Probably stupid question but there is no reselling access codes or online text purchases, is there?

[momee]

Just checking.  We have quite a few hundred dollars invested in college books purchased through our school bookstore via this method.

[The Girls' Mom]

Nope.  I think it is a racket..lol.  I have several perfectly good textbooks sitting here that are essentially worthless because they are both custom editions for our school, AND required a one time use access code for the class.

 

[kiana]

Not if they've been opened and used. 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Even if the code is unused, it might have an expiration date.  I've seen that complaint frequently on Amazon.

 

Our CC bookstore will sell the access independent of the text.  So if you can score a cheap used book, you can then add the online access and sometimes come out ahead.

 

Sometimes the online access is all you really need.  Sometimes they have a copy of a digital version of the text (may not be easy to read, depending on formatting).

 

DS bought online access for Mastering Chemistry direct from Pearson online.  It was around $60, but that was still cheaper with a used text than buying a new text with a code.  

[Paper In Fire]

Can't you find a tax write-off for this sort of thing? Especially if the books are school specific? 

 

Regardless, there is still information in those books that have to be valuable to someone somewhere. I would think.

[MarkT]

Yup - a complete racket fulfilled by lazy instructors

A friend of mine's son is taking Calc 2 at the local CC:

Tuition  - ~ $ 300

Digital Copy of text $125

Webassign  $125

 

   Webassign is way over-priced for what they end up using it for - HW problems and maybe videos that one could find for free on Youtube.

[kiana]

Great job on assumption there.

 

I use online homework because the students immediately know whether they have worked the problem correctly or not. When I didn't use online homework, I would routinely get homework where many problems were done incorrectly from my poorer students. When I handed it back, they would stuff it into their bag without inspecting it, and go on to work on the next assignment while never bothering to read my corrections or check my posted answer key for the first one. Now that I do about 80% of the homework online (some is still hand-graded to check process or because the problem is not conducive to the online homework system), even the poorer students are getting much better grades on their hand-graded, in-class exams than they were before. 

 

Should I have to do this? Probably not. But I'm working with the students I have instead of the students I wish I had. 

[MarkT]

Great job on assumption there.

 

I use online homework because the students immediately know whether they have worked the problem correctly or not. When I didn't use online homework, I would routinely get homework where many problems were done incorrectly from my poorer students. When I handed it back, they would stuff it into their bag without inspecting it, and go on to work on the next assignment while never bothering to read my corrections or check my posted answer key for the first one. Now that I do about 80% of the homework online (some is still hand-graded to check process or because the problem is not conducive to the online homework system), even the poorer students are getting much better grades on their hand-graded, in-class exams than they were before. 

 

Should I have to do this? Probably not. But I'm working with the students I have instead of the students I wish I had. 

thank you - always good to have an instructor's perspective 

my DS is currently using Webassign in his HS AP Calc AB course (just started) - I am quite afraid he will spend less time working the problem with pencil and paper and just "hack" answers until he gets it correct - he said he has four tries

I mentioned that without some paper to review later the work he is doing know may be forgotten by AP exam time, at least he agreed with me on that.

 

Bolded above - So we are using technology to overcome immaturity.  I can sympathize with your perspective but what happens when they get a job. Oh well.

 

IMHO Webassign is still overpriced.   At the HS level the B&M school pays for it.

 

Edited August 7, 2016 by MarkT

[Riverland]

Is it professors overcoming student immaturity, lazy professors who don't want to put in the time to grade, or pressure from the publishers? Probably a mix of all three. But the bottom line is it is unnecessarily costing me hundreds of extra dollars a semester.

 

One of my kiddo's professors just switched to an online access only book. One time use only. He said it was because it is better for the environment and it is cheaper than a new textbook.  NEW textbook?!?!?  Yeah, but we buy USED. I could have gotten the used textbook for less than 1/2 the cost of the access code. And I could have then re-sold the used textbook. Instead of paying a net cost of $10 (buy used then re-sell), my net cost was over $100. And that was getting off easy as most access codes cost well above that. Multiply that by the 3 or 4 classes each semester that use these overpriced codes.

 

This professor also does not include any of the book material on the tests. But in order to get the approximately 10% homework grade, one must buy the access code.

 

What a scam. It's disgusting.

Edited August 8, 2016 by SummerDays

[cjzimmer1]

 

DS bought online access for Mastering Chemistry direct from Pearson online.  It was around $60, but that was still cheaper with a used text than buying a new text with a code.  

 

I was coming here to post about purchasing access codes separately and thought I'd read this thread first. This is the exact book my DS needs next year but all I could find was the area to register your access code.  I couldn't find anywhere to BUY the access code. I don't suppose you have a link handy?

[kiana]

I was coming here to post about purchasing access codes separately and thought I'd read this thread first. This is the exact book my DS needs next year but all I could find was the area to register your access code.  I couldn't find anywhere to BUY the access code. I don't suppose you have a link handy?

 

When you start to register, there should be a link for "purchase now with credit card or Paypal" when you get to the access code part. That's probably easiest. 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I was coming here to post about purchasing access codes separately and thought I'd read this thread first. This is the exact book my DS needs next year but all I could find was the area to register your access code.  I couldn't find anywhere to BUY the access code. I don't suppose you have a link handy?

 

DS did it himself.  I would actually suggest waiting to register until you have the instructions from the course instructor.  There will probably be a long code for the course that will align the Mastering Chemistry offerings with the assignments the instructor wants done.

 

Mastering Chemistry (and similar products) can often be used with a variety of different textbooks, and at many levels of difficulty.  I can't remember how easy it is to enter the code after establishing the log in.

[cjzimmer1]

When you start to register, there should be a link for "purchase now with credit card or Paypal" when you get to the access code part. That's probably easiest. 

 

That's why I couldn't find it.  I figured since I didn't have the code, I couldn't register so never followed that part.  I kept looking through their lists of products and couldn't find it there. Thanks.

 

[cjzimmer1]

DS did it himself.  I would actually suggest waiting to register until you have the instructions from the course instructor.  There will probably be a long code for the course that will align the Mastering Chemistry offerings with the assignments the instructor wants done.

 

Mastering Chemistry (and similar products) can often be used with a variety of different textbooks, and at many levels of difficulty.  I can't remember how easy it is to enter the code after establishing the log in.

 

I wasn't going to buy it yet (or even register which is why I couldn't figure out how to buy it) but was just trying to find out how much it cost.  A used book rom the school bookstore was $170 and I was trying to see if I could beat that price but couldn't figure out what the price of the code alone was and was starting to think you couldn't buy it as a stand alone.  But since I don't even know for certain if the code is needed for the class, I'm not planning to buy anything until after orientation. I am researching so I know what my game plan is because he only has a couple of days between orientation and the start of school and I would like to get thim the book by the time school starts if possible.