If information is free, then why are text books so expensive? Should they be replaced with free open-textbooks?
A ccording to media theorist Neil Postman , “The way to be liberated from the constraining effects of any medium is to develop a perspective on it — how it works and what it does.” Media are evolving, morphing, and converging in ways we once wouldn’t have imagined. Newspapers, books, radio, and television all share one common trait: they only allow communication in a single direction. There are exceptions to this rule; a radio program, for instance, may allow its listeners to call in to the show. However, this method of feedback is usually limited to a single person. In more recent times, technology has turned communications upside-down. Blogs, vlogs, and social media have provided every consumer with a voice. Communications is no longer one-directional, and it has progressed beyond bi-directional. Discourse now spans the globe in a web of interactions which challenge ideology and authority. There is, however, a notable exception: the traditional textbook. Since its incept...