The Online Degree Dorm Room

Engineering Degree Online | The college textbook ripoff - one student’s campaign

Posted by bposton on November 10th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

OK so here’s a little good news. Looks like we’re starting to win some of the battles in the textbook wars.

And online degree programs are in the front lines…

With the advent of computers in the classroom, the greedy textbook publishers started to add digital tools-video clips, interactive lessons, databases, DVDs etc packaged with the books. Of course, that drove the costs up.
So students (and even some professors) turned to the Internet to look for the best bargains.

And with online education technology, we’re finding out that with these new cyberteaching tools on the Web that maybe, just maybe, they don’t need that old-fashioned textbook at all.

HA - take that you greed publishers!

In fact, one Northwestern student took matters into his own hands. After hearing other students echo his frustration, he started a website called textbookrevolution.org, which links visitors to a variety of free college-level, digital textbooks on the Web.

Little by little, we’re winning the war on high textbook costs…

Ben