College (Un)bound
I heard Jeff Selingo, editor at large of The Chronicle of Higher Education, speak last month at the NJEDge Annual Conference and bought his book, College Unbound: The Future of Higher Education and What It Means for Students
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You only have to get into the first section of the book to find these passage:
“More than ever, American colleges and universities seem to be in every business but education. They are in the entertainment business, the housing business, the restaurant business, the recreation business, and on some campuses, they operate what are essentially professional sports franchises (page 5).”
“The classroom has become one giant game of favor exchanges between students, professors and administrators (21).”
“The problem is that while the price of a degree is increasing, the amount of learning needed to get that piece of paper is moving in the opposite direction (24).”
In the book's conclusion, Selingo describes what might be the college student of the future. That student does graduate witha degree, but after getting credits from different institutions, He is not a believer that MOOCs will be the big agent of change, but students attending residential colleges, community colleges, studying abroad and using online coursework of any kind will give this new college student a wider variety of educational experiences.
I'm not sure that this kind of variety of opportunities to learn would be available to all students. Students with fewer financial resources may only be able to take advantage of a few of those opportunities. It does sound like the kind of college experience that is preparation for careers where change and a more global view are required.
Selingo blames the credential race for transforming universities into more of a big business, He is critical of the environment that has allowed some middle-tier colleges to get tuitions up with the elite universities even though they have poor graduation rates. He is also critical of colleges granting degrees to graduates who still lack the skills needed for a rapidly evolving job market.
Selingo is optimistic about technology and sees MOOCs, hybrid classes, and adaptive learning software as all being methods to explore. He also thinks that unbundling the traditional degree and credit system will increase access to high-quality education regardless of budget or location. The path to the degree and even the courses and lessons would be much more based on individual needs than the programs we have now.
In this video, Selingo covers some of the same ground as when I heard him speak. His points are covered in more detail in the book, but clearly Jeff Selingo thinks colleges need to allow students to engage in one-on-one mentorships with faculty and those outside the university, global experiences, undergraduate research, experiential learning, and opportunities for creativity and learning from failure.
. You only have to get into the first section of the book to find these passage:
“More than ever, American colleges and universities seem to be in every business but education. They are in the entertainment business, the housing business, the restaurant business, the recreation business, and on some campuses, they operate what are essentially professional sports franchises (page 5).”
“The classroom has become one giant game of favor exchanges between students, professors and administrators (21).”
“The problem is that while the price of a degree is increasing, the amount of learning needed to get that piece of paper is moving in the opposite direction (24).”
In the book's conclusion, Selingo describes what might be the college student of the future. That student does graduate witha degree, but after getting credits from different institutions, He is not a believer that MOOCs will be the big agent of change, but students attending residential colleges, community colleges, studying abroad and using online coursework of any kind will give this new college student a wider variety of educational experiences. I'm not sure that this kind of variety of opportunities to learn would be available to all students. Students with fewer financial resources may only be able to take advantage of a few of those opportunities. It does sound like the kind of college experience that is preparation for careers where change and a more global view are required.
Selingo blames the credential race for transforming universities into more of a big business, He is critical of the environment that has allowed some middle-tier colleges to get tuitions up with the elite universities even though they have poor graduation rates. He is also critical of colleges granting degrees to graduates who still lack the skills needed for a rapidly evolving job market.
Selingo is optimistic about technology and sees MOOCs, hybrid classes, and adaptive learning software as all being methods to explore. He also thinks that unbundling the traditional degree and credit system will increase access to high-quality education regardless of budget or location. The path to the degree and even the courses and lessons would be much more based on individual needs than the programs we have now.
In this video, Selingo covers some of the same ground as when I heard him speak. His points are covered in more detail in the book, but clearly Jeff Selingo thinks colleges need to allow students to engage in one-on-one mentorships with faculty and those outside the university, global experiences, undergraduate research, experiential learning, and opportunities for creativity and learning from failure.
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