Reading the news tonight and this is something that I think needs a discussion (BTW, Colbert is hilarious with The Word tonight) among students. It is the subject of Electronic Textbooks. There have been proposals out there about mandatory laptops, mandatory textbooks and the such. Last year, Engineers at University of Manitoba discussed mandatory laptops in their program. (Who have also brought back the Eng Band this year)
This proposal at UM Eng is supposed to go to referedum this fall, I have not seen anything on-line so I am not too sure what is occuring there.
The news I read tonight is an article in The ChronicleHerald (Halifax, NS) about the requirement for dentistry students at Dalhousie to purchase laptops with VitalSource software.
The main benefit is that all the textbooks are available in first year for all four years. (At least my opinion.) They can be searched. Plus, one does not have to carry all those books.
Problem, no used books. One must purchase the books and laptop.
Is this the wave of the future or just a new form of cash grab?