Textbook
A comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study, serving to explain the subject.
Last updated
A branch of study is explained through a comprehensive compilation of content found in a book called a textbook.[1] Educators and learners, including those studying independently outside formal institutions, are the intended audience for textbooks.[1] In schools, textbooks and other books are referred to as schoolbooks; many of these are now released in both print and digital forms.[1]
Quick Facts
- Major publishers
- Pearson Education
- Cengage
- McGraw-Hill Education
- Wiley (control around 80% of US market revenue)
Facts from the source article.
Making and release
The Student PIRGs found that a new edition costs 12% more than a new copy of the previous edition.[2] Recitation of knowledge and stories, similar to Homer's epic poems, was the method of transmission before the Greek alphabet was invented 2,500 years ago.[3] The changing media for transmitting knowledge caused the Greek philosopher Socrates to lament what was being lost.[3] Socrates was concerned that writing would diminish the Greeks' ability to memorize and retell information.[4]
A textbook featuring headings and summaries, designed for universal use, was published by Peter Ramus in 16th-century France.[5] New editions from major textbook companies appear every 3 or 4 years, with math and science seeing even more frequent updates.[2]
What the cited sources add
The same report found that new editions of the most widely purchased textbooks cost 45 percent more than used copies of the previous edition.[6] The Student PIRGs reported that the average textbook surveyed costs 20 percent more in the United States than in the United Kingdom.[6] A Harvard Crimson article noted that professor Michael J. Sandel states on his syllabus that all proceeds from his textbook sales will go to charity.[7] The Student PIRGs' open textbooks catalog describes open textbooks as college texts offered online under a license that allows free digital access and low-cost print options.[8]
A 2005 report by The Student PIRGs indicated that from 1994 onward, textbook wholesale prices rose by 62 percent, whereas prices for all finished goods increased by just 14 percent.[6]
References
- Wikipedia, "Textbook" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; "schoolbook – definition of schoolbook in English from the Oxford dictionary" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Textbook" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: D’gama, "Professors Find Different Uses for Textbook Profits", The Harvard Crimson, 4 March 2008 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Textbook" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "True Stuff: Socrates vs. The Written Word" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Textbook" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Marcia Clemmitt, "Learning Online Literacy," in "Reading Crisis?" CQ Researcher, 22 February 2008, pp. 169–192. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Textbook" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
- "Ripoff 101: 2nd Edition", Student PIRGs, 27 February 2005. facts only, no text reused. studentpirgs.org
- D’gama, "Professors Find Different Uses for Textbook Profits", The Harvard Crimson, 4 March 2008. facts only, no text reused. thecrimson.com
- "Open Textbooks: Catalog", Student PIRGs. facts only, no text reused. studentpirgs.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Textbook (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Nonfiction And Reference
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Textbook (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced