CAAHE Module-Text Survey
The Institute for Professional Development’s Academic Services Department conducted their annual Textbook-Module Survey. Of our 19 CAAHE institutions, 16 participated in the survey. Eight institutions ask students to download their modules from the institutions' Web sites; six deliver a hard copy of the course modules or deliver the modules on CD-ROMs to students in the classroom; and two institutions e-mail modules directly to the students.
Institutions often distribute course modules and textbooks differently depending on the course delivery format—either on-ground or online—and the level of the course (i.e., undergraduate or graduate). Students in on-ground courses may receive a hard copy while students in online courses may choose to download or receive an e-mail.
In addition, institutions deliver notes for modules with either the course module or
syllabus. Eight CAAHE institutions provide students with notes in a hard copy form;
three institutions opt to send notes by e-mail; and five institutions post notes online to
download.
|
Student Modules |
Notes for Modules |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Download |
8/16 |
50.00% |
5/16 |
31.25% |
Hard copy/CD delivered |
6/16 |
37.50% |
8/16 |
50.00% |
E-mailed |
2/16 |
12.50% |
3/16 |
18.75% |
When it comes to textbook ordering and delivery, seven institutions have a staff member
who orders the textbooks and materials and, in many cases, delivers them to the students.
Six institutions ask their students to order and acquire the textbooks themselves. Three
institutions provide a mixed service, ordering or delivering the texts but requiring that the
students acquire the textbooks themselves. For several institutions, again, the procedure
depends on whether the course is on-ground or online.
|
Textbooks Ordering |
|
|---|---|---|
Staff Orders and Delivers |
7/16 |
43.75% |
Student Orders |
6/16 |
37.50% |
Mixed |
3/16 |
18.75% |
A few institutions expressed concerns with the frequency of textbook revisions by the publishers and the problematic issues that were occurring because of the revisions. This year, the number of textbooks purchased by students section was added to the survey. Thirteen institutions reported students ordered one textbook at a time for their courses. Two institutions reported students ordered multiple textbooks for courses. One institution did not provide a response to this question.
|
# of Textbooks Purchased by Students |
|
|---|---|---|
One Course |
13/16 |
81.25% |
Multiple Courses |
2/16 |
12.50% |
N/A |
1/16 |
6.25% |
Lastly, five institutions have staff members that order and distribute textbooks in-house and 10 institutions use outside vendors to order their textbooks. One institution did not provide a response to this question.
|
Vendor |
|
|---|---|---|
In-house |
5/16 |
31.25% |
External Vendor |
10/16 |
62.50% |
N/A |
1/16 |
6.25% |
View the full results of the survey in Adobe Acrobat format (PDF).