Comments on: CourseSmart Could Quite Possibly be the Worst Blend of Technology & Education http://jasonheydasch.com/2009/02/16/coursesmart-could-quite-possibly-be-the-worst-blend-of-technology-education/ I'm on the InterTubes Sun, 08 Jan 2012 14:51:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Steve http://jasonheydasch.com/2009/02/16/coursesmart-could-quite-possibly-be-the-worst-blend-of-technology-education/comment-page-1/#comment-1308 Steve Sun, 08 Jan 2012 14:51:07 +0000 http://www.jasonheydasch.com/?p=11#comment-1308 <strong>Hi...</strong> http://www.webcamgirls4.com/... Hi…

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]]> By: Nate http://jasonheydasch.com/2009/02/16/coursesmart-could-quite-possibly-be-the-worst-blend-of-technology-education/comment-page-1/#comment-992 Nate Sun, 30 Jan 2011 02:47:37 +0000 http://www.jasonheydasch.com/?p=11#comment-992 Updating my previous post: I opted for the "web view" version of the textbook with CourseSmart, and am printing it to PDF files (using FireFox under Ubuntu) in 10-page sections. Using an app called pdfsam that merges PDF files to stitch all the PDFs into one book. So far, so good, and no need to install their software. Updating my previous post: I opted for the “web view” version of the textbook with CourseSmart, and am printing it to PDF files (using FireFox under Ubuntu) in 10-page sections. Using an app called pdfsam that merges PDF files to stitch all the PDFs into one book. So far, so good, and no need to install their software.

]]> By: Nate http://jasonheydasch.com/2009/02/16/coursesmart-could-quite-possibly-be-the-worst-blend-of-technology-education/comment-page-1/#comment-991 Nate Fri, 28 Jan 2011 21:52:03 +0000 http://www.jasonheydasch.com/?p=11#comment-991 Heh... thanks to your blog and comments, I tried installing the CourseSmart software before buying the ebook. It didn't run in a Win7 VM (using VirtualBox in Linux). So, going to try another option. Thanks for writing about this. Heh… thanks to your blog and comments, I tried installing the CourseSmart software before buying the ebook. It didn’t run in a Win7 VM (using VirtualBox in Linux). So, going to try another option.

Thanks for writing about this.

]]> By: onenotemed http://jasonheydasch.com/2009/02/16/coursesmart-could-quite-possibly-be-the-worst-blend-of-technology-education/comment-page-1/#comment-984 onenotemed Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:16:37 +0000 http://www.jasonheydasch.com/?p=11#comment-984 CourseSmart lets you print (although only 10 pages at a time) so what you can do is print them to a PDF file. After that you can use a pdf editor to crop out the extra margins all at once and voila! CourseSmart lets you print (although only 10 pages at a time) so what you can do is print them to a PDF file. After that you can use a pdf editor to crop out the extra margins all at once and voila!

]]> By: Cisco http://jasonheydasch.com/2009/02/16/coursesmart-could-quite-possibly-be-the-worst-blend-of-technology-education/comment-page-1/#comment-973 Cisco Tue, 19 Oct 2010 06:53:31 +0000 http://www.jasonheydasch.com/?p=11#comment-973 I can't thank you enough for your post. After seeing a video demo of CourseSmart, I had my suspicions that it was a piece of seriously bloated and limited software. Your post confirmed what I thought. I'd like to think that college students generally know better than to be duped into purchasing this mediocre product offered by CourseSmart. Sadly, those who don't know better allow companies like CourseSmart to continue doing business... my heart weeps for this travesty. As you suggest, iChapters is a limited alternative but a MUCH better one at that. iChapters allowed me to download a sample chapter of the book I am considering purchasing. It was a speedy download and, since it was a PDF file, I opened it without problems using AdobeReader. The only difference I noted was that they took some clever precautions to prevent people from digitally "reprinting" the file as another (presumably) unrestricted digital file. Ultimately, I might wind up settling for iChapters, but I don't see myself highly recommending it. I can’t thank you enough for your post.

After seeing a video demo of CourseSmart, I had my suspicions that it was a piece of seriously bloated and limited software. Your post confirmed what I thought.

I’d like to think that college students generally know better than to be duped into purchasing this mediocre product offered by CourseSmart. Sadly, those who don’t know better allow companies like CourseSmart to continue doing business… my heart weeps for this travesty.

