ASPB EDUCATION FORUM

What Did You Say? A Future Without Textbooks?

Recently I attended a Biology Summit at the headquarters of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington, D.C. This summit, cosponsored by AAAS, NSF, and the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), brought together representatives from more than 60 life science organizations to discuss the future of undergraduate biological sciences education in the United States and hear from a number of experts discussing science, engineering, and mathematics in a changing world.

As we approached the last presentation of the first day, “The Education Publishing Transformation,” many of the attendees were thinking that this was one we wished we could skip. What could we get from a textbook company’s representative that was so important? Wow! Were we surprised!

Michael D. Lange, McGraw-Hill Higher Education vice president for new product launches in science, engineering, and mathematics, gave one of the most intriguing talks of the conference about the transformation taking place in the educational publishing business. As stated in a description of his presentation, “Changes in demographics and technology, as well as the rising cost of higher education, are driving publishers to reconsider their role in the 21st century.”

In his presentation, he noted that the future is in digital content, in which databases and wikis are readily available for use along with primary sources and case studies. Courses can be designed by instructors with any level of detail using multiple pathways and models. These can be modular in design and delivered by MP3s (digital audio players) and PDAs (personal digital assistants, or handheld computers).

Experiential learning, which has been difficult to design in the past, is now upon us. In virtual tours, students and others can “experience” a walk through a tropical forest or a tour inside the cell. Online labs, simulations, interactive collaborations, and gaming tools are being developed to enhance learning. As we know, powerful computational and quantitative sites are available for all to use that had not been accessible to the educational system and public until recently.

Lange stated that the future is in assessment and testing, in which pretests are given, and material is then individualized to the student and is self-paced with formative assessment. Necessary remediation takes place on the basis of specific assessment results for each learner. This type of learning can be visual, conceptual, and skills-oriented. It is outcome based; therefore, the goal is mastery of material by learning specific content, solving problems, or developing laboratory techniques and skills.

The concepts of “annual” and the “15-week semester” will no longer apply. The future is in developing material for a global market. Content will be customized to faculty and students and delivered directly to students by subscription and download. Very important, the content will be updated continually. Companies are starting to develop modules of best practices and organizing electronic bulletin boards to help in this new endeavor.

This very challenging time for publishers opens up many exciting instructional opportunities. Help inform the Society’s efforts to support this transition by submitting your experiences with this type of content delivery to katie@aspb.org.