The Teaching & Learning Center

eTextbook Initiative - Faculty Information

What is the eTextbook Initiative?

This initiative is a university-wide effort that aims to replace and/or supplement expensive commercial course textbooks with free, faculty-produced electronic textbooks. These eTextbooks will provide additional types of content, learning experiences, and assessments not found in a typical textbook while saving students money and increasing their access to educational materials.

Overview

• The cost of textbooks has risen 88% between 2006 and 2016. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• The average full-time, on-campus undergraduate at a four-year school spent $1,240 on textbooks and supplies during the 2020-2021 academic year. (Source: U.S. News & World Report)
• In 2020, 65% of students declined to purchase a textbook because of cost. (Source: United States Public Interest Research Group)

As technology has advanced, higher education faculty, institutions, and state systems have started to produce their own electronic textbooks. These self-published eTextbooks are typically either sold at a low-cost or made available for free to the public. Higher education institutions around the world are now adopting these materials as a way to cut costs for their students while continuing to provide high-quality educational materials. Here at WCU, some faculty have been using free eTextbooks produced and distributed by Rice University’s OpenStax program and other similar programs.

Certain types of eTextbooks also have the ability to provide content, learning experiences, and assessments that go beyond what’s typically encountered in many electronic textbooks. Using Apple Pages to generate an eBook in both ePub and PDF formats, faculty will be able to create resources that can utilize more than just text and images – they can also incorporate audio, video, and links to other web-based tools, such as interactive images and galleries, rotatable three-dimensional images, quizzes, slideshows, and HTML-based software. According to research published in Medical Education by James Pickering, Associate Professor of Anatomy at the University of Leeds and author of the eTextbook Access Anatomy: Abdomen, students with poor exam results, “…consistently reveal a lack of engagement with appropriate learning resources,” and that data in his study suggests that, “…these issues may be remedied by using an eBook that contains a range of learning resources that can cater to individual learning styles” (2015, pp. 522-523).

We believe improving access to educational materials and engaging students using a variety of learning resources can result in improved student outcomes. Thus, this initiative aims to provide faculty training and support for eTextbook development.

Project Leadership

This initiative is overseen by the Teaching and Learning Center and led by Marc Drumm, Senior Instructional Designer.

Participation Eligibility

You must be permanent, full-time West Chester University faculty to participate in this initiative

Application Process

Towards the beginning of each Fall semester, a Call for Participation is sent via email to all WCU faculty. An application form is also included and must be completed in its entirety and submitted to our office by the listed deadline in order to receive consideration.

To guarantee that you will be contacted when the Call for Participation is sent, please notify Marc Drumm of your interest (contact information is listed at the end of this page). He will send a second notification email to those faculty who have explicitly shown interest in participating.

Expected Participation and Deliverables

After the application deadline passes, a set number of faculty will be selected as a cohort. Throughout the academic year, they are expected to attend monthly cohort meetings and meet regularly with an assigned Instructional Designer in order to obtain training in eTextbook construction. Faculty who have completed their eTextbook by the end of the academic year will receive a stipend or professional development fund. As of the 2023-2024 academic year, the stipend is $2,500 for first-time participants and $1,000 for repeat participants. Please note that these amounts are subject to change from year to year and will be listed in the Call for Participation for any given year.

Content Terms of Use

By participating, faculty agree to share the final product with West Chester University students for free. Faculty will retain the rights to their eTextbooks and will be able to distribute their work outside of the university however they choose.

Technology

eTextbooks in this initiative are created using Apple Pages for macOS. The Teaching and Learning Center has a small number of Macs that can be loaned to participants who do not have access to one.

Support

The Teaching and Learning Center will continue to support faculty who want to add to or modify their eTextbook after their cohort’s submission deadline has passed.

Additionally, student support is available via this web site or by contacting the Teaching and Learning Center during normal business hours (M-F, 8am-4pm) at tlc@wcupa.edu. 

Questions and Contact Information

If you have any questions related to the eTextbook Initiative, please contact Marc Drumm at mdrumm@wcupa.edu.