Changing all Physical Textbooks to Digital Format at Wayne State University

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Changing all Physical Textbooks to

Digital Format at Wayne State University
Sam Thomas
ENG 3050: Amy Latawiec

Sunday, April 17 2016

Changing all Physical Textbooks to Digital Format at Wayne State University

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April 3, 2016
Wayne State Student Senate Office
395 Student Center
5221 Gullen Mall
Detroit MI, 48202
Subject: Changing all Physical Textbooks to Digital Format at Wayne State University

Dear Wayne State Student Senate,

It is a great pleasure to present to you a new movement for our school body in regards to
academics. Within this proposal, it states that a change in physical textbooks to a digital format
such as eBooks can help both the student and faculty.
With your permission and influence, I greatly believe that we can make this proposal happen
before the winter semester of 2016-2017.
Attached is the proposal requesting for a change in all physical textbooks to digital format at
Wayne State University. Thank you for your time. I greatly appreciate it.

Sincerely yours,
Sam Thomas

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April 5, 2016
Academic Senate
Faculty/Administration, Suite 1279
656 W. Kirby
Detroit, MI 48202
Subject: Changing all Physical Textbooks to Digital Format at Wayne State University

Dear Academic Senate,

It is a great pleasure to present to you a new movement for our school body in regards to
academics. Within this proposal, it states that a change in physical textbooks to a digital format
such as eBooks can help both the student and faculty.
With your permission and influence, I greatly believe that we can make this proposal happen
before the winter semester of 2016-2017.
Attached is the proposal requesting for a change in all physical textbooks to digital format at
Wayne State University. Thank you for your time. I greatly appreciate it.

Sincerely yours,
Sam Thomas

Changing all Physical Textbooks to Digital Format at Wayne State University

Table of Contents


Cover Page #1

Letter of Transmittal (Wayne State Student Senate) #2

Letter of Transmittal (Wayne State Academic Senate) #3

Table of Contents #4

Executive Summary #5
Introduction #5-6

Problem #6-7
Cost #7

Solution #7-8

Method #8

Conclusion #8-9

References #10
Appendix A: Primary Research Survey(Students) #11
Appendix B: Primary Research Survey (Faculty) #12

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Executive Summary
As of the year 2015, 25,619 students are enrolled at Wayne State University in Detroit,
Michigan. This two component report will help at least 3/4ths of students reduce their expense
throughout their college career immensely. Over $800 are spent each year on physical textbooks.
Did I mention that this is not included in tuition? College textbooks are not cheap!!
This proposal will help show the students, faculty, and board of education of Wayne State
University why it is both necessary and beneficial for this change to happen immediately.
Issues with physical textbooks include expensiveness, heaviness, and space consuming in a
backpack. Throughout the report, we have asked both students and faculty what their opinion is
on the switch from physical textbooks to eBooks. This helps show both ends of the spectrum and
lets us evaluate accordingly and efficiently.
After discussing our proposal with fifteen students and fifteen faculty members, majority said
they were interested and ready to make the switch. These options were researched through
primary interviews. I repeat, College textbooks are not cheap!! There needs to be a change to
help our student body.

Introduction

Does one have to win? In my opinion along with sixteen of the thirty participants, yes one does
have to win. Physical textbooks are heavy and expensive. Students pay over 800 dollars plus the
initial tuition they pay per semester to be a student. The average production cost for a $26
hardcover is $4.05, where as the production cost for a $9.99 eBook download is $.50. Another
thing we can look at is the publisher sales total. This table in regards to this occurred in 2009. It

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is shown that $249.2 million in total have been forwarded towards publishers. $110.7 million
going to paperback and the other $138.5 million going to hardcover copies. eBook owners buy
3.3 times more titles than before! Only $29.3 is used as publisher sale fee.
Problems with physical copies of textbooks include expense, space absorbing, and most
seriously: weight that can cause injuries to the body. Technology keeps improving and I feel like
with the help of this advancement, we can help the students of Wayne State University progress
in this technology especially because our university is considered a research university. I have
conducted interviews for Wayne State students and faculty to see how much interest is needed
for this switch. The goal of this proposal is to make the switch from physical textbooks to
eBooks for students at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.

Problems
There are many issues in regards to physical textbooks compared to a digital copy version:
eBooks. The simple issues include that textbooks are pricey and heavy for students. This is being
proposed by myself also with the opinions of the ten student participants and the six faculty
participants of the primary research interviews whom also agree.
Carrying textbooks can cause injuries to the human body. Students, in college, constantly hold
their backpacks while walking to class or to their cars.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a childs backpack shouldnt weigh
more than 10 to 20 percent of their weight, but often this limit is exceeded, and it could certainly
lead to strain and even injury. (AAP, 2015) If the backpack is heavier, it tends to make the
backpack carrier slant forwards. This forwards slant motion can cause serious injuries to the

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back. Over time, scoliosis, pinched nerves, neck and spinal deformity or even rounding of the
shoulder can form. Another reason being is that textbooks are also costly. Over $800 is
purchases simply on physical textbooks for a year (2 semesters).
Our school body could and should use the worlds new technology to our advantage.

Cost
Parents are already spending their money on sending their kids to college or the student is on
tuition loans. eBooks are cheaper than textbooks. Technology is becoming big and more helpful
to students. Most textbooks that students buy are sold after their use. Since they want to sell the
textbooks, students will not underline, highlight, or take any notes in the books. Taking little
notes here and there help a student do well on tests and quizzes. Ultimately, improved scores and
grades will be seen. eBooks are significantly cheaper than physical textbooks due to the fact that
most eBooks dont go over the cost of $30 per book since it is all digital. As mentioned above,
cost is a huge burden on students and is one of the main reasons students can not attend college.
Why not make it cheaper? Just think about it. An initial payment of $1000 for the device plus
$30 max eBooks would be much cheaper for students who plan on graduating in four years,
where as $800 plus is used per year. The device will be expensive but it can also be used for
other necessities for students. Also, polls show that students like eBooks better than textbooks. If
students like it better, why not let them use eBooks?

