Please Welcome ASU’s Newest Freshman to Campus: the Kindle

For most college students, it’s almost a rite-of-passage to spend big bucks at the bookstore. But with advancements in online publishing, digital textbooks are no longer out of the question. Not only are they cost effective, they’re convenient, searchable, environmentally friendly, and may even incorporate rich media, giving students the ability to both read about a subject and maybe watch a video about it too.

And yet, even with all their advantages, traditional paper-based books still rule at universities around the country. What gives? Well, in my view, it’s a complicated interaction between publishers, faculty, and students all caught in a 20th century business model that’s yet to give way.

But all that may be changing, and soon.

Beginning in Fall 2009, ASU is partnering with Amazon to try out the Kindle DX, Amazon’s latest digital reading device, to replace traditional textbooks in the classroom. Selected classes  of students will begin using the Kindle instead of paper books, and we’ll be comparing how they fare relative to their paper book wielding counterparts.

For example, thanks to a proposal from Dr. Ted Humphrey, President’s Professor in ASU’s Barrett Honors College, a group of students enrolled in this fall’s Human Event course will receive their textbooks not as bound books but on a brand new Kindle DX instead. The Human Event is a two-semester course required of all Barrett students that covers a wide range of material from about 50 different sources.

ASU is actively working with Amazon to find those courses of study for which the Kindle is a good alternative to traditional texts. In those areas, Kindle delivered e-books would provide students with a significant cost savings and provide them with an additional flexible learning tool. In addition to cutting textbook costs and reducing the weight in students’ backpacks, digital textbooks are available for download wirelessly and reduce the amount of paper used to print and distribute textbooks.

Electronic texts provide the capabilities that today’s students have come to expect–they’re searchable, flexible, easy to annotate, and less expensive than traditional texts. I’m pumped to work with Amazon and to see how the Kindle can help the University accelerate the adoption of electronic textbooks into a variety of courses.

ASU is one of five universities participating with Amazon in the Kindle pilot. The others are Princeton University, Case Western Reserve University, Reed College, and Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

As always, your thoughts, notions, questions and comments are welcome.