Redish, NSF Conf: Reconsidering the Textbook (2006)

Whither/Wither the Physics Textbook in an Active/Inactive Era?

E. F. Redish, thinkpiece based on poster presented at the NSF conference, Reconsidering the Textbook: A Workshop, Washington, DC (May 24-26, 2006).

Abstract: The textbook still seems to be the core element in the large introductory university physics course, determining the content, pace, notation, and orientation taken by the instructor and students. Yet a number of trends seem to portend deep change in how the textbook is conceived and used. Few instructors are satisfied with the textbook: “It covers too many topics, it does them in the wrong order, it doesn’t do things in the way I like.” Few students actually read the textbook. Research has increasingly demonstrated that “active learning” is much more effective for students than the “transmissionist telling” that seems to be the model for most textbooks. And finally, an upcoming generation of students seems much more comfortable with obtaining their information on-line, often with active game-like components and video. In this paper, I explore some ways text can be adapted to the current university physics learning environment that is increasingly incorporating more active learning elements. I then consider the future and whether web documents with interactivity will lead to the textbook’s just “withering away” despite its apparent current vitality.