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New textbook rules aim to decrease costs, increase transparency
DAYTON — A student at Sinclair Community College can expect to pay nearly as much on textbooks and supplies annually as they do on tuition.
Textbook prices rose at twice the rate of inflation between 1987 and 2004, for a total of 186 percent, according to a 2005 study by the Government Accountability Office. Today, a local college student can expect to pay an average of $1,370 annually on books and supplies, a 50 percent increase from when the GOA report was published only five years ago, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Next month, universities will be mandated under the reauthorization of the Higher Education Opportunity Act to make information available about how much books cost each semester. Experts say these rules will force faculty to choose materials earlier, students will have the option to buy materials à la carte and will get more money when they sell books back.
If bookstores have a better idea what books will be used any given semester, it “allows us to pay students more for their unwanted books” that can be resold, said Jade Roth, vice president of books for Barnes and Noble College Booksellers. The company operates the bookstore at Wright State University and 650 other colleges across the country.
But it is that used book market, which when combined with wholesales is typically more than 20 percent of any college bookstores business, that publishers contend is at the root of the high costs of textbooks. Bruce Hildebrant, executive director of higher education for the American Association of Publishers, said used books seriously limit the profits of publishers. “There are more choices and lower prices today then anytime in history because of technology,” he said.
Technologies like tablet computers, netbooks and handhelds could reshape the textbook market in the coming decade by offering students more resources at cheaper prices. Colleges are slowly migrating course materials online and some are switching to digital versions of textbooks to help make their courses more affordable.
Lynn Disbrow, Wright State University association professor of communication, recently won an award from the Ohio Board of Regents for digitizing a public speaking course’s materials and reducing costs from $90 to $35.
“The students have really taken to it,” said Disbrow, who added that course syllabi, assignments and other requirements also are online. “They like that they can’t lose anything. It really is a paperless course.”
But recent studies show students are slower to embrace technology for learning than they are for fun things like social networking. Student Watch 2010, an OnCampus Research study commissioned by the National Association of College Stores found 74 percent of students still prefer printed textbooks and about 60 percent do not know if digital textbooks are available on their campuses.
Frank Koontz, Miami University director of bookstores, said e-books represent only 3 percent of sales, which is double a year ago. “There is going to be a point when they become a viable option, but it is not their year,” he said.
Disbrow believes one reason lies with secondary education and the way students are taught to learn. “Their mental context for learning is still, ‘give me a textbook,’ ” Disbrow said. “It is a digital divide issue. Early adopters also are often at the upper end of the socioeconomic spectrum.”
David Wright, University of Dayton director of curriculum innovation, believes the transition will come sooner rather than later. “I think the change is happening as we speak,” Wright said, noting the vast variety of ways tablet computers can be used for learning.
The university experimented with e-books last year using them in one section of a biology class, Wright said. Students loved them and achieved as well as their peers. “It is just a matter of people moving into it,” he said. “Unless you’ve done it, it doesn’t make sense to replace something that is familiar.”
Digital resources will play a big role in the future of education and in keeping materials affordable. Chancellor Eric Fingerhut and the Ohio Board of Regents launched a website full of resources and innovative faculty from schools across the state that have made education materials more affordable.
Nearly all of the textbooks published by McGraw-Hill are available digitally, a company spokesman said. Bruce Hildebrand, executive director of higher education for the American Association of Publishers, said companies will offer materials anyway the market demands.
“Right now, the huge growth area is in custom textbooks,” Hildebrand said. Teachers can select certain parts of a book, “the price is lower because you are only paying for what you use.” Custom texts and e-books are not the only way universities are reducing costs. Local schools have seen rapid growth in new textbook rental programs that charge students 40 percent of a textbook’s list price.
Under the reauthorization of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, students will be able to buy materials a la carte, instead of the expensive bundles that often include workbooks and other supplemental resources.
Despite advances and new regulations, textbook prices are likely to continue to be an expensive investment for students. Developing books, supplemental materials and interactive online resources is expensive, said Hildebrand. “Margins run about 7 percent and we take all the risks,” he said.
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