Such [e-reader and multimedia web site] technologies certainly have their place. But Secretary Duncan is threatening to light a bonfire to a tried-and-true technology — good old paper — that has been the foundation for one of the great educational systems on the planet. And while e-readers and multimedia may seem appealing, the idea of replacing an effective learning platform with a widely hyped but still unproven one is extremely dangerous.
The rest of the piece goes on to list “mixed” results from studies on the effectiveness of multimedia learning, as well as solutions to the heavy backpack problem like “just get a rolling backpack.” Not kidding.
The New York Times seems to be taking one step forward into the digital age with things like its digital subscription apps and iPad-only website, then two steps back with pieces like this that simply refuse to let go of a dying medium.
