SpeakÂing at the TechonÂoÂmy conÂferÂence in Lake Tahoe last week, Bill Gates argued that the cost of colÂlege needs to come down, and the only way to accomÂplish this is through techÂnolÂoÂgy and lessÂenÂing the imporÂtance of “place-based” colÂleges. That’s how you keep colÂlege eduÂcaÂtion open to all. DurÂing the talk, he went furÂther and assertÂed, “Five years from now, on the Web for free, you’ll be able to find the best lecÂtures in the world. It will be betÂter than any sinÂgle uniÂverÂsiÂty.”
To be sure, I don’t disÂpute this parÂticÂuÂlar point. You can already find hunÂdreds of free coursÂes online, and that’s part of our reaÂson for being. But, as I have freÂquentÂly remindÂed peoÂple, lisÂtenÂing to lecÂtures doesÂn’t mean you’re getÂting a roundÂed eduÂcaÂtion. LecÂtures inform you. They’re great in that way. But you get an eduÂcaÂtion when you couÂple lecÂtures with readÂings, when you chew over ideas in a disÂcusÂsion secÂtion, when you anaÂlyze the lecÂtures and readÂings in critÂiÂcal papers, when you take exams that force you to synÂtheÂsize everyÂthing you’ve learned durÂing the entire semesÂter, etc. Right now, it is very hard to accomÂplish this online. On a relÂaÂtive basis, e‑learning tools have evolved strikÂingÂly slowÂly durÂing the past decade. The wideÂly deployed tools are often still klunky and rudiÂmenÂtaÂry. And it still takes conÂsidÂerÂable time, monÂey and labor to proÂduce a truÂly excelÂlent online course. (At least that’s what I have found durÂing my ten years in the space.) Will we make progress here? Yes. Would I welÂcome it? Of course. But will we offer a subÂstanÂtive and highÂly scalÂable online alterÂnaÂtive in five years? Very doubtÂful, unless a catÂaÂlyst comes along who can draÂmatÂiÂcalÂly sweep away the existÂing major playÂers (who just bog things down) and introÂduce some seriÂous innoÂvaÂtion. Mr. Gates, are you that catÂaÂlyst?
via Wired CamÂpus
Thanks for this. I agree with your opinÂion. One of my classÂmates is from ChiÂna and menÂtioned that forums develÂop inforÂmalÂly around the open source mateÂriÂals that are transÂlatÂed (eg. MIT coursÂes) as stuÂdents try to turn them from inforÂmaÂtion sources into sources of learnÂing. So maybe it’s a numÂbers game.
It’s interÂestÂing that Mr Gates wants/needs to immerse stuÂdents for 80% of their wakÂing hours for ICT based learnÂing (poor kids). IndiÂcates that ICT might be cheapÂer, but it doesÂn’t sound very effecÂtive.
That’s a pretÂty strong claim about needÂing 80% of kids’ wakÂing hours or “you lose.” Is there strong eviÂdence on this?
Also, you know what might be a good thing for Bill Gates to finance? QualÂiÂty open-source textÂbooks. Although some are availÂable, it seems that is some low-hangÂing fruit to reduce costs.
Mr. Gates is a very lucky man..not to say that he is not smart, but his opinÂions are shaped by the very enviÂronÂment that has givÂen him fame and fortune.…..If one thinks that the sinÂguÂlar purÂpose of a UniÂverÂsiÂty eduÂcaÂtion is to accuÂmuÂlate facts and develÂop a parÂticÂuÂlar skill then I think he is wrong.….How many peoÂple that have gradÂuÂatÂed and are gainÂfulÂly employed are even workÂing in the “choÂsen field”.…certainly not everyone.…and more to the point…the colÂlege expeÂriÂence is one of interÂacÂtion both from and intelÂlecÂtuÂal and social point of view. I am 77 years old and when I watch the growth of the “social netÂwork” activÂiÂty on the interÂnet, I am conÂcerned that both intelÂlecÂtuÂal and social comÂmuÂniÂcaÂtion will be lost.….compound that with Mr Gates vision of a future of kids sitÂting in front of screens to get the founÂdaÂtions of “learnÂing”. If he is an influÂenÂtial thinker and othÂers take up his ideas and run with them then our future is realÂly in trouÂble.
DisÂcloÂsure alert: MelinÂda Gates is on the board of direcÂtors at Kaplan UniÂverÂsiÂty, one of the leadÂing online for-profÂit uniÂverÂsiÂties. BilÂl’s stateÂments supÂportÂing the modÂel come at a time when the entire for-profÂit eduÂcaÂtion indusÂtry is under tremenÂdous scrutiÂny by the Dept of EduÂcaÂtion, which can be sumÂmaÂrized in the GAO report released last week.
It’s about time eduÂcaÂtion is made availÂable to all. Add innoÂvaÂtion in disÂplay techÂnoloÂgies to this and finalÂly the school of the 21st cenÂtuÂry will be creÂatÂed. Can’t wait to take as many coursÂes as posÂsiÂble :)
It would be wonÂderÂful if eduÂcaÂtion were made availÂable to all, but it’s unlikeÂly to hapÂpen in the near future for very good social reaÂsons.
