Does the Type of Textbook Matter? Results of a Study of Free Electronic Reading Materials at a Community College

ABSTRACT

This research describes a quasi-experiment across one face-to-face section and two online sections of introductory sociology testing freely available electronic resources (i.e., open education resources [OERs] and open access) to a paid printed textbook. This study fills a gap in the literature on how type of reading material (e.g., print/paid and electronic/open) affects student learning outcomes. The results show no significant relationship between type of reading materials on pre/posttest improvement or final grades. College-readiness at the time of enrollment at the college along with being a full-time student positively affected posttest score improvement. GPA was the only variable positively and significantly related to final grade. These findings suggest that using OERs and open access resources might be a viable choice for reducing textbook costs, thereby increasing access to higher education. Caution, however, is warranted as students indicate a preference for print (paid) over electronic (open) readings.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

The author reports no conflict of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Nancy A. Greenwood, Sarah Epplen, and Erin F. Doss for feedback on this manuscript. Special thanks to Becca Johnson and Lynn Breer for support and assistance.

Funding

This work was supported by the Illinois Community College Faculty Association Teaching and Learning Faculty Research Grant and The American Sociological Association’s Carla B. Howery Teaching Enhancement Fund.

Notes

1. OER Commons (2017) defined open education resources (OERs) as “teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and re-purposing by others” (p. 1) (see also Commonwealth of Learning, 2010). Pisanski (2013) suggested that “[w]e may use the term ‘open access’ for any publishing policy in which the principle that ‘the reader does not pay’ is implemented” (p. 55).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Illinois Community College Faculty Association Teaching and Learning Faculty Research Grant and The American Sociological Association’s Carla B. Howery Teaching Enhancement Fund.