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In September, UBC’s Amanda Goldrick-Jones introduced Liquid Textbooks to COMM486, via OUP Canada. With the course now well underway, we thought this a good time to ask Amanda about her experiences to date.
(Note – COMM486 is divided into 23 sections, taught by seven instructors. Symtext created 23 versions of the COMM486 Liquid Textbook, one for each section. This is intended to allow the unique culture and context of each section to emerge through student and instructor generated content.)
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Symtext: Hi Amanda. Could you tell us a bit about what you do, COMM486, and the circumstances leading to your decision to consider a digital content solution?
Amanda Goldrick-Jones: COMM 486W is a new multi-section business writing course, now mandatory for 3rd year students in UBC’s Sauder School of Business. The course services about 650 – 700 students each year. I serve as course developer (researching, creating, and updating both wholly online and classroom-based content), coordinator/ administrator, and as instructor, teaching two sections each term. For a writing course in which we discuss and write about current business issues, it’s essential to have easily updatable readings. I wanted to use an electronic reading package, and that was when I first heard about the liquid textbook option.
S: It’s early in the course yet but how would you describe the reaction to Liquid Textbooks?
AGJ: Aside from initial technological issues, generally positive. Some students like the combination of interactivity and sustainability. One instructor describes it to her students as “new, exciting, experimental.” Some instructors of other courses are showing initial interest or curiosity.
S: What are your thoughts about the possible pedagogical impact of liquid textbooks?
AGJ: This kind of text is an excellent aid to student engagement. This is probably the first time I’ve had 100% of my students owning a required text, and roughly once a week I require them to annotate a reading. Because the annotations are identified, I know almost all are fulfilling that requirement. The quality of annotations shows that students are generally thinking seriously about the readings and/or issues arising from them. As a result, students are much better prepared for discussions and exercises, and class participation is richer and more egalitarian.
S: What kind of feedback are you getting from students?
AGJ: A majority of students find the readings useful and enjoy the interactive features. They appreciate being able to see and learn from what their peers are saying and like the fact that they can reflect on their peers’ comments. Some like that it is paperless and therefore more sustainable.
Wholly online students are most enthusiastic, according to their instructors. One says she has received many positive comments from students about the helpfulness of the articles.
A minority of students are neutral or don’t like the liquid text. Some prefer hard copy texts for a variety of reasons, not all of them pedagogical.
S: From an Administrative standpoint, how does this approach fit with the School’s strategy/direction?
AGJ: I’m still quite new to the Sauder School/UBC, but I know there is some interest in exploring liquid textbooks as an alternative to hard copy and as a way of promoting greater participation/engagement in learning.
S: Other thoughts or comments?
AGJ: This kind of text has great promise to be a flexible, easily updatable, sustainable, and engaging alternative to traditional texts. For me, it is already proving its worth pedagogically, and in terms of cost is competitive with other e-texts (which may not even have similar interactive features). It will add value and a sense of permanence to be able to print out annotations as well as text pages. I also look forward to continuing refinements in the interactive features.
S: Thanks, Amanda!
You can reach Ian at ian @ symtext . com
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