What They Offer
Looking at the cost of workbooks (or text with practice problems embedded) offered by mainstream publishers, obtaining access to practice problems and solutions quickly becomes expensive. A common disadvantage to current texts is that they are bulky, lack answer keys, and cover material outside the scope of a high school course. This means that in a 2-lb, 1500 page textbook, only the pages containing practice problems with the answers somewhere in the back are actually being used by students. Only certain chapters are covered in a high school curriculum and at a much shallower depth. How much of that $200 is put into good use? And yet, such textbook programs are what all high schools subscribe to.
Many private schools are now moving away from textbooks and on to e-books. e-books began as a cheaper and promising alternative to heavy texts and schools were motivated by a push towards sustainability. However, it soon became clear that they were no better than traditional texts in terms of learning value. e-book subscriptions now include practice problems with adaptive learning technology and reporting, as is the case with Mastering Chemistry from Pearson. However, like most learning platforms in the market, it offers zero control for the teacher; educators have absolutely no control over the questions.
Many private schools are now moving away from textbooks and on to e-books. e-books began as a cheaper and promising alternative to heavy texts and schools were motivated by a push towards sustainability. However, it soon became clear that they were no better than traditional texts in terms of learning value. e-book subscriptions now include practice problems with adaptive learning technology and reporting, as is the case with Mastering Chemistry from Pearson. However, like most learning platforms in the market, it offers zero control for the teacher; educators have absolutely no control over the questions.
Pearson
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Student study guide - $93.32
Student solutions (red exercises) - $40.00 Student solutions (black exercises) - $99.99 Test Prep Workbook - $18.32 Mastering Science Subscription - $70 Textbook - around $200 |
While there is a good variety of question types, the solutions to the questions are found elsewhere! Students have to purchase multiple books (if they want hard copies) for thorough home practice.
Edvantage Science
AP Chemistry 1
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Textbook - $25
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The book is a textbook and workbook rolled into one, resulting in a very bulky book. While there is a good variety of question types, the solutions to the questions are no where to be found! Students are not motivated to attempt problems that have no answers to check their understanding with.
Hebden
Chemistry 11: A Workbook for Students
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Workbook - around $30
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This workbook is a textbook and workbook rolled into one. Full solutions to every practice problem is provided at the back of the book. The questions are often repetitive, drill-like, and low on Bloom's Taxonomy, diminishing the depth of learning. While this book is still popular today in BC, most academic schools find it too shallow. It's absence is marked in enriched or honours level chemistry courses.
Wiley
Physics, 10th Edition
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Textbook - $197.95
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The book is a textbook with practice problems scattered throughout. The questions are thought provoking and many rank high on Bloom's Taxonomy. The answer keys are incomplete; some problems have them, and some don't. The book is extremely heavy and covers an extensive list of topics. This means that students in Gr. 11 and 12 physics will only use a very small portion of the book.
McGraw-Hill
Chemistry: Matter and Change
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Textbook - $90.12 USD
Answer key & videos - $19.68 USD/year |
The book is a textbook with practice problems scattered throughout. The practice problems are of good quality and variety, but the answer keys are located on an external website. The book also goes beyond the high school curriculum, making it quite the burden to carry.
Teachers Pay Teachers
Diverse authors and content
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Variable cost - per document
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This site has gained much attention in recent years as teachers are often the best at content creation. However, it is very time consuming to sift through the enormous number of resources available and the quality varies. Course consistency and cohesion is important to deliver to students and Teachers Pay Teachers cannot offer this.