This weeks What We’re Reading features a comparative study of e-textbooks in the classroom, a new perspective on the controversy over differential tuition, and a look at the history of the War on Christmas.

Issues Related to Higher Education

Who Can Still Afford State U?
Scott Thurm for the Wall Street Journal discusses some of the causes and repercussions for rising costs of public colleges.

Questions They Might Ask You
In preparation for the hiring season, Inside Higher Ed published a list of sample questions asked over the years for tenure-track jobs. Although the list is focused toward interviewees at a Modern Language Association (MLA) meeting, most of the questions are also appropriate for the history field.

Technology Enhancement Tools in an Undergraduate Biology Course
A single-class survey examines how technology enhances student engagement, including comparing the experiences of students who used e-textbooks or a standard textbook. 

History in the News

In Ignorance We Trust
Timothy Egan offers a different perspective on the controversy over the differential tuition model proposed in Florida, arguing that current historical writing is part of the problem.

Bomb Sight: Mapping the WW2 Bomb Census
An interactive map that reveals the totality of bombs dropped on London during the Blitz.

University of Chicago’s Indiana Jones Mystery Solved
The curious case of the Raiders of the Lost Ark journal recently sent to the University of Chicago has supposedly been solved. 

Holiday Links

Yuletide’s Outlaws
A historical reflection on the annual War on Christmas controversy.

The 10 Most Memorable Scenes from Holiday Movies
Buzzfeed lists the 10 most memorable scenes from our favorite holiday movies, including A Christmas Story, Elf, and It’s a Wonderful Life.

3 Books to Read before the End of the World
If the rumors are true, world civilization could disappear on December 21, right before Christmas. How should you spend your last days? Ben Winters for NPR lists the three books to read before the end of the world.

This post first appeared on AHA Today.