As you suggest, iChapters is a limited alternative but a MUCH better one at that. iChapters allowed me to download a sample chapter of the book I am considering purchasing. It was a speedy download and, since it was a PDF file, I opened it without problems using AdobeReader. The only difference I noted was that they took some clever precautions to prevent people from digitally “reprinting” the file as another (presumably) unrestricted digital file.

Ultimately, I might wind up settling for iChapters, but I don’t see myself highly recommending it.

]]> By: Jacob http://jasonheydasch.com/2009/02/16/coursesmart-could-quite-possibly-be-the-worst-blend-of-technology-education/comment-page-1/#comment-972 Jacob Sat, 09 Oct 2010 18:55:02 +0000 http://www.jasonheydasch.com/?p=11#comment-972 I was considering coursesmart but I can't stand the fact that you don't own the textbooks when you are done. As a science major I want to be able use the texts as references. I refuse to pay for an ebook that is 'timed'. Your review of the software just made me confident of my decision that ebooks are just not ready for prime-time. I was considering coursesmart but I can’t stand the fact that you don’t own the textbooks when you are done. As a science major I want to be able use the texts as references. I refuse to pay for an ebook that is ‘timed’. Your review of the software just made me confident of my decision that ebooks are just not ready for prime-time.

]]> By: Med http://jasonheydasch.com/2009/02/16/coursesmart-could-quite-possibly-be-the-worst-blend-of-technology-education/comment-page-1/#comment-970 Med Thu, 30 Sep 2010 20:21:57 +0000 http://www.jasonheydasch.com/?p=11#comment-970 I wish I would have found this sooner. I downloaded an engineering etextbook from CourseSmart and I regretted it the second I got into the reader software. I was expecting to have a leg up on my classmates because I assumed I would be able to use regular pdf readers for the file which would give me many more options than my e-impaired fellow learners. As you know, that assumption was wrong. Oddly enough, I can't rotate an image (page, etc) or use many of the other functions of my favorite pdf readers and as such I am likely the first engineering student ever to have to tilt my head at a 90° angle to read a complex graph. Not a happy customer. I wish I would have found this sooner. I downloaded an engineering etextbook from CourseSmart and I regretted it the second I got into the reader software. I was expecting to have a leg up on my classmates because I assumed I would be able to use regular pdf readers for the file which would give me many more options than my e-impaired fellow learners. As you know, that assumption was wrong. Oddly enough, I can’t rotate an image (page, etc) or use many of the other functions of my favorite pdf readers and as such I am likely the first engineering student ever to have to tilt my head at a 90° angle to read a complex graph. Not a happy customer.

]]> By: Logan http://jasonheydasch.com/2009/02/16/coursesmart-could-quite-possibly-be-the-worst-blend-of-technology-education/comment-page-1/#comment-967 Logan Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:36:14 +0000 http://www.jasonheydasch.com/?p=11#comment-967 I was looking at coursesmart to purchase my public health book. I noticed you said there are a lot of hindrances, but if I just needed the Etextbook to look at the chapters, and say use the word search feature to help me while taking my quizzes and tests, would it be worth my while? I don't need to print any pages (if I did it wouldn't be more than 10). Do you think I should purchase it, it would save me like 40 bucks also. Thanks, Logan I was looking at coursesmart to purchase my public health book. I noticed you said there are a lot of hindrances, but if I just needed the Etextbook to look at the chapters, and say use the word search feature to help me while taking my quizzes and tests, would it be worth my while? I don’t need to print any pages (if I did it wouldn’t be more than 10). Do you think I should purchase it, it would save me like 40 bucks also.

Thanks,
Logan

]]> By: Carmen http://jasonheydasch.com/2009/02/16/coursesmart-could-quite-possibly-be-the-worst-blend-of-technology-education/comment-page-1/#comment-966 Carmen Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:33:43 +0000 http://www.jasonheydasch.com/?p=11#comment-966 Couldn't agree more with you. I've been downloading since 10:23 am, It's 6:33pm now. Couldn’t agree more with you. I’ve been downloading since 10:23 am, It’s 6:33pm now.

]]> By: Molozonide http://jasonheydasch.com/2009/02/16/coursesmart-could-quite-possibly-be-the-worst-blend-of-technology-education/comment-page-1/#comment-964 Molozonide Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:09:41 +0000 http://www.jasonheydasch.com/?p=11#comment-964 Good review. Reading the information page on CourseSmart, that is exactly how I thought it would turn out. Thank you for confirming my fear. Good review. Reading the information page on CourseSmart, that is exactly how I thought it would turn out. Thank you for confirming my fear.

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