A question for students or recent students...

[brmstn69]

I've been out of school for 20 years now and have no children so I really don't know what's going on at schools anymore, but I have a question...

Do students still use pens or pencils and paper?

Do you still read actual books?

Is all homework done on computers now?


I ask because it seems that most schools (high school and college) require you to have a computer. Some schools even supply them. I also remember that when I was in school we had to rent text books and they could be quite expensive and buying books for college could cost thousands of dollars before your done.

So if school requires a computer, would it not make sense for them to offer all text books and required reading in e-book format?:duh:

 

[MaximumT]

I finished university a few years ago so I think I could see myself as a recent student. I don't think much has changed these past 2-3 years.

It's probably different from case to case, and country to country, but we still use pens and papers for making notes and such, still read actual books and not all homework are done on computers.
At university you would be at a disadvantage if you don't own a computer, but it's not impossible to finish university without one since you can always use one at the school. It's just that it would be very inconvenient since you can't do your work at home.

 

[etilit]

are you thinking of going back to school babe? lol

and as far as i know its still kinda the same..most institutions are slow to advance

 

[jw4833]

I am enrolled in an online college and I am scheduled to graduate this summer and although there are some of my courses that I use ebooks, I do have courses where I have the actual textbooks. Therefore, I do rely heavily on computer use to complete my weekly assignments. What I come to realize is that the majority of the classmates that I've had over the past three and a half years do prefer the actual textbooks as opposed to ebooks. However, I have a niece who just graduated from broadcasting school and although she attended classes in a classroom environment, she also relied on the use of the computer as well.

 

[Urban]

I know this isn't directly related to your question, but IMO at the present time virtual text- & reference books can't come close to paper books for ease of use & convenience. Except in very simple situations where you know EXACTLY what you're looking for, it takes MUCH longer to refer & cross-refer text ("look something up") using menus than by paging through by hand, using indexes & tables of contents. This is especially true when you have some familiarity with the book or set of books you're using.

Computers are excellent for a huge number of uses, but they can't (yet) come anywhere close to the human mind when it comes to problem-solving. Yes, there are individual and limited exceptions, and this may not be true 5 years from now, but at this time I will stand by that statement.

Personally, I also prefer paper to ebooks for ordinary reading, but that might just be my own prejudice; I HATE having to go back to the index on an ereader just because I forgot what page the next chapter is on. I'll take bookmarks any day!

 

[Sinnerr]

I think students use both in Czech Republic where I live. It's one year from time when I left Faculty of Economics (after one semester LOL). So I'm recent student (Maybe will be in future again). As I said using is both. Proportion betweet learning with computer and with paper books is different and depends on level of education which is studiing. In university any computer absolutely necessary for any student (would say at least 85% studets got laptop and wear it to school every day). Seminar elaborats, semestral works in every subject are allowed in electronic form only. Also lot of studiing materials are distributing in electronic form only cos it's cheaper. (Personally I don't like it cos don't like reading many long aticles on computer cos it destroy eyes).
In High schools students also must do some projects on PC. Wearing laptop to school is not necessary even some old teachers don't like when students are using laptops in their lessons (but also some young teachers welcome it).
I can't exactly tell how is situation in primary and secondary schools because times have changed since I've been there. LoL. I thought it when my nephew told me that who hasn't mobile phone is in their class total looser. And that almost everbody except 3 or 2 people got it. It was year ago when He was in 4th class and 10 y.o. I remember when I get my first mobile phone when I was 12 and half of my class doesn't had it yet these days. So I thought I'm getting older. LOL.

 

[SimplyJakeAndAlex]

Well I am actually doing my Master degree in Anthropology and trust me I write much faster if I use a pen/pencil, because I tend just to use proper keywords and I can just retype those notes later in a full sentence. If I'd use a computer, even though I can type over 60 words per minutes, I feel that during a lecture my level of attention is seriously limited because at least when taking note the old way I pay much more attention to what is being said instead of trying to takes as much notes as possible and not getting the essence of the lecture.