Solution
Wayne State University should make the switch to become more dependent on eBooks than
physical textbooks. This switch will make students lives easier by making it much more
affordable, accessible, and user-friendly. Some tips that help protect include using rolling
backpacks, choosing backpacks that end above the waist, with padded shoulder straps and a belt,

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wearing backpacks on both shoulders, pulling the shoulder straps snug, placing heavier books
closest to the back, bending your knees when lifting the backpack, getting a second set of
schoolbooks to keep at home, or carrying what necessary each day. (WebMD,2013)
Although these are some tips to help protect, there is always a chance that the human body can
get affected. The best choice is to just make the switch to digital copies. This switch will make
students lives easier by making it much more affordable, accessible, and user-friendly. Making
the switch will be a tedious process, but it will be well-worth it.

Methods
Methods will be in place to make this proposal a success for our university.
The first plan of action is to contact publishers and eBook companies to see if they have a direct
conversion of the suggested books onto the digital world whether it be eBooks or pdf format.
This will definitely be the hardest part of the project, but with the help of technological leaders
this can be easily done. It will be tough to find each and every single book in digital format for
the first year. Due to this problem, technological helpers should emphasize directly on general
education requirements to help students with their cost right away.
Also, it is mandatory that Wayne State University should have seminars to help teach their
faculty and students on how to properly use the downloaded eBook and its given panels.
Although this is a very long process, I feel as if it will be very beneficial for our students and
faculty.

Conclusion/Discussion
Some people may suggest that textbooks are better simply because of personal preference and
that they prefer the old-school style of books. However, eBooks simply make a better choice in
the long run. After a long search of research, eBooks are the better candidate over physical
textbooks due to the reasons that it will be much more affordable, accessible, and user-friendly. I

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hope to see changes in our education by the winter 2016- 2017 semester. Changing to eBooks
might put the strong drive in students to do well in their classes. Of course, for this to happen,
partnerships and collaborations will also have to change. The service Barnes and Noble's, one of
Wayne State's bookstores, would have to be altered. In the long run, eBooks will be more useful
to students than textbooks because of the difference in cost, size, and weight. A standard
textbook is said to be about 3.6 lbs. where a IPad or laptop which could hold all the textbooks is
on average 4-5 lbs. Additionally, Amazon and other online book dealers will have great success
with eBook sales, which may in turn affect the economy in other ways. For example, after
Kindle was released, the business in Borders Book, another book store similar to Barns and
Nobles, slowly started to decline. Eventually they lost all business in their stores because people
kept buying eBooks for their kindles, iPads and other devices. In the end, Amazon finally bought
Borders and eventually every physical Borders book store was shut down. This can be seen as a
negative aspect of eBooks as well, considering the atmosphere of picking books out in a physical
store and the joy some people got from that disappeared. However, this is not a problem Wayne
State University should be concerned with when considering textbooks. The purpose of the
textbooks is just for studying; which students can still use with eBooks. All in all, I hope Wayne
State University can see how useful and convenient eBooks are, and will slowly start to become
an university that uses only eBooks.

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References:
Backpacks and Back Pain in Children. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2016, from http://www.spinehealth.com/wellness/ergonomics/backpacks-and-back-pain-children
Back to School Tips. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2016, from https://www.aap.org/en-us/aboutthe-aap/aap-press-room/news-features-and-safety-tips/pages/back-to-school-tips.aspx
Print Book vs. eBook. (2012). Retrieved April 17, 2016, from
http://www.bookmasters.com/blog/print-book-vs-ebook/
EBooks VS Traditional Books. (2014). Retrieved April 17, 2016, from
https://malikalamrani.wordpress.com/2014/11/30/ebooks-vs-traditional-books/
Heavy Backpacks Can Hurt Students' Backs. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2016, from
http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/news/20040813/heavy-backpacks-can-hurt-student-backs
The Digital Textbook Conundrum. (2012). Retrieved April 17, 2016, from
http://www.gpb.org/blogs/passion-for-learning/2012/10/03/the-digital-textbook-conundrum
Young blonde schoolgirl holding help sign carrying heavy backpack or school bag full causing
stress and pain on back due to overweight isolated on grunge background. (n.d.). Retrieved April
17, 2016, from http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-222015520/stock-photo-young-blondeschoolgirl-holding-help-sign-carrying-heavy-backpack-or-school-bag-full-causing-stress.html

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Appendix A: Primary Research Survey: Physical Textbooks vs eBooks (Student

Survey)

1)Would you rather have physical textbooks or eBooks?

A. Physical textbooks (4 students)
B. eBooks (11 students)

2) Have you used eBooks before?

A. Yes (6 students)
B. No (9 students)

3) How many physical textbooks do you carry per semester in your backpack?
A. 0 (3 students)
B. 1-3 (9 students)
C. 3-6 (3 students)

4) Would you actually be interested in making the switch from physical textbooks to
eBooks?
A. Yes (10 students)
B. No (5 students)

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Appendix B: Primary Research Survey: Physical Textbooks vs EBooks (Faculty

Survey)

1) Would you rather educate students through physical textbooks or eBooks?

A. Physical Textbooks (9 faculty members)
B. eBooks (6 faculty members)

2) Have you used eBooks before?

A. Yes (8 faculty members)
B. No (7 faculty members)

3) Would you actually be interested in making the switch from physical textbooks to
eBooks?
A. Yes (6 faculty members)
B. No (9 faculty members)

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