Are books nearing an anti-climactic end? Concerning the matter of how we consume writing, this is a question pertinent to both members of greater society as well as those of us who are accustomed to “the old stand-bys” use in the halls of academia. Nicholas Negroponte, Chairman Emeritus of MIT’s Media Lab, thinks the death of books will come sooner rather than later. In fact, as soon as five years! With the growing preeminence of digital forms of literature, combined with the declining quality of paperbacks, anti-climactic sure seems to be the adjective of choice in this topic area. C’mon books – how about a whimper at least.
For as technologically adept as I am, and for as technologically evangelistic as I can be, I’m also one of the first to cry “for shame”! at the idea of switching academic reading over to a purely digital format. I have my reasons – of which none are argumentatively rock solid, and most of which are tied closely to my emotional attachment to the feel and smell of a good antique book. Yet despite my obstinate cries, I’m also not so foolish as to be entirely adverse to incorporating e-books or digital reading into curriculum, especially in instances where they can save students a pocketful of greenbacks on books that, admittedly, the average student would find little personal use for after a final exam.
What say you all? To what degree ought e-books or digital reading materials be incorporated into higher ed curriculum? Will books really be dead in five years, or is this a bunch of humdrum?
Source Article – It’s Futurists Versus Consumers As The Death Of The Book Is Prophesied
FYI – Negroponte is certainly a little bias in his predilection. Here’s why. Footage is taken from the Technomy Conference held in Lake Tahoe just this past week.
2 Responses
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lsmaagaard Says:
A very interesting post and video. I do welcome online text and supplimental materials. The most innovative publishers are allowing instructors to customize using materials beyond one textbook. Some publishers also offer creative and useful online tools. This along with other online resources such as TED are really going to change education. The video was terrific. He makes some pretty powerful points. I just did some recent research on online education from a global perspective and there is such a large need for both the technology and the instruction. We are living in such interesting and dynamic times. Can you imagine what this world is going to look over the next decade or so?
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lsmaagaard Says:
I just got the free CoureSmart eTextbook app for my phone. According to a recent article on Future Tense, CourseSmart has approximately 90% of textbooks on the app
