Quality and Price Top Considerations when Faculty Select Course Materials

OBERLIN, OHIO, September 15, 2016 – Contrary to the popular belief that faculty select textbooks and course materials without consideration for what it will cost students, a new survey conducted by the National Association of College Stores indicates the opposite. The report found that the majority of faculty consider quality of content (81%) and price (74%) when selecting course materials. Quality is key as 61% indicated it is the most important factor when selecting materials, while just 10% considered cost the most important factor. Those who assign a digital textbook were 10% more likely to consider cost to students.

Despite the challenges of switching to an entirely new course material, which includes updating materials such as syllabi and assignments, 76% have changed course materials in the past five years. Finding materials that are more effective or relevant, up-to-date, and lower cost are their top three reasons for switching.

Faculty Watch 2015-16 Academic Year: Attitudes & Behaviors toward Course Materials , is based on responses from more than 1,500 faculty at 24 higher education institutions. The report gives insights into faculty opinions on course materials, including adoption considerations, format preferences, affordability, and more. Other key findings of the report include:

Just because a new edition comes out doesn’t mean it’s assigned

One of the most publicized complaints of students is being assigned a new textbook that may not be available as used or rental. Faculty Watch found that 37% of faculty only select a new edition when changes between versions become significant and another 21% wait until it becomes difficult for students to find the older edition.

Use of digital to increase

While traditional printed textbooks remain the top format assigned to students, 36% do plan to incorporate eBooks into their curriculum. In fact, nearly half of faculty (49%) believe that adaptive learning tools are more effective than printed textbooks in creating positive learning outcomes. Looking ahead, 43% of faculty believe that most assigned materials in their discipline will be digital within the next five years.

Faculty and students views on course materials differ

Faculty and students hold differing views on the value course materials offer, how they should be utilized, and their overall effectiveness. For example, 87% of faculty reported course materials are very to extremely useful in helping students do well in courses. But, according to a recent survey, Student Watch 2015-16 Academic Year: Attitudes and Behaviors toward Course Materials , of students, only about 55% of all students considered their materials very to extremely useful in helping them perform well. If the materials were used regularly in class and to study and do homework, the perceived usefulness among students increased to 72% according the report.

About Faculty Watch

Faculty Watch is an in-depth study of faculty attitudes and behaviors toward course materials. The study was conducted online in the spring 2016 term. It is designed to proportionately match the most recent figures of U.S. higher education published in The Chronicle of Higher Education: 2014/2015 Almanac. Twenty-four institutions were selected to participate based on the following factors: public vs. private schools, two-year vs. four-year degree programs, enrollment size, and geographic location. Campus stores distributed the survey to their faculty by email. The survey fielded for a two- or three-week period in March/April 2016 and yielded a total of 1,595 responses. The margin of error for this study is <2.5% at the 95% confidence level.

About The National Association of College Stores

The National Association of College Stores (NACS), headquartered in Oberlin, Ohio, is the professional trade association of the $10 billion campus store industry. NACS provides education and other resources that help its member stores support student success, the campus experience, and the academic missions of higher education institutions. The association represents all campus stores, which include nearly 4,000 campuses in the U.S. and Canada, and approximately 1,000 industry-related companies that supply course materials and other merchandise and services to campus stores.