Section
Pepperdine Links
Online Publications
While the price of gasoline continues to squeeze wallets, students may soon find some relief from the rising cost of textbooks because of resources such as the Web site Wikibooks, which is now offering open-content textbooks online free of charge.
Wikibooks provides more than 11,500 book modules on a multitude of subjects that range from annotated texts of Shakespeare to a flight attendant’s manual. A book module is a Web page that can be written, viewed and edited by any user.
“We started it because we have a certain vision of providing low-cost books to anyone who wants them,” said Wikipedia associate Terry Foote. Wikipedia, a predecessor of Wikibooks, is an Internet encyclopedia that provides entries on a broad range of subjects that may also be edited by its viewers.
Free access is becoming more appealing to students as they are faced with increasing textbook prices and tuition costs.
“I think it’s a great idea, especially if it’s cheaper,” said senior Ben Tate.
According to a survey conducted by the California Student Public Interest Research Group and the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group, college students spent an average of $898 on textbooks in 2003, up almost 29 percent from the average spending of $642 on textbooks in 1996.
The survey also found that used textbooks were substantially cheaper than new textbooks. The average new college textbook cost $102.44 and was 58 percent more expensive than a used textbook that cost an average of $64.80. However, the survey also reported that 59 percent of college students are unable to find used textbooks for even one class.
While Wikibooks may prove tempting to some students because it’s free, professors are skeptical of the information found on the Web site. As a professor of economics and author of several textbooks, Dr. Robert Sexton says that there is no incentive to write textbooks on-line.
“Why would you even write it?” Sexton asked. “I mean, what if textbooks turned into something like Napster?”
Sexton also questioned the credibility of Wikibooks because content could be posted and edited by any user.
“Now, if somebody’s just going to put something online like that, you have to wonder about the quality issue,” Sexton said.
Foote said the accuracy of the information found in Wikibooks was exemplified by the people who use the Web site.
“It’s monitored by the community. Over time, the accuracy of the Wikipedia has increased,” Foote said. “Internet users are giving it credibility.”
Despite misgivings about some online books, Sexton uses an online version of one of his textbooks for his course on the history of economics. Students pay about $60 to access the book on the Internet. In addition to reading the book, students can also complete homework assignments and view supplements. Unlike Wikibooks, however, Sexton’s book cannot be viewed or edited by just anyone.
Sexton said that he put his book on the Internet for the sake of his students.
“It brings the costs down for the students,” Sexton said.
However, senior Sean Cox is a member of Sexton’s class and said he is unhappy with the online textbook arrangement.
“What about people who don’t have the Internet?” Cox asked.
Other students were concerned about the disadvantages of not having an actual textbook.
“It’s just not very practical,” senior Boro Isailovski said. “I just like reading and highlighting and making notes.”
Junior Breanna Curry agreed.
“I probably wouldn’t use the site because I can work better with having the book right in front of me,” Curry said.
Though opinions varied about online books, all the interviewed students expressed discontent with Pepperdine’s bookstore.
“It’s ridiculous,” Curry said. “They are really expensive, there are always new editions and so you’re pumping money into books that are useless after 12 weeks.”
Submitted 10-06-2005
MALIBU, CA
