Webinar: 2016 Student Textbook and Course Material Survey

In our next #FirstWednesdayoftheMonth webinar we return to the topic of textbooks as we join colleagues from the Florida Virtual Campus.

OUTLINE (Based on WCET presentation and 2016 Florida Textbook and Course Material Survey Report)

The high cost of textbooks places a significant strain on the pocketbooks on many of the college and university students in the US. Where rising textbook costs have traditionally been viewed as a financial challenge, this statewide survey of more than 22,000 Florida college students indicates that the cost of textbooks also negatively impacts student academic success. The 2016 Student Textbook and Course Material Survey Report is the third in a longitudinal series of surveys from 2010 through 2016 that shed light on the impact high textbook costs have not only on college affordability, but also college access and success.  Dr. Robin Donaldson and Dr. E Shen will discuss the findings from this study and share some of the solutions the state of Florida is implementing to make textbooks affordable for Florida’s one-million-plus public postsecondary students.

Dr. Robin Donaldson (@RobinLDonaldson) serves as the Director of Member Research and Services for the Florida Distance Learning Student Services (DLSS) within the Florida Virtual Campus. In this role, Donaldson leads the Instruction Services and Research Team and is responsible for monitoring DLSS initiatives, provides oversight on DLSS projects, and supports the statewide Distance Learning and Student Services Members Council.

Dr. E Shen is a part time researcher and programmer for the Florida Distance Learning Student Services within the Florida Virtual Campus. As a member of the Instruction Services and Research Team, Dr. Shen provides support for distance learning and student services research, and other statewide initiatives. He is currently an assistant professor at Wake Forest School of Medicine.

This webinar took place on Wednesday December 7th, 2016 at 16.00 GMT / 11.00 EST / 08.00 PST.

Catch the recording here.

INFOGRAPHIC Textbook Affordability: What are students saying?

Featured image: Box of medical textbooks by Patrick, CC BY-SA 2.0