In the halls of higher education and here at ULV, we see a learning divide – an equity gap between learners who have access to learning materials and learners who do not because they cannot afford the high cost of textbooks.
With Max Azaria’s BCBG to be yet another consumer outlet to move entirely online, it is impossible to ignore the ever-growing trends of shopping in the online world. As major clothing companies begin to transition the way music, movies and books have, we can expect more stores to follow suit. While this hurts the job market, consumer pressure on retailers for convenience makes it impossible for stores to stay open with the increased online demand.
When a new semester starts students often excitedly read their syllabi for the upcoming classes. Then to their dismay, they realize there is a list of books they need to buy – with some books costing up to $300 a piece.
Associate Director of Learning Technology Nori Barajas-Murphy and Web and Instructional Technology Librarian Erin Gratz discussed how students engage with textbooks in their “Faculty eAuthoring: A Taxonomy,” presentation Tuesday in the President’s Dining Room.
In a 21st century age of tablets, smartphones, smart cars and digital readers, the world of higher education still insists on using 500-page, printed textbooks for every course, each usually costing a pretty penny. It is time for college textbooks to catch up with the rest of the technology world.
Fifteen out of 20 University of La Verne students surveyed informally said that they buy their textbooks from various online sources – instead of the University of La Verne Bookstore.