With many learning resources now available online, the world is going digital. More classes at Pinewood are now supporting an online version for textbooks. The increasing use of these digital textbooks in the classroom raises questions about how they compare to traditional paper textbooks. What are the benefits and drawbacks of each type? Do students prefer one over the other?

“One positive of physical textbooks is that we can reuse them every year,” chemistry teacher Sarah Prestwood said.

She previously used an online textbook for sophomores but switched to the physical version because there were often technical issues.

“Students would end up spending 30 minutes on an assignment, and 15 minutes of it was just trying to figure out how to access the textbook,” Prestwood said.

Prestwood also stated that reading paper textbooks may be more beneficial for learning, according to studies.

Other teachers have attested to the positive aspects of digital textbooks, notably their convenience.

“If you’re going somewhere, you’re not having an additional large textbook in your bag,” math teacher Sara Dorset said.

Biology teacher Monica Ventrice also expressed an environmental concern with paper textbooks.

“It’s more wasteful, especially with the publishing companies that put out new editions every year or other year, right? That’s a lot of materials,” Ventrice said.

Prestwood, Dorset, and Ventrice share the view that there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to which type of textbook is best.

“It depends on the class and what the needs are,” Prestwood said.

In addition to the subject area, Ventrice explained that the quality of the textbook app matters as well.

“There used to be a really good electronic book; it was interactive and had animations built into it. And then the publisher stopped using that app company,” Ventrice said.

Senior Jacob Young prefers to use an online textbook in certain subjects and the physical version in others.

“When I was in AP World History, I actually preferred the paper textbooks because I like writing notes,” Young said. “But for a lot of my math classes, I actually prefer the online textbooks because I usually do a lot of my work in Notability.”

However, if he has to choose one, he prefers using an online textbook overall.

“I think it’d be nice to have the option, but I do have a preference for online textbooks just because of the convenience,” Young said.