Paperless University
Looking ahead to 2012, I can see ETS exploring ways to help faculty and students transition into more of a paperless environment. Aside from environmental concerns, the paper that we use in academia can be expensive for students considering the cost of textbooks and the paper-based workflow that on-campus students use to print materials, take notes, share drafts, and submit assignments. Many students quickly run through their printing allotment and then have to pay per page.
This isn’t new to many of you. As Ann Taylor pointed out, in an online class, electronic submissions are the norm. I’m not sure what your faculty do with those submissions though – do they like to print them out and grade by hand? Do they stay completely electronic? And are they using electronic textbooks themselves, or do they prefer print? Can students order electronic textbooks – and do they take advantage of the extra features such as self-quizzing? What about trends in libraries lending out electronic books?
I don’t want to preach to the university about the virtues of going paperless. I’d like to hear what this group sees going on in this space and then talk to faculty about theory versus reality. I can see us creating some models and best practices that can guide other faculty who would like to give this a try.
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