A new online service to be released this August by publishing giant MacMillan will provide professors with unprecedented control over textbook content for their classes.

Through a software called DynamicBooks, MacMillan will make many textbooks editable online and available to students in the altered version. Professors may change the order of chapters, paragraphs and even individual sentences without consulting the authors or publishers of the text. According to the DynamicBooks Web site, professors may also highlight text, upload links and comment on passages.

DynamicBooks’ Web site highlights many advantages to this technology, such as a reduced price tag compared to print versions. Students have editing tools as well, which allow for highlighting parts of the text and interactive learning through simulations, animations and self-tests.

Many students are excited by the opportunity for more interactive learning.

“I think professors including their own sentences in the text will allow students to be more engaged in the reading and really focus on the more important aspects of the chapters,” John Madore (COL ’11), a neurobiology major, said. “The online quizzes and animations should also help to focus studying and allow for faster mastery of the material.”

Other students agree that the interactive nature of the online text will be beneficial, but only for specific types of classes.

“I think these types of textbooks would be better suited for courses which deal with very dynamic fields of sciences,” Alex Tai (COL ’11), a biology major, said. “Though given the broad range of topics covered in introductory classes, it may make things too complicated for these classes.”

Although the idea of online editable text seems promising, past problems with the implementation of online software make some students question the functionality of these types of sites.

“I don’t really like the online textbook because the Web site is often down, and I have to constantly reload the pages,” said Bridget Dooley (NHS ’11), who uses an online simulation course with her pediatric nursing textbook.

Classmate Caroline Round (NHS ’11) agreed with Bridget’s sentiment.

“The combination of staring at the screen for hours, the Web site logging you out and general software malfunction makes the online textbook not only unhelpful but frustrating to use,” she said.

Matthew Hamilton, an associate professor in the biology department, does not find the text-editing feature of DynamicBooks useful. Hamilton has written his own textbook, “Population Genetics,” reviewed chapters for major introductory biology textbooks and is an adviser for the development of a new biology textbook.

He indicated that many texts are currently available in an e-book format that has many of the interactive features offered by DynamicBooks such as chapter reordering, online quizzes and other resources. The main difference between DynamicBooks and the e-books Hamiltion cited is that the text of these e-books is not alterable by an instructor. Hamilton indicated that the text modification feature seems unnecessary if a professor properly prepares his students to comprehend the material.

“I regularly give chapter supplements to students with clarifications and questions that help students with reading comprehension,” he said. “Do I need to have the publisher insert that in the text itself? Not really.”

Although it is too soon to determine the effectiveness or popularity of this software by either students or professors, this new service provided by DynamicBooks may possibly make its way on to campus next year as professors strive to enhance the classroom experience to adjust to technological trends.