Students Want to Know:
Why Do I Need to Buy this Expensive Textbook?
Heather Martin

For me choosing a textbook is, unfortunately, not unlike choosing who to vote for in a major political election or a season of American Idol for that matter. At first glance, it might seem as if the process would always end with a clear, satisfying selection since I have the freedom to decide what I want to do with my pick. However, a closer examination reveals that the list of possible choices is actually quite small, and while each of the "finalists" has appealing aspects, no "candidate" is without shortcomings. So, just like everyone else who wades into this process, I consider every variable I can and pick the one that has the most strengths and the fewest flaws. And while sometimes at the end of a quarter I've felt like I ended up with a "Sanjaya" of a textbook, and not the "Jennifer Hudson" edition I was hoping it would be, looking back it's easy to identify wonderful ideas and readings and structures I have gleaned from every textbook I've ever used. And that's what keeps me excited about having the opportunity to make my next choice.
-- Casey Rountree

When I consider whether or not to choose a textbook and which one to choose, I try to weigh how much the book might help with student learning. I often choose to put together a large group of readings on my own which I think will both help and interest students, especially for WRIT 1122. For WRIT 1133, where we study in depth a variety of research methodologies, I choose a text which I feel will cover the topics thoroughly and that will provide a springboard for class discussions. When I require a text and assign readings, I certainly expect students to do those readings as they will help them to learn and progress in the course.
-- Kelli Custer

When a faculty member assigns a textbook, but doesn't use every chapter, it's not out of negligence, but because most schools, and therefore most textbooks, use the semester system many textbooks are designed to supply material for 20 weeks of classes, while we only have 10-11 weeks, and must choose what we feel is most significant from the book.
-- Alba Newmann

Many good reasons exist for not using a textbook in this class. However, two clear benefits for my using a textbook are as follows: 1) the textbook provides a way of structuring our investigation into the various types of writing available for college-level (and beyond) writing; and 2) the textbook, written by at least one author, provides another voice about writing. In the class, we interrogate the presumptions about writing on the part of the author(s) and then place that interrogation into a discussion with our class' presumptions about writing. The end result, I hope, creates a richer, more complex understanding of writing. Of course, the emphasis in my courses is always on the production of student text, so if a textbook interferes with that, I will move to another book, or abandon a book altogether.
-- Matt Hill

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