Well, if you need further proof that things are changing, you might be interested in knowing that printed encyclopedias are one step closer to the Museum of Education.
Check out this from Read Write Web:
In a move that will surprise very few, Encyclopedia Britannica is expected to announce that it will no longer print its 32-volume set of printed encyclopedias, the New York Times reports. This comes 244 years after the iconic reference books first went to press.
The usefulness of such reference materials has been on the decline for years, especially since the advent of Wikipedia. Whatever flaws its open, crowd-sourced editorial model may invite, Wikipedia is generally regarded as a comprehensive and mostly-accurate source of information, which can be accessed for free.
What implications does this have for educators?
At what point do Wikipedia-haters see that crowd sourcing + free = the future?
Joe,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your title for this blog. It's kind of sad to think that they printing of encyclopedias is coming to an end. However, there are several perks to wikipedia, one being that it is free. But, it also has its flaws. For instance, anyone can add information to wikipedia, so it's not as accurate as the encyclopedias. Nice post!
April Crum