TAA’s Textbook Awards Are Coming Back!

The TAA Textbook Awards are coming back, and we’ll begin accepting nominations on September 1. Get ready to apply! We’ll be accepting nominations for the following awards:

McGuffey Longevity Award – to recognize long-standing textbooks and learning materials that have been in print for at least 15 years.

Textbook Excellence Award – to recognize excellence in current textbooks and learning materials.
Most Promising New Textbook Award – to recognize promising textbooks and learning materials in their first edition.

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For an equitable textbook, universal design for learning is a must

Universal design for learning (UDL) is an evidence-based framework that improves and optimizes teaching and learning for all people. UDL recognizes the diversity of student learners and leverages how humans learn to improve and optimize teaching and learning.

In their 2023 TAA Conference session, “For an Equitable Textbook, Universal Design for Learning is a Must,” Laura Frost, Professor of Chemistry and Associate Dean at Florida Gulf Coast University; and Shawn Nordell, Associate Director of Graduate Career Services at the University of Arizona, provide an overview of the UDL framework, some examples of how authors can work UDL principles into their textbook writing, and discuss among the participants how this framework can be further used to enhance the equitability and accessibility of their textbooks.

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Member Spotlight: Judi L Nath

TAA Member Judi L Nath is a Professor Emerita, Biology & Health Sciences and a textbook author writing in the disciplines of biology, anatomy & physiology, medical terminology, pathophysiology. Her most recent publications are Fundamentals of Anatomy & Physiology, 11e (textbook); Digesting Foods and Fads; and Sins Against Science: How Misinformation Affects Our Lives and Laws.

What are you currently working on?

I just had 2 new “academic trade books” publish: Digesting Foods and Fads and Sins Against Science: How Misinformation Affects Our Lives and Laws.

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Busy TAA People: Richard Mullins

TAA member, Richard J. Mullins is “finally a published textbook author” having published Organic Chemistry: A Learner-Centered Approach with Pearson Education. First printed in March 2021, the book will be used by students this fall, says Mullins, Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry, Xavier University.

According to Mullins:

“Whereas other organic chemistry books are written to be encyclopedic references about organic chemistry, this book was written to teach students how to learn organic chemistry without sacrificing the necessary rigor.

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TAA announces 2021 Textbook Award winners

2021 Textbook Awards by the Textbook & Academic Authors Association (TAA). Six textbooks received William Holmes McGuffey Longevity Awards, nine textbooks received Textbook Excellence Awards, and ten textbooks received Most Promising New Textbook Awards.

The McGuffey Longevity Award recognizes textbooks and learning materials whose excellence has been demonstrated over time. The Textbook Excellence Award recognizes excellence in current textbooks and learning materials. The Most Promising New Textbook Award recognizes excellence in 1st edition textbooks and learning materials.

The awardees will be recognized during an online textbook awards ceremony at 1 p.m. ET on Friday, March 19, 2021. The ceremony will be open to anyone who would like to help celebrate this year’s winners. Information about how to participate in the ceremony will be posted next week.

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