tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523147403803590661.post126915615560725575..comments2023-05-26T04:59:34.008-07:00Comments on Teaching United States History: Something for NothingKevin M. Schultzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10983890538804950630noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523147403803590661.post-9228944730832072232012-10-11T19:46:44.785-07:002012-10-11T19:46:44.785-07:00Kudos to Tona for such a great experiment. I am no...Kudos to Tona for such a great experiment. I am not sure I understand the previous comments (the book is online 24/7 and in print so what possible excuse could a student have that they would not have with a book that was only available in paper?). I see that one of the comments is from the author of an expensive textbook. Perhaps he will also make his book freely available online as well? Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01164019992607934019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523147403803590661.post-68069017540413394472012-10-03T09:13:03.796-07:002012-10-03T09:13:03.796-07:00Tona, Thanks for the update. I was wondering how...Tona, Thanks for the update. I was wondering how it was going. Keep us informed. Long live paper (and I don't mean printing up the chapters at school)!Kevin M. Schultzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10983890538804950630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523147403803590661.post-76241885952540460242012-10-03T08:29:09.034-07:002012-10-03T08:29:09.034-07:00Thanks for this post!
I have not used an eBook in ...Thanks for this post!<br />I have not used an eBook in class, for several reasons; first, knowing my own short attention span, I feel it would be simply tempting fate to ask my students to try to focus on a textbook with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. only a click away. At least with a paper book the more disciplined students can shut those out and focus on reading. <br />Second, it invites lots of possibilities for technological foul-ups (whether real or fictionalized). Let's say a student's computer really does crash the night before an exam - can I legitimately say "Well, too bad - life's not fair"? <br />Finally, I've seen some research, mirrored by my own experience on the Kindle, that indicates recall of information is significantly weaker with eBooks - it seems the brain uses spatial location and context to cue memory. http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/14/do-e-books-impair-memory/<br />Perhaps your students are not saying "the book says..." as often because they simply can't recall it very well?<br /><br />I understand the appeal of ebooks, and know they work well for some, but until the concerns above can be assuaged, I will stick to paper like Charlton Heston - until they take it out of my cold dead hands. :-) <br />Aaron Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07335062201403823157noreply@blogger.com