I have been teaching and I always request my students to take notes the old way... so they focus on what is being said instead of just gathering notes that won't be used at all... because I don't know for other students, I prefer to read notes that will gives me tracks of what as be taught than reading notes that will recall me nothing and thus just re-doing the whole course (after a three hours lecture who really want to read back all that shit). That's the way I did my first three degrees and that is the way I'll be doing my Master and Doctorate degrees, I read BOOKS (and I purchase them all, I hate going to libraries; unless I really have to), not online PDF. Because I have so many stuff on my computers I would easily get distracted if reading something of my laptop... email notifications, search for something... and Oups! I see a sexy dude and want to check his profile etc.

And beside I kind of have a beautiful handwriting that I don't want to lose so I keep writing, the first business plan I did was all handwritten... that is the best copyright proof as nobody writes like I do.

 

[ritsuka]

Students still have to buy very expensive textbooks each semester; I imagine e-books would cut into the profits of the incredibly lucrative, exploitative textbook industry so would be frowned upon. I recently graduated with an English degree, and no one ever brought laptops to class; the only time someone did, the professor asked them to please close it. Everyone came to class with the text and engaged in critical discussion on our reading, with little-no note taking involved. While some of the novels are available on project Gutenberg, etc. the professors still wanted us to bring a physical copy to class to refer to. Of course we typed all of our essays on a computer, but otherwise, computers were never the focal point; I imagine that is the case throughout the humanities, which are being cut back more and more.

 

[SimplyJakeAndAlex]

Students still have to buy very expensive textbooks each semester; I imagine e-books would cut into the profits of the incredibly lucrative, exploitative textbook industry so would be frowned upon.

These are textbooks dude, you do realize that they are normally prepared or commanded by teachers, so yes you may save some bucks on the paper printing part, but you'd still have to pay for the production of them whether they are in Ebook fashion or not... textbooks are nothing else than compilation of selected texts and the process is the very same from paper to electronic and if you don't pay for the paper, you'll still pay for the development and production time it took for the teacher to compile them.

 

[ritsuka]

These are textbooks dude, you do realize that they are normally prepared or commanded by teachers, so yes you may save some bucks on the paper printing part, but you'd still have to pay for the production of them whether they are in Ebook fashion or not... textbooks are nothing else than compilation of selected texts and the process is the very same from paper to electronic and if you don't pay for the paper, you'll still pay for the development and production time it took for the teacher to compile them.

You're right that if everything else stays the same, ebooks wouldn't have a lower cost (though perhaps the students could fileshare.) College textbooks in America is a highly speculative market, where prices are artifically driven upward by a number of factors; students do not pay what it takes for scholars to prepare them; often the actual professors and experts whose writing are featured in the books don't make much money, the profits are swallowed up by the corporate executives. I don't know of many 'teachers' who make millions of dollars a year from their nationally printed textbooks, or that are likely to spend more or equal to that much money in writing them.

In one of my courses, on 'the buisness of writing,' we had someone from the industry come in and explain this. There is also the phenomena where the corporations put out a "new" edition of the textbooks each year, not demanded by any new scholarly updates for typical liberal arts courses like 'Biology 101,' but just to make some small changes and rearrangements in order to make it different enough from last year's edition to discourage students from utilizing cheaper, used textbooks from the previous year(s). If it was some sort of a nonprofit where all students paid for was printing costs and a stipend to writer with no stock market gambling involved, college textbooks would be much cheaper and more sustainable in the U.S.

 

[Haplo]

I'm still a student...
In high school most things are still on paper, but bureaucracy is mainly online...

University is a different matter... Without a pc I wouldn't survive a semester: I'd say it's 60% paper (books, notes and photocopies) 40% online (uploaded material, bureaucracy and some exercises)

While I prefer pen and paper, some people take their notes with a computer...

 

[SimplyJakeAndAlex]

I'm still a student...
In high school most things are still on paper, but bureaucracy is mainly online...

University is a different matter... Without a pc I wouldn't survive a semester: I'd say it's 60% paper (books, notes and photocopies) 40% online (uploaded material, bureaucracy and some exercises)

While I prefer pen and paper, some people take their notes with a computer...

