Robert L. Schrag, a professor of communication at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, had been offering his students an MP3 copy of his lectures; the lectures were sold via an online company, Independent Music Online, for $2.50, with the professor receiving $1 per sale.
A student in his class reacted favorably to his project. “It’s a pretty neat idea, but he also told us in class that you’re going to get the most if you come to class and hear the lecture firsthand, so it’s really a matter of choice,” NCSU student Audrey Wilson said [1]. The student newspaper, the Technician, ran an article [2] also giving a favorable impression, but the editors of the paper disagreed [3] – wondering if this was a ripoff [should missing class be so expensive :)?].
The Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences was bothered by the practice and wanted time to think about it, and communicated this to Prof. Schrag who has, for the time being, removed the lectures from the site. UNC policy, however, allows professors to retain sole ownership of materials that they produce in their classrooms. [4]
Notes and References
[0] Image: Robert L. Schrag, Mask. Image http://www.ncsu.edu/chass/communication/faculty/schrag/webpub/mask.jpg” on http://www.ncsu.edu/chass/communication/faculty/schrag/webpub/doodles.html
[1] Kelley Brackett, Professor gives students the option of purchasing his lectures online, technicianonline (N.C. State Student Media, Raleigh, North Carolina), http://media.www.technicianonline.com/media/storage/paper848/news/2006/09/13/News/Professor.Gives.Students.The.Option.Of.Purchasing.His.Lectures.Online-2268444.shtml. Robert Schrag records Communication 250 classes and offers them to students online for $2.50
[2] NBC17, Professor’s Digital Lessons Put On Hold, NBC Channel 17, Ralleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. September 13, 2006. http://www.nbc17.com/education/9842776/detail.html “It’s a pretty neat idea, but he also told us in class that you’re going to get the most if you come to class and hear the lecture firsthand, so it’s really a matter of choice,” NCSU student Audrey Wilson said. “You can get the CD, or go to the live concert. A lot of people go to the concert because there’s something about it being live, or a student being able to ask the question, not listening to another student’s question.”
[3] Unsigned editorial, The principle of the thing. Opinion: Professors should not charge for audio copies of their lectures when students already pay thousands of dollars in tuition and the university has free web space available. technicianonline (N.C. State Student Media, Raleigh, North Carolina) http://www.technicianonline.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&uStory_id=fc6306c2-6400-4fc3-8740-d499869a6c3f
[4] Andrea Foster, N.C. Professor Stops Selling Lecture Recordings Online After a Dean Raises Questions. Chronicle of Higher Education, September 15, 2006. http://chronicle.com/free/2006/09/2006091501t.htm
Related
Wired Campus Blog, Online Lecture Sales Suspended, The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 15, 2006. http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/1570/online-lecture-sales-suspended. The Blog leads off a discussion with the question “Do you think professors should be able to profit from selling their lecture recordings to students online.”
Robert L. Schrag, Robert’s Quarterly Journal of On-Going Works, The Compleat Worke, Volume 1, Number 1. http://www.ncsu.edu/chass/communication/faculty/schrag/webpub/distribution.html
Robert L. Schrag (Bob), Educause Profile. http://www.educause.edu/PeerDirectory/750?ID=38482. Dr. Schrag has taught in the Communication Department at NC State since 1981. He focuses on digital technology and has a special interest in the intersection between those technologies and expressive communication – painting, sculpture, music, etc., and various combinations thereof