Revised November 1999. The way academics develop learning materials for students has not kept pace with technology, or with our growing understanding of the way people learn.
Most classes still involve a professor standing in front of a group of students and lecturing.
Students typically spend their out of class time reviewing their notes or reading a selection of materials. Sometimes an article repeats information the student has already learned from other material. It is difficult for this type of material to compete with highly polished media bombarding students through television and the World Wide Web. As a result, the professoriate finds it increasingly difficult to motivate students to do their reading assignments. The increasing pace of discovery in all disciplines, including Regional Science, has made it difficult to rely solely on a book.