Education Notebook

Articles: Electronic books growing in popularity, but some students still reluctant to make switch

Here are two stories about the rise of electronic media, at the expense of printed books on college campuses. Every time I write articles about electronic files replacing print, the irony is not lost. I had to laugh when writing about students who aren't adapting yet to electronic media -- it makes me think of a hay salesmen bragging up his product to people in line for the new Model T.

ANYWAY, the death of print may not be directly upon us, but one has to think that - at least on campuses - it's going to come exponentially. If something is cheaper during these times, people will latch onto it. And since e-books are much cheaper, there's your variable.

LINK: E-Books gain ground on college campuses

LINK: Even with e-books, student hit print button

(*Ed note: Stories appear truncated online for the first day because of a new policy. They will appear in full on Wednesday. I'm not allowed to post them in full until they appear that way online. This policy is only for "enterprise" type stories. Meeting coverage and breaking news will not fall under this guide. Basically, it's a way to encourage people to buy the paper, rather than leech it for free online.)

'Who wants to be a college student?' takes another step, colleges use classroom clicker systems remotely

Back in March, I wrote an article about high schools using "classroom clickers" (subscriber only archives), and today the Chronicle of Higher Education looks at an interesting situation where colleges are using similar devices in satellite classroom sites.

While the cost of the clickers is one reason they haven't caught on, I think educators would be hard-pressed to find an easier way at finding instant, real-time results from their students.

[PB]

Link: http://chronicle.com/blogPost/University-Uses-Clickers-to/8047/

University Uses 'Clickers' to Quiz Students in Multiple Locations / By Ben Terris

Students at far-flung campuses can now participate simultaneously during lectures with the push of a button.

The University of British Columbia recently completed a trial of a new satellite polling system by i>clicker, which sells student-response systems. The new system allowed students on three campuses, all part of the university's Distributed Undergraduate Medical Program, to respond to questions in a simulcast lecture . I>clicker hopes to make the product widely available by January 2010.

Clickers allow teachers to electronically “poll the audience” (as in TV game shows like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?). They first appeared in classrooms about five years ago as a means to increases student participation in large lecture courses. The company claims that this is the first time that such devices have been used to bridge multiple locations.

Kathy Gaul, an associate professor in the medical program at the University of Victoria, one of the three campuses that tested the product, said it was a way for students to gauge their understanding and for professors to “take the pulse” of the classrooms in real time.

Now, she said, professors have the ability to “assess immediately at all sites if students have grasped the concepts."