As BourÂdieu and othÂer theÂoÂrists have argued, the eduÂcaÂtion sysÂtem, in parÂticÂuÂlar its forÂmal comÂpoÂnents (degrees, tests scores, etc), plays a huge role in creÂatÂing, mainÂtainÂing, and jusÂtiÂfyÂing social disÂtincÂtion. What you actuÂalÂly learn durÂing a degree is of far less imporÂtance than it what it says about your social posiÂtion and willÂingÂness to get with the proÂgram.
ModÂern eduÂcaÂtion is a joke. You sit there lisÂtenÂing to some borÂing proÂfesÂsor on an uncomÂfortÂable chair talk in a monotÂoÂne voice for an hour. If you’re lucky, there are only a few idiots in your class who slow the pace down with quesÂtions they should have answered for themÂselves in the required readÂing … if you’re unlucky, the entire class are that way (*cough cough* nursÂing stuÂdents clogÂging up and accountÂing for about 90% of my OrganÂic ChemÂistry classÂes). What is innoÂvaÂtion in today’s colÂleges? A proÂfesÂsor who uses powÂerÂpoint and maybe uses some comÂputÂing? Total rip off. Places like Lynda.com vtc.com linuxcbt.com are MUCH betÂter and about 1/50 the price. The only probÂlem is that you can’t get into a gradÂuÂate school with online trainÂing.
“The only probÂlem is that you can’t get into a gradÂuÂate school with online trainÂing.”
And there in lay the point unoÂforÂtuÂnateÂly.
UniÂverÂsiÂty trainÂing gives you 2 things: A piece of paper to demonÂstrate your posiÂtion in the social straÂta to othÂers, and access to a set of conÂnecÂtions who will boost your chances of sucÂcess in that sociÂety.
EveryÂthing you covÂered in every uniÂverÂsiÂty course and more has been easÂiÂly accesÂsiÂble through the library sysÂtem for years. So if knowlÂedge and eduÂcaÂtion are your reaÂsons for attendÂing colÂlege, then either you are not realÂly being honÂest about the powÂer of the two reaÂsons menÂtioned above, or you are not as smart as you think you are as social conÂdiÂtionÂing has conned you into getÂting into huge amounts of debt to inefÂfiÂcientÂly gain inforÂmaÂtion that is availÂable for free.
Though many peoÂple are turnÂing to online coursÂes due to the time and monÂey savÂings it was worth it to me just to have the whole colÂlege expeÂriÂence and studyÂing online takes away from that expeÂriÂence (social and acaÂdÂeÂmÂic).
No! No! No!
I disÂagree that the online/open courseÂware can’t do the trick. I also disÂagree that peoÂple who want to learn someÂthing need a test to “force them to synÂtheÂsize” everyÂthing. If someÂone wants to learn someÂthing they can parÂticÂiÂpate in these courses/watch these lecÂtures and figÂure out their own way to make meanÂing. That is what they should be learnÂing to do in school rather than the idea that they have to be forced to learn.
Take for instance a stuÂdent I know named Armond who is pasÂsionÂate about the transÂportaÂtion sysÂtem. He went to a priÂmaÂry school that honÂored that and rather than forcÂing him to take tests, they proÂvidÂed opporÂtuÂniÂties for learnÂing. He found his own disÂcusÂsions on disÂcusÂsion boards. He wrote blog posts. He made videos. No one forced him to do this. He did this because he wantÂed to learn. (If you want to know more visÂit: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2011/01/profile-of-passion-driven-student.html)
When we stop thinkÂing we have to “force” peoÂple to learn and start allowÂing them to folÂlow their pasÂsions, they will learn whatÂevÂer they want, and know how to disÂcuss and synÂtheÂsize what they’ve learned.
Of course On-line eduÂcaÂtion is the future, espeÂcialÂly for the underÂgradÂuÂat eduÂcaÂtion.
1. Most of the classÂes in underÂgradÂuÂat learnÂing is readÂing the textÂbooks and lisÂtenÂing the lecÂtures, very few disÂcussing topÂic, at the first two years or three years.
2.The tution and livÂing cost is high presÂsure for most of the stuÂdents. By learnÂing on-line, stuÂdents will have much more time to study instead of doing serÂvices or delivÂery for makÂing monÂey.
3.I totalÂly agree what Steve said. LearnÂing on-line in my own speed, time and envirnÂment to aviod interupÂtion from othÂer stuÂdents is the best way for me.
There are a lot more reaÂsons to prove on-line eduÂcaÂtion must be the future, such as trouÂble to find parkÂing lots in colÂlege, no way to turn the lecÂture back like video(no one can garaÂteen focus on lecÂture durÂing every whole class time),ect..
Hi, 5 years have passed now, what do you think in the presÂence of edx and coursÂera and othÂers?