Online Textbook Review

In pairs, present your review of an online textbook platform during class:

• ZyBooks
  • Murilo Calegari de Souza
  • Alice Hu
• Runestone
  • Trinity Johnson
  • Annie Sawers
• Rephactor
  • Teya Evans
  • Silas Lenihan

Submitting your Work

Add your presentation materials (such as slides or notes) to the shared class notes repository's online_textbook folder.

You can either clone the repository and push your files or upload them through the website when you are ready.

Specifications

Start by reviewing the book's main page that advertises its features, advantages, and pedagogy/goals so you have a context in which to review whether or not the book's content and interactivity live up to those goals. Then pick six topics (typically short due to students' short attention spans :) to serve as concrete examples for your overall review:

• two each from early, middle, and late content
• that you feel students would learn something concrete from (i.e., not introductions or overview topics)

Focus your review on the following questions:

1. What features do you feel most help students learn the topic (and why)?
2. What features do you feel least help students learn the topic (and why)?
3. There is less text than a print book or tutorial, do you feel the other features (animations, interactive examples, etc.) make up for this difference?
4. How does the online text use learning theories in the features it provides?
5. Do you feel the online text lives up to the hype it advertises?
6. Are there things about traditional print textbooks you miss?
7. Do you feel the "quick check" exercises within the topic are helpful?
8. What, if anything, about reading an online textbook should be graded?

You may use any resource you want for your review, but you must site it in your presentation or README (as appropriate).