Re: Teaching science on the edge of knowledge

[John Clement <clement@HAL-PC.ORG>]

> > *If these topics aren't discussed in your class, is there any reason for
> > text books to come out with new versions every other year?
> It seems to me that there are three reasons to issue new editions of
> elementary-level texts:
>
> 1) pedagogical (or technological) developments that mandate that the
> text presentation be changed;
>
> 2) the discovery of an egregious error that requires substantial
> revision to correct; and
>
> 3) the need for a glitzy new book to (a) gut the used textbook market
> (my shelves are cluttered with earlier editions of textbooks that I
> cannot even give away), and (b) keep up with the competition.

Actually there is another reason which is never really considered.

4)  A new book is needed to support research based pedagogy rather than
fight it so that students will gain better understanding of the subject.
This may be included in 1, but all to often pedagogy is considered style so
I would not include it there.

There are only a small handful of books which meet this criterion.  Then
there are a few books which do have some research behind them which persist
in spite of the desire for more profits.  The prime example is IPS written
by Haber-Scheim which is not in 8th or 9th edition.  It is marketed by the
author and is considered by John Hubisz to be completely accurate.  Alas it
is not glitzy enough so it is rejected by many directors of instruction even
over teacher recommendations.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX