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The name says it all. Can we rise to this challenge…
Archives For 21st century learning
The 21st-Century Campus Report: Campus 2.0 by CDW-G reveals that high school students expect a high degree of technology in the College classrooms they hope to attend. The key findings by CDW-G reveal:
- Higher education faculty and IT staff value technology as an essential tool for student success
- Institutions are incorporating newer technology tools that are connecting and resonating with students, who grew up using technology. This technology empowers students and faculty to personalize and expand the learning experience
- Institutions say that defining – and supporting – the new learning environment is a challenge. Many IT professionals report that their IT infrastructure needs to be updated to ensure future success
- Incoming college students have even higher expectations for technology than today’s college students
While there appears to be a gap between high school student’s expectations and what colleges are able to deliver this is an even more significant gab between what college IT staffs are able to deliver and what faculty expect. Perhaps the most sobering aspect of the report is that the classroom is still viewed as the primary location of learning and learning outside of the classroom is viewed as access to online learning tools.
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In this followup to his 2006 Ted Talk Sir Ken Robinson makes the argument that we must not settle for educational reform because this is simply changing an existing system, rather we need an educational revolution to radically change our educational system because it currenlty doesn’t work. Sir Ken Robinson states that there must be:
a radical shift from standardized schools to personalized learning — creating conditions where kids’ natural talents can flourish.
One can hope…
NewSchools Venture Fund is a venture philanthropy firm working to transform public education through powerful ideas and passionate entrepreneurs so that all children — especially those in underserved communities — have the opportunity to succeed. The following video documents their development, vision and mission:
NewSchools Summit 2010: A New Policy World from NewSchools on Vimeo.
The Coming Meltdown in Higher Education – The Chronicle Review – The Chronicle of Higher Education via kwout
Seth Godin argues that Higher Education’s run of 400 years in the US is about to end for the following reasons:
- Most undergraduate college and university programs are organized to give an average education to average students.
- College has gotten expensive far faster than wages have gone up.
- The definition of “best” is under siege.
- The correlation between a typical college degree and success is suspect.
- Accreditation isn’t the solution, it’s the problem.
While it is easy to agree with Godin and in particular the notion of accreditation promoting mediocrity for all but with universities controlling the parchment (degree granting) I don’t see this changing anytime soon. Sure, we have many wonderful examples of college dropouts doing exceptionally well (Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Marc Andreesen etc.) but these unfortunately the exception and not the norm. While I applaud the notion of DIY U and see its benefits we still live in a society that is dependent upon credentials.
