Penn State is negotiating plans with a major textbook publisher to implement digital textbooks by fall 2006 in an effort to reduce cost to students and use new educational technologies.

"Our goal is to have some large general education courses next fall where the textbooks are digital," said John Harwood, senior director of Teaching and Learning with Technology.

Two courses -- which Harwood would not disclose -- will use online materials. One of the courses, which has multiple sections, will allow students to choose the print textbook or the online version for the class. The other course will require the online materials, Harwood said in an e-mail message. If they want to, students may also purchase the print version, but it will not be required.

Students will lease the text and have access to the material through Angel course management system for a year, Harwood said.

The plan aims to lower the high costs of learning materials for students. "I don't think publishers should give things away for free, but I think cost simply has to be reduced," Harwood said. "We will not do this unless the cost is 50 percent off or more from the hard copy."

Harwood could not disclose the name of the publisher or any other details until the plan is finalized, he said.

The high cost of textbooks is a burden to cash-strapped college students, he said.

"A lot of the time, faculty is assigning multiple books, and students have to read a chapter here and a chapter there," Cole Camplese, director of education technology services, said. "Students might end up buying a $100 textbook for two chapters."

The plan would benefit both students and textbook publishers, Harwood said, because students are charged a reasonable price and publishers receive a fair amount for their textbooks.

"From the publisher's point of view, there are lots of issues because students buy books and sell them back," Harwood said. "Future students might only buy the used textbooks."

Penn State faculty will be able to tailor e-textbook materials and information to fit in with their own curricula more effectively than they could with print materials, he said.

"At other institutions, faculty has no choice. They just move everything from print to digital," Harwood said. "Our faculty will determine exactly which materials students see."

Camplese said it would take time for the technology to become widespread on college campuses.

"Adoption will be slow, like with any new technology. There is a three- to five-year horizon for this," Camplese said. "But once publishers see there's a real business model here, it will expand quickly."

Dave Ricci (sophomore-finance) said portability would be an issue if e-textbooks are implemented at Penn State.

"On one hand, it's interesting; but on the other hand, you can't come to the HUB and study," Ricci said. "You'd either have to study before you came out here to take your exams or get a laptop."

Lower prices than those of print textbooks would make e-textbooks popular with students, said Brigid Griffin (junior-psychology).

"I'd be interested in it if I could save money," Griffin said. "Students want to save money any way they can."