Innovation vs. Tradition: Microbiology Textbooks in the Age of Technology

Abstract

In the ever-changing environment of advanced technology use in education, many things are becoming, if not obsolete, then irrelevant. The education market is still teaming with traditional microbiology textbooks from seasoned authors despite the presence of new, interactive, and colorful textbooks that are student-friendly and relevant. Although senior instructors in the field of education continue to assemble collections of textbooks on their office shelves, college students’ bags have lightened and now accommodate a laptop rather than weighty textbooks. At Chicago State University (CSU) we surveyed our current student population from years 1 to 4. The 120-students registered in the College of Health Sciences and Pharmacy were enrolled in the study and were asked questions using the Google form survey tool. The questionnaire included questions about all course textbooks including microbiology. The data suggested that less than 1% of the students bought a textbook as mandated in the course syllabi. 5% of the students studied from free Portable Document Format (PDF) versions available through the internet. More than 90% of the students affirmed that they do not find the need or time to read textbooks. They not only found them boring but an absolute waste of their precious time. The students also reiterated that the content of the textbooks was never tested in their exams and assessments. The respondents overwhelmingly declared that the price of textbooks was not the major issue, and their student loans would cover the book allowances. We speculate that with this rising trend of textbook-free course offerings, there will not only be a shortage of useful textbooks in the education market but that young authors in the field of microbiology will become discouraged and disillusioned. It is therefore time to rethink, replan and reverse the fate of students’ eternal companion: the textbook.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0056/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

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