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Last night, my computer decided to do updates.....and was unavailable to me for the rest of the night. Oh, well, C'est la vie, and I went off and did other things.
But what if I had been a student? Well, back in my day, I would have picked up a text book and worked from there.
But what is our modern world like? Are all the text books now only on the computer? Is education so tied up in the computer that if we don't have it, we are up the creek?
Not 100% but to a certain extent, yes. Both our kids got new computers when they started college, and both wound up having to replace them senior year from use (use meaning more than sitting on the desk but getting dragged all over campus in a backpack eventually broke things). It's not just for reading textbooks, but homework, some tests, and for STEM at least, a lot of specialized software are all on that laptop. Laptop goes down and you have to drop an exam or homework package on Blackboard by midnight or get a goose egg and yep, you're in a world of hurt.
The schools had loaner programs where you could check out a bare bones laptop while yours was "in the shop" and our oldest (because of the software she was using) found out even having a basic laptop wasn't sufficient to keep up.
There are still physical textbooks, but there are also digital/ebook components. The academic publishing industry isn't the most progressive, and they want their pound of flesh from students.
As to schoolwork, most students will have their work in the cloud, like on Google Drive, so even if their main laptop goes down, they can log in and access their work from another machine.
Not 100% but to a certain extent, yes. Both our kids got new computers when they started college, and both wound up having to replace them senior year from use (use meaning more than sitting on the desk but getting dragged all over campus in a backpack eventually broke things). It's not just for reading textbooks, but homework, some tests, and for STEM at least, a lot of specialized software are all on that laptop. Laptop goes down and you have to drop an exam or homework package on Blackboard by midnight or get a goose egg and yep, you're in a world of hurt.
The schools had loaner programs where you could check out a bare bones laptop while yours was "in the shop" and our oldest (because of the software she was using) found out even having a basic laptop wasn't sufficient to keep up.
Sort of sounds like my days back during Reagan when I was an engineering number cruncher. We ran so many complex equations, so often, we wore out so many calculators.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fleetiebelle
There are still physical textbooks, but there are also digital/ebook components. The academic publishing industry isn't the most progressive, and they want their pound of flesh from students.
As to schoolwork, most students will have their work in the cloud, like on Google Drive, so even if their main laptop goes down, they can log in and access their work from another machine.
Well, if you can get to that next machine. The other night was hit with the problem that the computer in question was the only link to the Net in the house and if I wanted to be back on the Net, I would have to return to the university in town in order to do so.......assuming I could find a machine there.
Now, these days, finding another machine shouldn't be a problem but I remember back around 2002, WOW was it really that long ago?, of needing a laser printer to print out a report for class, going to the Kinkos, and being told that half their machines were unavailable (think I then "cheated" and used my connections to get to an office computer). It was at that point that I forked out the cash and bought my first home laser printer because in my mind I said, "Listen, guys, your business, the way you make money, is to have machines available when people need them. If you can't do that, then I will find my own way.".
Live and learn, I suppose. As to my computer issues the other night, as far as checking in with my minders, I called them up on the phone. As to my link to the outside computer world being unavailable due to updates, I bought a Chromebook to have around for basic communications (hope I got the right unit). Finally, as it was then, as it should be now, for the stuff you really need, have a copy in your hot little hand, somehow, as oppose to depending on being able to always reach some cloud....out there.
Ebooks are definitely available for many textbooks. At my university, our library tries to stock as many E-titles as possible, without limits on the number of students who can download the text at a time, to help offset the cost of purchasing textbooks. As far as computer reliability, many students are coming to campus not only with laptops, but also notebooks -- in other words, they have access to more than one personal device, and if that fails, we have computers peppered throughout campus.
An interesting side note. A few years ago we visited Florida PolyTechnic (an archetectural abomination if there ever was one). The "library" was an enormous room with some furniture and tables scatted about. Not one book in sight. They took great pride that they were going to be a completely digital library. Don't know how that has worked out for them, but for all it's architectural drama, it was the most soulless, lifeless library I've ever seen.
An interesting side note. A few years ago we visited Florida PolyTechnic (an archetectural abomination if there ever was one). The "library" was an enormous room with some furniture and tables scatted about. Not one book in sight. They took great pride that they were going to be a completely digital library. Don't know how that has worked out for them, but for all it's architectural drama, it was the most soulless, lifeless library I've ever seen.
Poor kids!
As I reader, I find I move much faster, with greater comprehension with materials on paper but find reading on the screen to be tedious, slow, requiring re-reads, distracting, and essentially.......vastly inefficient.
Are those just the ways of an Oldie von Moldie......or is there something to it?
Last night, my computer decided to do updates.....and was unavailable to me for the rest of the night. Oh, well, C'est la vie, and I went off and did other things.
But what if I had been a student? Well, back in my day, I would have picked up a text book and worked from there.
But what is our modern world like? Are all the text books now only on the computer? Is education so tied up in the computer that if we don't have it, we are up the creek?
Relative to most digital textbook readers, a student can read, highlight, search, take notes, whatever - all offline. They usually can purchase a textbook copy (at a reduced rate) or simply borrow one as well. :-)
An advantage is that students no longer need to lug a backpack of heavy books around campus i.e. they are able to store thousands in their pocket, so to speak.
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