Digital books also cannot be re-sold once users are through reading them. Another concern is the Kindle is the only device with a keyboard for taking in-text notes.
In addition to online reading devices, some textbooks are available for purchase as computer downloads. Tools such as Blackboard and e-reserve also allow professors to post readings online.
However, some GVSU professors feel online textbooks and reading devices may not be the best choice for academic reading.
"I do not think they are helpful for most classes," Biology Professor Robert Hollister said of online textbooks. "Maybe I am old-fashioned, but I find it tiring to read a computer screen ... The more interactive, in my opinion, the more useful on the computer. Simply reading a textbook online seems silly and a waste of potential."
Philosophy professor Kelly Parker said many students still choose to print out online readings, which could be as expensive and resource-consuming as a traditional textbook.
"I mark up the pages, write notes in the margins (and) slap sticky notes on (my books)," Parker said. "The printed page and my pencil are part of my mind when I'm reading these things."
But he added he would be interested in reading magazines, newspapers and some reference texts on a portable device.
[Snip]
But others, such as geography and planning professor Elena Lioubimtseva, have fully embraced online textbooks and materials.
"I believe that (Blackboard) allows us to go almost entirely paperless in almost any class, not only with readings but also with written assignments, quizzes and labs," she said.
[Snip]
Lioubimtseva said although online textbooks present some challenges, students are becoming increasingly tech-savvy and enjoy using technology in class as well as everyday life.
"I think we need to use all of this because it's an essential part of life for our students," she said. "Maybe with my generation there is a gap and it is a bit slower, but we need to overcome that."
Source: The Lanthorn, Grand Valley State U. (via UWire)
A family of resources to help information workers be more effective, raise the value of information in their organisations and contribute to success. Read more »
Recently I have found myself cooing over visualisation maps (and heat maps) of health and well being resources. The content rich data is overlayed with mapping technologies, and some interesting themes and patterns are emerging.
A lot of the talk around social media in the last year has been around information overload. Social media has provided us with new and exciting ways to create content. But it has also meant learning new ways to manage and engage with social media tools. Are we teetering on the edge of an information overload precipice?
Information overload is a figment of your imagination. Or a failure of your filter. Or a symptom of your technological submissiveness. Depends on who you ask.
What if you had to sort through 3.5 million articles and social media posts a day and try to pull out the most relevant items for your organisation? What if you then had to cobble it all together into something readable for your top groups and executives in your organisation?
Alacra Compliance saves time by aggregating information from both free and fee-based sources and enabling users to conduct an accurate federated search across these sources (coined “simultaneous search” by Alacra).
FreePint Family
Quilting big data threads
The fallacy of information overload
Information overload: fact, fantasy or filter failure? 
