Comments on: Textbooks: who needs them?

By: Gary Schlee

Gary Schlee — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 22:03:13 +0000

I’ll let you know, Les, how it goes. Of course, the curriculum in this case is all about online and new media PR. What textbook can keep up with the changes in this area?

By: Les Potter

Les Potter — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 23:15:42 +0000

I can’t wait to hear how teaching with blogs and podcasts instead of textbooks works. I think it is a great idea.

I taught a graduate course spring semester 2007 here at Towson University, and student-led discussions called “Reports from the Blogosphere” were a major element of each class. It was terrific. The students enjoyed it, I enjoyed it, and we all learned a geat deal from it. But, we also had one textbook for the class, too.

I put a lot of effort into selecting the right textbook for each class. I try to limit required texts to one for each class to save students money and to keep it simple. Some profesors, like those in my doctoral program, will require the purchase of multiple textbooks for one class, then use only a few chapters out of each. I hate that, and so do my students.

I think your idea of teaching from/with blogs and podcasts is the way to go. It solves a lot of problems, plus insures the most current thought on any given issue.

By: Scott

Scott — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 20:31:04 +0000

Thanks for posting on this Gary! Good points all around. Obviously, the textbook still serves a very important role in the education system and it’s not going away anytime soon for the exact reasons that you, Will and Christine have pointed out. Just wanted to shake things up a little bit :0)

That being said…….I’m happy to hear you’re incorporating blogs/podcasts into your courses. Based on my (very limited) experience, it seems that PR students are expected to have a basic understanding of this stuff when they come into an organization. Unfortunately, many communications and PR programs in the GTA continue to turn their noses up at the very thought of incorporating online materials into their classes.

Obviously, Centennial isn’t one of them.

By: Will O'Neill

Will O'Neill — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:48:40 +0000

I would agree with you that we’re not done with books yet, particularly as reference materials – using blogs and podcasts for these purposes, as Scott suggests, would be very difficult for students as they can’t be easily indexed the way that a book can.

Podcasts can be cut up into chapters, but you still have to listen, and ears don’t skim nearly as well as eyes do, and the biggest (but not the only) problem with many blogs is that they don’t use metadata the way they should, and he should know – despite the tags here and there, everything in his blog is under the category ‘uncategorized’.

Imagine a book arranged like that…!

All of the ‘Web 2.0′ things that people never seem to tire of talking about (or are anxious to not be seen talking about) will continue to be supplemental. You’ve got to have your CP style guides, and as for the rest? Compared to the texts you have to buy in university, they’re nothing.

I’m not saying that being a professor on the editorial board of a book which you then instruct your students to buy is a kickback, neccessarily, but…

I’m just saying.

By: Christine Smith

Christine Smith — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:27:10 +0000

In recent years, I’ve found that students demand road maps. They want to know “the right way”. They want proof. Examples. Experts who say this is the way to go. So, many students actually question why a course doesn’t have a text book because they like that kind of structure.

In many cases, it’s not the price of the text that galls students What really bugs (and insults) them are professors who insist they purchase a required text and then don’t use it throughout the course.

And, give up on trying to find the ideal text book. It doesn’t exist. That’s why they keep us around!