Just before one semester ended, I was notified that I would be responsible for an online core course—required by most college majors—the next semester. The bookstore wanted immediate textbook information, so I used the same ISBN as the previous semester. Weeks before the course, I realized the ISBN was a bundled textbook package that included the basic textbook with a CD-ROM plus supplements: four audio CDs and a booklet containing the publisher’s access code to the online course. Students could also opt for purchasing a used textbook with the CD-ROM, but without the audio CDs or the publisher’s access code. Because of this course, I learned many valuable lessons about publisher involvement and made a number of resolutions for responsible textbook selection in the future.

The content-rich course had been previously designed using a student-directed format with instructor-paced deadlines. With the textbook providing content, the online course consisted of 16 exams (corresponding to textbook chapters) clustered in groups of four. All exams were deployed at the beginning of the semester but became unavailable in sequential clusters, with the first exam group disappearing after the first month. Student performance varied: one student finished the course within the first week; others waited too long (despite multiple electronic reminders) to take some early exams and had to drop the course when they realized they no longer had access to the missed exams.

With 267 students initially enrolled in two sections, my responsibility for the course was primarily facilitation and management. Getting the online course ready for the beginning of the semester was a nightmare. Combining the sections into one electronic course and keeping student enrollment updated proved time-consuming. Then, as I became aware of what the publisher’s access code really meant, I became increasingly uncomfortable with the level of involvement it afforded the publisher. To install a publisher’s course cartridge into a secured electronic classroom management system site was amazing—and frightening—to me. The publisher’s cartridge blocked off a component of the online course to create a section containing 16 module quizzes. Results of the quizzes were automatically entered into the online grade book, but did not count for points.

At the beginning of the new semester, I obtained the basic textbook with its CD-ROM. A student brought the bundled textbook package to an optional informational meeting, and I spent time poring over the booklet that was provided with the publisher’s access code. Students decided the other supplemental material (audio CDs) could be played in a car, but the format was already dated (the textbook edition had been published within the same year). Although I had instructor status and could manage the grade book portion, I never had student-level access to the publisher’s online course cartridge with its module quizzes.

The resulting chaos was almost indescribable. I discovered that students who took the used book option that did not include the publisher access code were confused about the limited access of the online course. Some students who purchased the bundle had difficulty accessing the publisher-code area; other students decided to pay for publisher access and had trouble later. Once the publisher’s course cartridge was installed, availability of the ungraded module quizzes was delayed due to the need for further technological assistance. I was happy I anticipated needing extra time for course deadlines at the beginning, because I certainly experienced problems.

With the start of the course, I suddenly became popular with publishers. Over the semester I survived a deluge of contacts from publishers in the form of emails, letters, unsolicited free examination copies, and nice—but increasingly persistent—sales representatives. About the same time, my hot (reading) topics included increasing textbook costs and publisher involvement. I found the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO’s) 1995 report on college textbooks (GAO-05-806) eye-opening, especially when I read the statement about publishers investing “heavily in developing additional textbook supplements, particularly resource-intensive technology applications” (GAO, 1995, p. 14).

Over the semester, I learned four valuable lessons that led me to decide that for this course a single option was best: the basic textbook with CD-ROM. The first lesson was that the CD-ROM in the basic package—the same CD-ROM included in the used book option—provided multiple learning activities, including an assessment mode that mirrored the publisher’s supplemental module quizzes available to students who purchased the full textbook bundle. A second lesson came from my realization that some students were confused about what counted for course points. Despite my multiple emails, at least one student failed the course by taking the publisher’s ungraded module quizzes instead of course tests. A third lesson was cost: the sealed, bundled version was more than twice the price of the used book, which exceeds the average cost of textbooks at four-year institutions—26 percent of the cost of tuition and fees. (GAO, 1995, p. 2). Also, students who broke the bundle’s seal had difficulty returning the package. My final lesson came when I decided to investigate the student patterns of publisher-access usage. Of the 255 students who finished the course, 76 (30 percent) tried at least one publisher’s quiz. Interestingly, only eight students (3 percent) finished all 16 ungraded quizzes. In addition, I identified technological difficulties with the publisher-access area. Of the 18 students (7 percent) who quit taking ungraded quizzes after the first quiz, further investigation showed that the system had malfunctioned for eight (44 percent).

When I realized that 93 percent of the students in the course had not accessed all of the publisher’s module quizzes, I made the following resolutions for responsible textbook selection:

1. Research the various textbook and supplement packages available, including electronic formats.

2. Check the open textbook market for a free or low-cost alternative.

3. Think carefully before allowing an outside source—such as a publisher—to take over any aspect of a secured electronic course management system.

4. Make an informed, responsible textbook decision only after experiencing each supplement to determine whether the learning value is worth the additional expense.

5. Determine whether offering students multiple textbook options provides optimal learning for the class or whether a single textbook option might be best.

6. Warn students about breaking the seal of a bundled textbook package because they may not be able to return the material.

7. Notify the bookstore early that an edition will be used in a subsequent semester, thereby allowing the current semester’s students to sell back their books.

Aimee J. Luebben is professor of occupational therapy at the University of Southern Indiana. Contact her at aluebben@usi.edu.

Originally published in Online Classroom, September 2008

For similar articles about online instruction, check out Online Classroom. Each issue features tips and insights from successful online course developers and instructors on topics such as course design, facilitation, assessment, interaction, student support and use of emerging technologies. Click here for more information and to subscribe.