Random Ranting: Digital Textbooks, practical for college?
There’s been a lot of talk about moving to digital textbooks. In some classes - like my accounting class - the transition has already begun. The original textbook Accounting Principles is divided into the separate sections - since the accounting sequence is three classes - and each piece is sold separately for $50. Instead of a hefty ten pound ( Read more... )
TRUE STORY:
My first year college, taking business courses. Purchased the textbook for the mandatory math course, the publisher's 3rd edition. Found some errors in it, but whatever, not a big deal.
Next year, a friend of mine was taking the same courses. That year the business department updated the list of required text books, the math course was using the 4th edition of the same text book. My friend asked if he could use the 3rd edition - and was told absolutely not! *coughshelikelygotkickbacksfromthepublishercough*
One more year later, i was retaking the same math course (don't ask me why), the prof said i could probably get away with the 3rd edition. So in class comparing the 3rd and 4th editions with my neighbour i discovered the only thing that was updated was the typeface and the diagrams. EVERYTHING else was the same... INCLUDING the errors from the 3rd edition!!
So, yes, I do think the publishers are full of shit and are out to scam as much money as they can per student. Time limited access or digital editions that expire - complete money grab.
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In an English class, I had an older edition and it turned out about 1/4 of the articles had been switched out for new ones. So if a teacher assigned three readings, there was a chance that one of them wouldn't be in the book. "Aw man, " I thought "I'm going to have to get the new edition."
OR NOT. It turns out that every single one of the 'new' articles were also available on the internet, for free!
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