Traditional hardback and paper textbooks may soon be a thing of the past if the testing of an e-textbook program merits a change.

Wichita State is one of 28 colleges and universities across the country testing a new electronic-textbook program. This program allows students to interact with their textbooks online.

About 800 students are taking classes that use the new format. Only McGraw-Hill textbooks are available in the online version being tested, so the number of classes using the books is limited. Some students who are using the e-textbooks think they could be used in many classes if the program is expanded.

“Unless it’s a math or science class that needs a workbook or something like that, I think most classes could move to that model,” said Laura Schlapp, a senior majoring in integrated marketing communications.

Schlapp and classmate Katie Staats, a sophomore management major, are fans of the program.

“It [the e-textbook] is way simpler and more cost effective,” Staats said.

Cost is certainly a major benefit of the program. Most of the e-textbooks can be purchased for significantly less than their traditional counterparts.

Another benefit is the ease students have accessing their work. Because many instructors post class material online through Blackboard, it makes sense to students like Schlapp and Staats to have the textbook online, too.

“It’s a lot more convenient. I can access my assignments and my book at the same time,” Schlapp said.

“I do all my work online anyway; I might as well have an online book, too,” Staats said.