Across the Country, College Students Must Pay to Turn In Their Homework.

jyosim writes: A professor at Arizona State U says he was let go from his teaching job in the economics department because he wouldn't embrace assigning homework software that he says “requires students to pay just to turn in homework.”

His students rushed to his defense on social media, saying that many of their courses now require them to pay for online systems if they want to submit homework.

The university says the professor is spreading misinformation and is the villain.

Details of the ASU situation are messy, but the broader issue of homework software is one that students around the country have been complaining about, while textbook companies see them as the future because they eliminate the used textbook market and lead to more sales as more students are forced to buy directly from publishers.

Publishers argue their software is sophisticated, expensive to build, and improves student grades because it is integrated with helpful bells and whistles. They want colleges to buy in bulk so all students have access.

Is the move to digital homework systems creating a new kind of digital divide at colleges?

The Right to Read

[Martin S.]

Richard Stallman's [wikipedia.org] short story the The Right to Read [wikipedia.org] comes to pass.

For Dan Halbert, the road to Tycho began in collegeâ"when Lissa Lenz asked to borrow his computer. Hers had broken down, and unless she could borrow another, she would fail her midterm project. There was no one she dared ask, except Dan. This put Dan in a dilemma. He had to help herâ"but if he lent her his computer, she might read his books. Aside from the fact that you could go to prison for many years for letting someone else re