Editorial: Kindle, other e-readers still a gamble in the classroom

E-readers may have the potential to revolutionize the way students purchase and use textbooks, but the current Kindle model does not meet the needs of Seattle University students.

While the Kindle test program beginning next quarter will provide students with the devices, the cost alone will be a deterrent for students outside the test group, preventing the Kindle from becoming popularized on campus. The largest model, the Kindle DX, was designed to display textbook pages. The price, however, was not designed with students in mind, coming in at $489, with the smaller size designed for leisure reading coming in at a much more affordable $259. With the more expensive DX, students would not see savings as quickly and would have to begin using the device early in their academic careers to justify the cost.

Another problem with the devices is that many of the electronic versions of textbooks have page numbers that do not correspond with the print versions. This inconsistency would create more work for professors in classes with a mix of Kindle and print book users. Professors would have to check two sets of numbers when evaluating the accuracy of students' in-text citations in assignments.

The Kindle also makes it difficult to highlight and make marginal notes. A stylus can be used for underlining but students must use a keyboard on the device to make notes. The device does not yet offer a feature that would allow students to bookmark these pages with notes.

Additionally, Kindle access is limiting for blind and seeing impaired students or students with certain learning disabilities, as some books' rights holders make the "read-to-me" feature unavailable. Reed College in Portland, Ore. refused to purchase Kindle readers until they are made fully accessible to blind and visually impaired students.

The test class that will introduce Kindles to Seattle U is investing in a technology that appears to either ignore the needs of its target market or is still in the early stages of development.

Instead of spending funds on this new technology, Seattle U should focus on improving existing ones first.

Reach the editorial board at opinion@su-spectator.com