What are the advantages/disadvantages of using textbooks?

Answer 1

coming from a student:

the information is a lot more reliable and it is sometime easier to find in a book than on a web site, however its harder to site sources from a book(a lot of websites do it for you) and to find the book that has the information you want.

this is primarily for researching, though.

i hate having to lug around textbooks.
if you loose them, you have to pay for them
you have to remember to bring it to class

Answer 2

As a student of English. Textbooks were virtually useless. But in the Sciences and Math they are virtually essentially. Nevertheless, my experience tells me that teachers who rely on the textbook are usually very boring or near retirement. The books don't need to be nearly as large as they are. They're a pain to lug around. There's no reason they can't be split into two or three books.Well, actually there is a reason--it would cost more money to the publishers.

As a teacher...most textbooks have tons of information. The advantage is that you can appeal to different learning styles, use different strategies and be very flexible in the classroom. The disadvantage is that you can be overwhelmed by the choices. Also, if the curriculum is married to the text there's not much flexibility. In an English class this can be VERY dull, when you read out of the text everyday. If you're doing a unit on, say, symbolism in poetry. If your stuck with a textbook you're limited to what's in that book. In my English classes I use the textbook probably a little over half the time. In my elective classes...hardly ever.

Answer 3

Most text books are outdated, they are 5-10 years behind the times.