In an effort to be more innovative, Seton Hall now requires all nursing majors to buy nursing e-book's instead of standard hardcover textbooks.
The e-book program gives students access to all nursing textbooks they need while at Seton Hall. Students said they paid a little over $300 for the program.
According to the dean of Nursing, Phyllis Hansel, the e-book's come with an endless number of advantages for students that will benefit them much more than the hardcover textbooks.
"Students have access to all of their texts," Hansel said. "And students can study a topic from multiple texts."
Hansel said the texts are updated when new editions come out, so students will also be kept up to date.
"It (the program) also keeps track of student progress," Hansel said.
According to Hansel, e-books facilitate theoretical connections and can highlight areas of importance for note-taking purposes.
"The electronic textbook also integrates with case studies," Hansel said.
Junior nursing majors Rhona Estrada and Rachel Pinto, both said they agree with the fact that e-books have their advantages; however, they said the cons outweigh the pros.
Pinto said her biggest problem with the new e-books is that they do not work as well as they should.
"They have glitches," Pinto said. "We didn't even know how to access it."
Estrada said she would rather not have to lug around her heavy laptop everywhere, although the hardcover books were heavy, too.
"I have other books and notebooks that I need to carry for other classes," Estrada said. "I do not want to have to carry around my laptop everywhere, too."
The e-book has an app that can be downloaded to Apple products, such as iPhones and iPads. However, it does not have an app that is accessible to Kindle or Nook users.
"Some people don't have iPhones or iPads," Estrada said. "I think they (Seton Hall) should sell iPads."
Pinto said she agreed with Estrada that iPads should be offered to nursing majors but even the app has glitches.
Both agreed that the beneficial part of the new e-book is how much money it saves students.
Hansel said, "The savings are substantial, approximately 40 percent less."
Hansel said the school decided to do this because online textbooks have more advantages than disadvantages.
"After a comprehensive evaluation of the advantages associated with electronic textbooks, the decision was made by the faculty who voted to move to the electronic textbook," Hansel said.
Hansel said all of the feedback she has received from this new decision has been "quite positive."
Pinto and Estrada said the e-book was confusing to figure out and that it was hard to access since now it is necessary for all students to buy an access code.
Pinto said that the school did not train students in how to use the electronic books.
Nicole Fischer, a freshman nursing major, said she is not looking forward to next year when she will be required to use an e-book.
"I absolutely hate reading online," Fischer said.
All three of the students said they wish the Seton Hall would give them an option to either buy the e-book or be able to use the old hardcover book.
"I would just rather have a textbook," Pinto said. "I want an option."
Lindsay Rittenhouse can be reached at lindsay.rittenhouse@student.shu.edu.
