Comments on: Burn the Boats/Books http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2010/burn-the-boatsbooks/ Thoughts on Emerging Media and Higher Education Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:17:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: jebyrnes http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2010/burn-the-boatsbooks/comment-page-1/#comment-177677 jebyrnes Fri, 25 Jun 2010 22:51:28 +0000 http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/?p=444#comment-177677 Intriguing argument. I agree with it all save for two points - self-publication and getting over peer review. In the Sciences, this would be disaster. At some point, there has to be a gatekeeper for scientific information. I think, if anything, the fact that anyone perceives that there is a "debate" on topics such as climate change or evolution is proof enough of that. I'm a big fan of services such as Nature Precedings or archivX as a pre-publication point, but the beauty of it is that it is, indeed, pre-print. The validity of a piece is questionable until the piece receives sufficient peer review, revision, and is judged sufficient to be published. Intriguing argument. I agree with it all save for two points – self-publication and getting over peer review. In the Sciences, this would be disaster. At some point, there has to be a gatekeeper for scientific information. I think, if anything, the fact that anyone perceives that there is a “debate” on topics such as climate change or evolution is proof enough of that. I’m a big fan of services such as Nature Precedings or archivX as a pre-publication point, but the beauty of it is that it is, indeed, pre-print. The validity of a piece is questionable until the piece receives sufficient peer review, revision, and is judged sufficient to be published.

]]> By: Natalie Binder http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2010/burn-the-boatsbooks/comment-page-1/#comment-173564 Natalie Binder Mon, 07 Jun 2010 04:05:55 +0000 http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/?p=444#comment-173564 I adore books. As I librarian, I spend much of my life cataloging, processing, repairing, lending and reading them. But I agree that they are no longer a viable vessel for academic knowledge. Scholarly knowledge is developing at an astronomical speed, and books--especially media and technology books--are frequently outdated before they hit the presses. Not to mention the crippling cost to students, both financially (last semester's book bill: $350) and in terms of copyright restrictions. Why does it seem like many academics can't see the future? Personally I think it's a love of status that's holding us back. It still means something to have a book or article published. There's still a dividing line--and a career-making one--between the published and the unpublished. I have strong reservations about the online-only classroom, but in a lot of ways we seem to be going back to an earlier era of scholarship, when teachers were humble guides instead of high-status experts. I hope that's the way it works out. I adore books. As I librarian, I spend much of my life cataloging, processing, repairing, lending and reading them. But I agree that they are no longer a viable vessel for academic knowledge.

Scholarly knowledge is developing at an astronomical speed, and books–especially media and technology books–are frequently outdated before they hit the presses. Not to mention the crippling cost to students, both financially (last semester’s book bill: $350) and in terms of copyright restrictions.

Why does it seem like many academics can’t see the future? Personally I think it’s a love of status that’s holding us back. It still means something to have a book or article published. There’s still a dividing line–and a career-making one–between the published and the unpublished.

I have strong reservations about the online-only classroom, but in a lot of ways we seem to be going back to an earlier era of scholarship, when teachers were humble guides instead of high-status experts. I hope that’s the way it works out.

]]> By: Cathy Higgins http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2010/burn-the-boatsbooks/comment-page-1/#comment-173535 Cathy Higgins Mon, 07 Jun 2010 01:23:57 +0000 http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/?p=444#comment-173535 I agree with all of your points. Such a perfectly stated post which I will share widely, starting with a listserv I maintain for K-12 educators in New Hampshire. Thank you for your insightful posts. Love reading all of them. I agree with all of your points. Such a perfectly stated post which I will share widely, starting with a listserv I maintain for K-12 educators in New Hampshire. Thank you for your insightful posts. Love reading all of them.

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