The “Core Concepts Plus” Paradigm for Creating an Electronic Textbook for Introductory Business and Economic Statistics

This paper describes a flexible paradigm for creating an electronic “Core Concepts Plus”
textbook (CCP-text) for a course in Introductory Business and Economic Statistics (IBES). In
general terms, “core concepts” constitute the intersection of IBES course material taught by all
IBES professors at the author’s university. The “Plus” component of the paradigm is embodied
in self-written, professor-specific sections that are combined with the core-concepts material to
produce professor-specific versions of the IBES CCP-text. The paradigm entails a vertically
integrated text creation process with two primary aspects: first, non-IBES faculty members that
ultimately receive former IBES students are included in the text-writing process; second, some
former IBES students (e.g., tutors) are included in the text-writing process. Student learning
experiences with the CCP-text are summarized with survey results; the learning outcomes are
assessed using three semesters of pre- and post-test data; and a textbook cost study is used to
contextualize the savings to students. The CCP-text appears to be efficacious in all three of these
areas. Recommendations concerning how and where the paradigm might be replicated are also
presented.