English professors double down on requiring printed copies of readings | Amid the rise of artificial intelligence and concerns about distraction, more English professors are turning to no-technology policies that prioritize physical books and reading packets.
by thinkB4WeSpeak
11 Comments
Nah, its because the universities want to make the absurd money from selling the hard books with how rampant piracy has become.
Hooray course packs with spiral binding fom the print center.
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They are spreading some misinformation unfortunately. There is no inherent reason that you can’t engage just as deeply with a text when viewing it on a device as on paper. What they are really trying to do is reduce the possibility of a student getting distracted. But if you aren’t distracted and are motivated to read, digital is just as good if not better than paper. I still think the policy makes sense but they are overstepping a bit in stating the harms.
My old college got rid of all their books. Everything’s electronic. Ridiculous
I remember reading research that shows that engaging with a printed text helps students learn more deeply than with interacting with one over a screen.
My wife went 90s classroom because of the rampant AI. Students now have to hand write everything.
I don’t see how you can enforce that. You can say “no ebooks in the classroom”, but that doesn’t stop someone from using the digital version of a text or asking an LLM for a summary when they get home. I got a lot of my books for free from Project Guttenberg when I was a student because it was cheaper than paying $20 for a single novel at the bookstore.
> TYCO Print is a printing service where professors can upload course files for TYCO to print out for students as they order. Shorter packets can cost around $20, while longer packets can cost upwards of $150 when ordered with the cheapest binding option.
> Writing professor Anne Fadiman wrote to the News that she asks students either to buy the course packet or purchase physical copies of the books.
What a bunch of predatory BS…
I love this except my kindle is SO MUCH easier on my trash eyes. I can make the text really big ☹️
Good. I taught middle school English from 2015-2024 and I used minimal technology after Covid. It was a night-and-day difference in how engaged and focused the kids were.