The case for (and against) courseware: Editorials

In a three-part series of editorials in the Chronicle of Higher Ed, reporter Taylor Swaak conducts a deep dive on the use of courseware in postsecondary education. The first of these editorials demonstrates that courseware can often “replace the professor,” as digital tools–like online textbooks and assignments–become increasingly common. Swaak explains that while courseware can provide instant feedback to students, it can also make the classroom experience highly impersonal. The second of these editorials demonstrates the significant cost of courseware, which flies “in the face of efforts by both student-advocates and legislators to make college more affordable.” The final installment points to the data-privacy concerns with courseware products, underlining the risks that come with mandated use of courseware.