Is it ethical to ask students to proofread a textbook? I will have a draft of a new textbook ready for the fall semester. It is an engineering class.

I very much want feedback from the students concerning the quality and usefulness of the material.

What are the best practices for getting this feedback from students? Is it ethical to give a grade (or extra credit at least) based on students' feedback?
Is it ethical to give a grade (or extra credit) based on student feedback?


I think the key question is, will reading draft material from your textbook help students towards their understanding of the subject of this class?

If yes, then it honestly sounds like a great exercise to me. Not only does it force the students to actually read some material related to the class (albeit in an unpolished draft form), it also could allow them to "check" their understanding by comparing the draft with the material they are already familiar with. Some suggestions:


It seems best if they are asked to read material that you have already covered in class and that there are other sources on; that way they are not just completely lost, but they have something to compare to and a way to reliably detect errors.
If this is part of the grade (extra credit or otherwise), I think it should be mainly based on completion, not on how many errors and typos they find. You could also ask them to write a "summary" of the chapter to check their understanding and thoroughness.


If no, then it is unethical. Your job as a teacher is to help the students learn the material, and using them as free labor to proofread your book is inappropriate.

This could be the case, for example, if the book is not exactly on the subject of the material that the class is covering, or if it is in such an unpolished form that it is difficult to get anything out of while still a student, and not an expert on the material.