Change Your Textbook

The fastest, easiest and best way to update a course is to change your textbook.  I'm not kidding.  I have done this myself several times in the past and I can recommend it.  Most schools and instructors get in a rut and continue to teach the same course the same way year after  year.  All the while, they keep the same textbook.  Boooring....  Isn't it time to give your course a refresher and yourself something new to appreciate?  Changing texts is a great way to do it.

I can hear some of you cussing now and saying what an idiot I must be.  Go ahead and add a comment below if you wish.  I want to hear why  you insist on keeping the same old book and syllabus you have been  using for years.  I know all of the excuses as I have been through this process multiple times over the  years.  And, yes, it is not easy.  In most schools, changing a text is a big deal and not taken lightly.  Here are the usual reasons instructors resist changing.

1.  It is too much trouble.
2. I like the book and syllabus I have now.
3. I will have to change my Power Points or overheads and course notes.
4. Getting a textbook change through the faculty or other committee is an ordeal.
5. Students could care less about what book we are using.

Anyway, I feel your pain.  But look on the bright side.  It is usually a positive experience to change a text.  Here are a few benefits.

1. Some texts are easier to read than others.  It helps students read the book and learn better.
2. A new text  usually updates the technology even if the book is one on fundamentals.
3. Some new books cover the fundamentals in the context of new technology or applications.
4. A new text may eliminate unnecessary topics or add new relevant topics you should be teaching.
5. Some new books take the systems approach to electronics that is more fitting for techs today.
6. Some new texts reduce the amount of design and analysis that is not what techs need to know.
7. A new text can include a troubleshooting approach that is a good fit for graduates today.

And some other good news is that if you are teaching fundamentals like DC/AC, you won't have to change many Power Points if any at all.  Maybe all you need to do is add a few new slides here and there.

Changing the text gives an old course new life and can make your job more interesting.

Take a look at some of the new books available now.  Call the book sales rep and get review copies and do a review against your current book.  Then initiate a change.  It can never hurt and will certainly refresh not only the course but your attitude as well.

And if you are looking for a new DC/AC/Semiconductor book, take a look at mine while you are at it.

www.mhhe.com/frenzel1e