2008 Woodie Awards
Online textbooks not in students' best interest
Dahlia Seroussi
Issue date: 5/27/08 Section: Opinion
Textbooks are the blood that runs through the veins of education. They move from student to student as seamlessly as mono at a frat party. But the rising cost of textbooks has spurred on a move toward making them available online. Though this plan may at first sound appealing to your everyday college student, it is not a good move for society as a whole.
There is no stopping the merging of technology and education. Online degrees are now available, as well as supplemental course material. But making online textbooks available takes it to a new level, forcing us to become dependent on technology. Sure, it's great for professors to have Web sites, but they still hand out paper green-sheets. Why?
This may come as a shocker to the Silicon Valley Podman, but not everyone owns a computer. Online textbooks would require constant access to the Internet and would put a strain on our printers, ink cartridges and paper. Students who do not own computers will be at a great disadvantage if textbooks are only made available online.
In a 2006 University of California Santa Cruz press release, Jennifer McNulty said that 56 percent of immigrant households in the United States owned computers in 2003, compared to 70 percent of native-born households. For that unlucky 56 percent, online textbooks would keep students holed up in campus computer labs away from their family and friends.
Possession of advanced technology is a privilege few can afford; not owning a computer already puts a student at a serious disadvantage. Students should have every opportunity to reach their full potential. They shouldn't be burdened with having to stay connected to the computer world at all times.
Furthermore, technology is a fast evolving field, meaning that things go obsolete fast. An education system that is dependent on technology forces students and administrations to keep up with constant change. This is an economic and intellectual burden, diverting educators away from their primary purpose of teaching and toward upgrading their software.
There is no stopping the merging of technology and education. Online degrees are now available, as well as supplemental course material. But making online textbooks available takes it to a new level, forcing us to become dependent on technology. Sure, it's great for professors to have Web sites, but they still hand out paper green-sheets. Why?
This may come as a shocker to the Silicon Valley Podman, but not everyone owns a computer. Online textbooks would require constant access to the Internet and would put a strain on our printers, ink cartridges and paper. Students who do not own computers will be at a great disadvantage if textbooks are only made available online.
In a 2006 University of California Santa Cruz press release, Jennifer McNulty said that 56 percent of immigrant households in the United States owned computers in 2003, compared to 70 percent of native-born households. For that unlucky 56 percent, online textbooks would keep students holed up in campus computer labs away from their family and friends.
Possession of advanced technology is a privilege few can afford; not owning a computer already puts a student at a serious disadvantage. Students should have every opportunity to reach their full potential. They shouldn't be burdened with having to stay connected to the computer world at all times.
Furthermore, technology is a fast evolving field, meaning that things go obsolete fast. An education system that is dependent on technology forces students and administrations to keep up with constant change. This is an economic and intellectual burden, diverting educators away from their primary purpose of teaching and toward upgrading their software.
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A l e x
posted 5/27/08 @ 11:03 PM PST
i totally agree. very well said.
in fact i'm sitting on a book as i type this.
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