Engineering Degree Online | The college textbook scam

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

OK, it’s time for me to jump up on my soap box again… :-)

No, it’s not about diploma mills (but don’t get me started on that one…)

This tirad I’m about to start is about the ripoff regarding college textbooks.

Ripoff? Absolutely…

Get this - the basic introductory physics textbook for college students has remained pretty much the same in the past 100 years, or longer. So it really bugs me when a freshman physics student has to buy a new textbook that’s about $160., even though the one he used in high school probably has the very same material.

Students all over the US are struggling as it is. So add to that whammy of college costs increasing, now they have to beg, borrow and steal to afford the textbook that the good ‘ol professor tells then they need, and then NEVER uses it in class!!!

:-(   In fact, double :-( :-(

Here are the facts, my dorm room buddy…

There are thousands of textbooks published each and every year, and add them all up and it’s a $6.5 billion dollar a year business.

That’s “Billion” with a B

Don’t take my word for it. That figure comes from the National Association of College Stores.

Fact - The cost of the average college textbook increased 186 percent between 1986 and 2004, according to a study by the Government Accountability Office.

And why, pray tell did the costs go up so mucn? well, according to the GAO, it was “explained” that expenses of developing and bundling additional materials like CDs, DVDs, and websites that supplement the traditional pages kept going up.

Gimme a break…

So now, the sad fact is that the average book bill for the typical student is about $900 a year.

Of course it’s even more if you’re enrolled in like sciences or art history, which use required reading that is particularly expensive to produce.

Boy. these tirads make me tired… :-)

More in my next post
Ben

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Engineering Degree Online | Online Museums engage the Xbox Generation and beyond

Posted by bposton on November 9th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

Talk about starting them off when they’re young…

I read an article that suggested that parents concerned about their kids spending too much time in front of the Xbox should consider that a lot of these games take place in ancient lands that the kids could learn more about and therefore make the gaming experience a learning experience.

So I turned off my Xbox and read the rest of the article… :-)

It mentioned that one of the best ways to engage Xbox kid in the learning process was to have them log into the Web sites of the larger science and natural history museums.

It appears that today’s museums are using their online presence more and more to appeal to kids at a sensory level. They are putting together collections and bringing them to life for online viewers by setting up online stories, games and activities, which help parent who are looking for an educational way to keep their you Xboxer’s entertained.

And going to a museum online has a few advantages, including:

 - It’s free (my favorite) and ready when you are. No driving or parking required.

 - You can get their from anywhere. And you don’t have to wait in line.
So think about this for a moment. Where do you think today’s little Xboxers will taking college classes? In a stuffy old classroom, or in front of their trusty computer in a online environment that they’ve grown up with?

Ben

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engineering degree online : More Colleges adding online courses

Posted by bposton on October 24th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

I think that the time has come that many colleges and universities are seeing the fact that
the popularity for taking classes online is growing like crazy.

And as a result, they’re willing to add more online programs to their rosters.

case in point:

Huntington University recently added its first online program.
Students can receive a master’s degree in youth ministry leadership, which recently earned accreditation
from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

The program has accepted from states such as Maryland, Texas and Florida.

Case in point number 2:

Indiana Tech just added its first online courses this fall but has offered
independent-study correspondence courses for about 20 years two decades.
Associate and bachelor’s degrees in business administration are available to students
who want to study on their own.

Case in point number 3:

Taylor University, in Fort Wayne Indiana, is working on adding bachelor’s and eventually
master’s degree programs to its offerings at the Center for Lifelong Learning.

Chancellor Duane Kilty had this to say about their online strategy:
“We’re heading there as aggressively as we can go. I would hope we would have four-year degree programs online by the fall of ’08.”

The university already offers individual courses and associate degrees online.

Kilty also said that Taylor’s program will be different from other programs in that it continues
the Christian education present on campus.

By the way, Kilty received his master’s in business administration from Ball State University with distance learning.
He never set fool on the Ball State Campus. And he has also has taught distance courses. So he know that students
can be just as engaging as those sitting in a traditional classroom.

Ben

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