From SmartBoards to laptops to online textbooks, Langley is constantly becoming more high-tech. But as the backlash against the new online textbooks may show, more technology isn’t always better.
Designed to make learning more convenient and interactive, the new online textbooks appear to have made life harder-at least for some students. “I really don’t like the online textbooks. I wish we had a choice,” said sophomore Tali Champney.
The online textbooks are part of a county-wide initiative by Fairfax County to “differentiate and enrich student learning, through highlighting, glossaries, videos and flashcards,” according to the Fairfax County website.
Frustrated and Distracted
One of the most common student objections to the new online textbooks is the inconvenience caused by having to sit at a computer to do homework. This can be a hindrance for athletes, who are away from home for many hours each day.
“I do the majority of my homework at practice or in the car. I find little time to use the computer,” said sophomore basketball player Mahir Ahmed.
Junior Cori Ritchey added, “It’s not like you can just take the online textbook with you.”
In addition, because the textbooks require Adobe Flash, they cannot be viewed on many types of smart phones and tablets.
“My phone can’t access the textbooks, and even some Internet browsers can’t either,” said senior Sid Venkatraman.
Students weren’t the only ones unhappy with the shift to e-text. “It is shocking that Fairfax County sends home forms to fill out if you are homeless or need free lunch, yet at the same time requires the use of a computer and the Internet to access your textbooks,” said Langley parent Tina Cobb.
Another common objection is the unreliability of the online textbooks. “Issues with logging in have somewhat hindered my learning process this year,” said senior Zack Dailey.
Junior Justin Yi noted that the online textbooks often fail to load, or end up crashing his computer.
The potential for increased distraction is yet another issue. “Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr are literally one click away,” said sophomore Sean Herman. “How can a teacher expect me to focus when it’s easier to turn to Facebook than to turn a page in my online textbook?”
Finally, health can be a concern as well. “The textbooks give me a headache. I hate the lights on the computer because they hurt my eyes,” said sophomore Sepideh Behestian.
“They have obviously not addressed pediatric ophthalmologists’ warnings about the dangers of too much electronic screen time to your eyes,” added Ms. Cobb.
Teacher response
Teachers are acknowledging student frustrations, and are doing their best to be supportive of students. “I understand how difficult access is. Teachers will help students with any problems they face,” said History Department Chair Steve Plunkett.
“It is a change to get used to the new textbooks,” added math teacher Richard Whitehead. “We all just want to be able to flip to the back of the book and check our answers.”
“I personally prefer to hold an actual book in my hands,” said history teacher Ryan Jackson.
What’s next?
According to Principal Matt Ragone, Langley is required to implement whatever online or hard copy texts the county approves and purchases. Science will most likely be the next subject to have online textbooks.
“The county has told us they will probably never buy another hard copy,” said Mr. Ragone. “My advice is to try to get used to this way of gaining information. Fortunately or unfortunately, this is not going away.”