I'd say you're totally right... My Thesis Master send all is darn assignments by email so who wants to run to the closest Library and wait that those playing WarCraft finish their mission before you can download one single 2 mb files :rofl:

 

[MaximumT]

Well I am actually doing my Master degree in Anthropology and trust me I write much faster if I use a pen/pencil, because I tend just to use proper keywords and I can just retype those notes later in a full sentence. If I'd use a computer, even though I can type over 60 words per minutes, I feel that during a lecture my level of attention is seriously limited because at least when taking note the old way I pay much more attention to what is being said instead of trying to takes as much notes as possible and not getting the essence of the lecture.

So very true. Even though I do consider that I type quite fast, writing with a pen is still faster since you can use abbreviations, keywords and such. And also, you can type where you want and how you want it on the paper. On a computer that cannot be done as fast, and when focusing on finding that particular setting or whatever, your attention is drawn from what is actually said and that is never a good thing.

And beside I kind of have a beautiful handwriting that I don't want to lose so I keep writing

Only disadvantage I had with writing with a pen was that I did it so fast and sloppy, I sometimes couldn't even read my own handwriting! :rofl:

Also lot of studiing materials are distributing in electronic form only cos it's cheaper. (Personally I don't like it cos don't like reading many long aticles on computer cos it destroy eyes)..

It may be cheaper, but in the end, how many likes to watch a screen for a long time of period of time opposed to reading the text on a paper? So whenever I got those materials, I was forced to print them out anyway since I can't stand reading on a computer screen for a long time of period. Besides, I like to scribble and makes notes on the papers and that can't be done on the computer.

 

[Otage]

We have everything on net. We have shcools virtual database which is possible to access from home computer. We also have net working area with materials, chores etc. It's much more handier than books I think when you get used to it. Only problems are some incompetent teachers whose materials doesn't open, things are messy and unorganized etc. But ofcourse we use notebooks in lectures and learning situations. And I myself prefer a book calendar instead of mobile phones or pads.
Organized work space at home and doing things on computer allows you practice better for actual work life and use programs needed in everyday work life. Office Word, excell, powerpoint being the most basic ones.

 

[Haplo]

So very true. Even though I do consider that I type quite fast, writing with a pen is still faster since you can use abbreviations, keywords and such. And also, you can type where you want and how you want it on the paper. On a computer that cannot be done as fast, and when focusing on finding that particular setting or whatever, your attention is drawn from what is actually said and that is never a good thing.

This is really true: I use abbreviations, keywords and arrows as much as humanly possible, the times where I write a full sentence should be marked on the calendar and remembered...:rofl::rofl:

Only disadvantage I had with writing with a pen was that I did it so fast and sloppy, I sometimes couldn't even read my own handwriting! :rofl:

It's a common problem... There's a friend of mine with the same problem, and trying to understand her notes has become a running gag...

It may be cheaper, but in the end, how many likes to watch a screen for a long time of period of time opposed to reading the text on a paper? So whenever I got those materials, I was forced to print them out anyway since I can't stand reading on a computer screen for a long time of period. Besides, I like to scribble and makes notes on the papers and that can't be done on the computer.

For me it's a matter of length... If the teacher uploads a text longer than 20 pages I wait, take normal notes and later I may pront it, because printing 70 pages when I end up using 10 at most seems a waste of time and paper....

 

[snapfish]

My university would be virtually impossible to attend without a laptop. Most of our assignments are posted online, our syllabus and coursebook as well. In addition, constant email communication between staff and students makes being connected quite important.

I still prefer to take notes at lectures with a pen and paper, as I feel this helps me remember what I write down better. But a laptop is essential.

 

[gb2000ie]

I work in third level education, so I see students daily, even if I haven't been one in a while.

Do students still use pens or pencils and paper?

yup

Do you still read actual books?

yup - there are even new libraries being built to hold even more books in universities these days!

Is all homework done on computers now?

At third level, most of it yes, so it can be submitted electronically and save a few kabillion trees.

I ask because it seems that most schools (high school and college) require you to have a computer. Some schools even supply them. I also remember that when I was in school we had to rent text books and they could be quite expensive and buying books for college could cost thousands of dollars before your done.

So if school requires a computer, would it not make sense for them to offer all text books and required reading in e-book format?:duh:[/B][/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT]

Yes - it would.

But, the publishing industry is behind the movie industry who are behind the music industry when it comes to understanding reality.

B.