Save students money - Assignment Example

To save money, colleges may force a switch to E-books In the modern era of technology, modernization and globalization, with shrinking distances and integrated economies, the world of print is in an imminent perilous state. The article, ‘ (Young, 2010), by the author Jeffrey R. Young, published on 24th October 2010 in ‘The Chronicle,’ discusses the impending change that the literary world is about to face. This article throws light on the proposed introduction of e-books in colleges as a replacement for textbook with the aim of reducing the financial burden posed on the students due to the ever-increasing costs of course books due to inflation.

The author believes that such a change, if brought about would be potentially disastrous as it would lead to printed textbooks becoming obsolete. In my opinion, such a change is unfavorable for students as using e-books would be inconvenient for them and for some, would be more expensive then purchasing textbooks. The proponents of introduction of e-books as required reading in colleges and universities include the college officials and some important textbook companies such as McGraw Hill and John Wiley and sons, amongst others, as Jeffrey Young points out in this article.

These parties propose including a fixed mandatory fee per course in the tuition fee for providing the e-books to the students. Some of the colleges such the Daytona State College have already adopted this change while others like Indiana University are still in the experimental phase. The college officials believe that e-books would be cheaper for the students, if they are purchased in bulk by the college and provided to the students at a subsidized rate. Moreover, the publishing industry believes that such a change would help in reducing the rates of digital piracy.

Thus, such a collaboration is thought to benefit all parties, viz. the students, the colleges and the publishing companies. In my opinion, the introduction of e-books would have a negative impact on the students. Although as this articles rightly points out, the cost of textbooks is escalating day by day and that poses a financial burden on the students. But most students usually find a way to overcome this problem, by either borrowing books from the library, buying second hand books, sharing books or getting the necessary chapters or sections photocopied.

Moreover, there are several other advantages of textbooks over e-books. Textbooks are easily accessible at all times, especially for last minute revisions and peek-ins as opposed to e-books. In addition, while using textbooks, students can highlight important material; jot down notes in the margins, etc. Another important disadvantage of using e-books is that while accessing e-books students tend to waste their time in other distractions such as social networking sites, etc. In a recent article published in the New York Times, it was reported that when students were questioned about their preferences regarding the mode of studying, they tended to choose textbooks over e-books.

As stated by a student from New York University, “It depends on the course. Last semester, I rented for psychology, and it was cheaper. But for something like organic chemistry, I need to keep the book. E-textbooks are good, but it’s tempting to go on Facebook, and it can strain your eyes (Foderaro, 2010).” Thus, in conclusion, although the introduction of e-books in place of textbooks has certain advantages such as low costs and reduction in piracy rates, it is an unfavorable change for the students.

References Foderaro, L. W. In a Digital Age, Students Still Cling to Paper Textbooks. The New York Times . October 19, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2010, from: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/nyregion/20textbooks.html?_r=1 Young, J. R.. To save students’ money, colleges may force a switch to E-books. The Chronicle . October 24, 2010.