eBooks for Universities

An odd little idea I have had that seems remarkably sensible in almost any way is for all university students to be advised to buy ebook readers by their university at the start of their first term.

The point of this is simple. All universities, even if the legalities of this are uncertain, give out an incredible amount of photocopied handouts from books to allow all their students to read the important readings on a course. The solution to this time wasting, tree destroying and ultimately annoying situation would be a single eBook reader that was able to access the documents remotely and allow the student to carry the work in one handy module.

So yeah, this seems to me to be a good idea. I picture it like this. The student will by an reader. They will go to their first lecture and be informed that a reading is on the course's virtual workspace and that by using a secure password etc. the student could easily pick up the work and carry it around with them.

The ease of this method cannot though be without some disadvantages. The chief of which I see is the difficulties to which publishers have with the digitalisation of work. Thus I can only assume that DRM has to be involved somewhere, it would be desired not to be the case, reliant on the fact that the institutions only gave out parts of people's work. Another solution to this problem would be that a subscription service paid for by the universities to the publishers could be made so as to allow for this activity to happen. Even so there is always some way around the difficulties to which will be faced with the possibility of people simply taking the files and making them publicly available after the event.

There is more to the above point than is expressed. And there are more difficulties to be faced. Even so I believe that this would be a remarkable change to universities across the world. Benefiting everyone involved. The Students will have less to carry and will be able to access work often more comfortably. The use of paper will be severely reduced within out institutions. The Institutions will not only be likely to save money, but also will be able to save staff time by making this the only way in which students could obtain any readings, lecture notes or other important articles.

Meh, its an idea. Not very well looked into at the moment, as I am tired. But still I think it holds some merit.

 

Anthony

How to Start and Essay?

After completing my degree at Lancaster University in Politics and now starting again at the University of Cumbria on a PGCE, it is safe to say I have done quite a few essays.

Now, I am not very good at them mind. Pretty awful if you ask me, but there is an art form in doing them. Some people like to research like mad, spending days upon days in the library and then blitz the actual writing of it. And others simply like to get straight to the keyboard and do the best they can as they go.

For me, its a matter of finding an idea and running with it. It may be crap, it may be totally erroneous to the facts and the world's understanding, but I tend to believe that without a level of study impossible at even a Masters level there is no point in going for studied truth; it is best just to find some idea you like and make things fit... And sometimes they do!

Take this opening for example.

The advancement of Creationism and Creationist Science was rapid through the 20th Century and in many ways this can be seen as a success for those that support it. Even so this success, for example development of a sizable minority of people in the US who support it, as well as other effects being felt across the world(Council of Europe, Assembly Debate, 4th October 2007) caused by the creationist movement does not increase the theological and scientific reasoning behind it. In other words; no matter how many people believe in it creationism’s justification and evidence does not increase in validity nor in strength. Indeed the nature of that growth highlights the false nature of Creationism, at least from a historical perspective. As has been mentioned, from the point that Darwin published his research on Evolution and Natural Selection a seeming majority of society, church and all, saw this theory and understood it to be the truth. It has only been in response to the resulting effect on belief, the secularisation of society and the understanding of Science to be the truth that Creationism flourished. Indeed its power is not in the theory, but in its basic opposition to science which gives Creationism its strength and seeming plausibility.

It is for my next essay (which I eluded to earlier) and could quite possibly be wholeheartedly incorrect. At this point in time I don't really care. I think I have enough evidence to support it and I like the idea of it at least so what the (proverbial) hell?

So, oft shy readers (ha!), what do you find are the best ways to start an essay?

The Ultimate Steal!

Seems as though Microsoft is actually doing something nice for us that are Students.

The Link: www.theultimatesteal.co.uk/?cid=174

The Offer: Office 2007 Ultimate for £38.98

Niiice!

May have to get this when my loan comes through... or maybe tonight... Humm...

Grab it whilst you can!