Initially prompted by the thought of selecting possible textbooks for several courses I’m teaching this term, and in partial response to the recent redesign of the print version of the Globe & Mail, it worth puzzling over the whole concept of the Textbook as a tool for learning.
Of course, even the term: “text-book” is interesting. It’s really a redundant label at best. All printed books are composed (literally) of text. Indeed most modern textbooks, if they’re worth their salt, are made up of much more than simple text. They typically include diagrams, photographs, illustrations and other additional features that are meant to enliven the inevitable monotony of page upon page of textual material.
There was a time in the history of learning when the textbook played an important and pivotal role in communicating information, insight and instruction. In those distant days before the explosion of information technology tools, the textbook could serve as a foundational publication for any number of disciplines. I remember with great fondness my Canadian history textbooks from public school with their emblematic illustrations of explorers and the exploited. These books were invaluable as the primary focus of learning in the classroom and were, indeed, referred to as “primers” which set the pace for our learning.
Now, however, the conventional textbook may be increasingly viewed as an endangered species. With the availability of tools that drive forward Information Literacy at warp speed, it is hard to justify the early technology lethargy of the textbook preparation, production and publication process. Having written several textbooks myself, this may be seen as a form of intellectual betrayal. But with the growing immediacy of online capacity for assembling learning resources across the broadest possible canvas, things like BLS/OWL (or “Moodle”), it’s very difficult to justify the continued existence of the textbook as a viable learning tool.
Next time you pick up a textbook examine its coverage, content and currency and think: Am I getting good value for money from this resource? Are there not better, faster, more refined ways to capturing the information that I need as a learner in this area of study?
Textbook royalty cheques notwithstanding, I know it’s more engaging for me as a lecturer/instructor to build anew with every course, rather than rest on the laurels of an existing textbook, no matter how fine it may be!
