Category: Education

That thing about college

They can take everything away from you, but your education.

I grew up hearing my elders repeat the line above, yet I’ve recently perceived doubt in the value of higher education (Thomas Friedman, for example, contends that “More employers care about whether a worker can add value, not where a college degree was earned”). There appears to be a perception that colleges are not serving the needs of today’s workforce, and that the cost of education does not match its value. Free educational opportunities on the Internet, which exclusively value an “information transmission” model of education, are seen as natural solutions to these perceived problems.

While someone can’t make you forget something you learned in school, I believe that an education imparts something even more valuable. Experiences like the hard work of learning and collaborating with others on large projects — in a way that is necessarily self directed (meaning: not driven by the demands of an employer) — creates a unique opportunity for self growth. I believe this can only be found in the intensive experience like one gets through attending a residential college.

Doug Ward similarly argues that colleges provide a promise, process and product — and the element of “process” in education is unfortunately often overlooked.

[Colleges] have done this through a process of learning that helps students hone their thinking, learn on their own and develop their independence. At the intersection of these two areas lies the main product of education: a credential that opens the door to better-paying jobs and a more fulfilling life.

I think that the changes that bring a “more fulfilling life” also creates a depth of character that is in demand in the modern workplace. While skills such as working together in diverse population, or devising a reasoned approach to a complex situation, might be eventually learned in the workplace; the opportunity build a broad basis of knowledge and skills and to practice (and fail) in the college setting is perhaps a more efficient way to meet workplace needs. While modern needs and technology certainly must bring some change to the college experience, the institution’s role in creating process which engenders a more fulfilling life should not be overlooked.

PS: I write this at the close of my formal educational experience — having successfully defended my dissertation in June.

Some library books were made to be digital

I’m heavily in the writing phase of my dissertation, which means that there are frequently topics that I suddenly need quick research. I’ve run into a problem where many of the books I’d like to peak at are completely checked out, even when multiple copies exist.

It sparked a thought that “some library books were made to be digital.” Many of the (clearly popular) books I’m looking at are foundational, or the “best in the field.” I would guess that a good number of them, as disciplines evolve, will eventually be out of date. I doubt these are books a library would want on their shelves for an eternity, but as a scholar I have real and present needs.

It would seem that libraries have the data at hand to discover which books are most popular. These will be:

  • most searched
  • most frequently “checked out” (as a status/time, though perhaps also in number of transactions)
  • most recalled
  • books on reserve

These are probably also the books for which publishers are likely to charge high digital access fees. But, given the need and available technology, this sort of access does not seem like too much to expect.

Journalist arrested while videotaping police is not guilty

Great story about a journalist taking on intimidation by police:  Jury says journalist arrested while videotaping police is not guilty | Ars Technica.

In a Thursday interview, Miller told us that the prosecution accused him of “being antagonistic to police because I was questioning their orders.” However, he said, “thats what I do. I know my rights. I know the law.”

That little bit of legal knowledge (who knows where he picked it up) deepened his coverage and brought to light a case where the police overstepped their bounds. One could learn the law on their own, but I’d argue that this is one excellent argument for journalism schools.

Misunderstanding the law – the story of illegal MOOCs in Minnesota

Yesterday a big story broke in the arena of state higher ed law: Minnesota bans Coursera: State takes bold stand against free education. A letter was supposedly sent to MOOC provider Coursera, informing them of a Minnesota statute that prohibits institutions from offering education to Minnesota residents without registering with the state:

State law prohibits degree-granting institutions from offering instruction in Minnesota without obtaining permission from the office and paying a registration fee.

Naturally, the idea of a state prohibiting free, online education angered the internets and the story went viral (at least among my education technology peers).

But the story wasn’t over yet. Officials in charge of enforcing the statute have clarified their position, essentially stating that out-of-state MOOCs are beyond their pervue (Slate’s correction: Minnesota Coursera ban: State won’t crack down on free online courses after all).

“I don’t care what they do; we don’t regulate them,” George Roedler, the manager of institutional registration and licensing at the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, told Ars on Thursday.

For me, the interest in the story is in the changing story of the law. Research shows that, once misinformation has been spread, it’s very difficult to correct these misperceptions (a short description of the phenomenon). When that error is related to law, it might be more likely to impact behavior — either towards compliance, or driving people to rebel against it. Except for those who might follow a story closely, it is likely that any corrections might be missed.

This is why it’s important for journalists to be careful about reporting that “the law says ___.” The law is open to interpretation and change. Some care in called for in using language like “crack down” — especially given how easy it is to inflame social media users to quickly spread a rumor.