Well, I have taken a couple of weeks off after returning from Cyprus – trying to relax and get in a good frame of mind for the fall semester. One problem I always have to deal with after returning from Cyprus is my backlogged email account. I always answer the important ones, but let some of the emails from lists I belong to build up. For example, I have 18 emails from Wired Campus which is put out by the Chronicle of Higher Education which I did not get a chance to read in Cyprus. Since I have started thinking about my fall teaching, one that caught my eye was “Latest Attempt to Hawk E-Textbooks: Make Them Easier for Professors to Use.” The article talks about how book companies are working with Course Management Systems, such as Blackboard and CourseSmart, to better integrate their E-Textbooks into these systems. While I understand why book companies are pushing this – they certainly will improve their profits – it seems to me that faculty and students are still reluctant. I certainly understand professors being reluctant since they tend to be conservative, but I have been amazed at students’ reluctance to adopt e-textbooks. While they seem eager to be on the cutting edge for some things, e-books does not seem to be one of those things.
RSM
Ancient History Ramblings 