Milena Stanoeva
Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences
Matthew Batstone, director of Britain’s New College of the Humanities, wrote an article for The Guardian advising graduates in the humanities on ways to capitalize on their education when they are applying for jobs. One of his tips for humanities graduates is demonstrating that they are not just suited to thinking, but also to handling projects and working in an applied way.
Léo Charbonneau, of University Affairs, refutes arguments that online education will be the demise of traditional classroom lectures and universities. He argues that education is a social experience and that there is something to the heady university experience that will keep students coming back to campus, rather than staying home on their computers. Instead, he argues for more partnership between universities in offering a standardized set of first year courses online, for a reduced cost.
Apple’s iBooks Author for the iPad was released last week, and some believe it is the solution to the problem of inaccessibly expensive academic textbooks by eliminating printing and distribution costs. According to the Los Angeles Times, Steve Jobs believed the application could shake up the textbook industry. Textbooks are already available through the application for $14.99 or less, but the high cost of tablets could be a barrier for many students.