Challenges of electronic textbook authoring: Writing in the discipline

Abstract

Textbooks and tuition costs are continually rising in higher education. Many college administrators and faculty members work to find solutions to offset these rising costs. Teachers explore creative ways to assign course readings, assignments, and assessment instruments. Reshaping the higher education landscape, universities and colleges have adopted new and innovative modes of teaching and learning supported by extensive information technology infrastructures. The author has completed the first phase of this research design and development of a digital textbook for a gateway foundations class in the areas of media art and science. The instructional design, delivery format, and results of two semesters of data have been collected and are presented in this article. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.