Comments on: Education and the Laying on of Hands

By: Isobel Shaw

Isobel Shaw — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:57:12 +0000

Online education is also as good as conventional education but interpersonal interaction might be limited.~`*

By: Tyler Clarke

Tyler Clarke — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:04:03 +0000

Online education is also good specially if you have very good and talented students.~-*

By: Patrick Pezzelle

Patrick Pezzelle — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:42:16 +0000

Anya, Thanks for expanding my ongoing evaluation of the value of post secondary education. My journey started with the premise that it doesn’t matter what your credentials are(AA,BA,MA, PhD)you have to end up with a JOB. If the knowledge and ability to apply that knowledge are the key factors in fulfilling career goals, does the manner in which the knowledge, skills and abilities were learned really matter? Or, are we stuck in a place where the credential matters more than the knowledge supposedly related to it?

You properly point out that our basic delivery methods at colleges haven’t changed much in 1,000 years. Students flock to be in the presence of esteemed professors who are the center of all knowledge and that presence somehow leads to learning. By being in a room, we somehow have “social networking”. Proof of the value of education is now the size of your debt when you graduate. What will happen when employers begin to administer comprehensive tests to measure job knowledge, skills and abilities as part of the hiring process?

My hope is that you began a conversation that will help all of us in post secondary education find ways to close the widening gap between what we do and what students need.

By: Eric Novinson

Eric Novinson — Mon, 24 May 2010 09:36:20 +0000

I don’t agree with the demonization of the for profits. They can teach any subject that a non profit can. The reason their degrees are less valuable is that they don’t reject as many students as a typical university does, other than that the course material may be exactly the same. You can also take online classes at Tier 1s that would normally not accept you and learn valuable information. I like this better, since a lot of the current for profits lack quality, although there’s no reason why this should remain true in the future.

Depends on whether you’re there for a credential or if you’re there to learn something. You can learn information online but the networking aspects are greatly improved by attending a physical school.

By: Mark Notess

Mark Notess — Thu, 20 May 2010 15:19:10 +0000

We already have a multi-tiered educational system, ranging from the “top tier” to those not even ranked by US News & WR. So here’s a question: would you rather be in an online class from a top-tier institution or a F2F class at a 4th-tier regional? +1 for Carmen’s comment above.

On another topic, dismissing the for-profits because they are motivated “entirely by profit” is as absurd as dismissing all professors, particularly at the elites, because they are motivated entirely by ego. Silly broad brushstrokes.

By: Carmen Dominguez

Carmen Dominguez — Wed, 19 May 2010 23:22:31 +0000

Good discussion. It would have been interesting to have someone from the for-profit sector on the panel. I happened to get my Master’s degree online (GCU) and found the experience to be more personal and valuable than sitting in a large lecture hall at a large 4 year-public where my instructor never once “looked me in the eye” (probably didn’t know I was even there!). The value of my online experience came from the interaction (via a Learning Management System) between my classmates who were from many different disciplines and walks of life. There were active-duty military folks – some deployed in Iraq while in school, housewives, working adults (like myself) as well as folks from 4 year publics and privates who could not take advantage of the free tuition assistance offered by their employers because the traditional schedules didn’t work with their work schedules. I guess what I am trying to say is to hear opponents of online education speak about how horrible it is, they should at least try it and speak to those who have and above all, have an open mind. After all it is where we are heading, not just in the for-profit arena, but in all of higher education.

By: DCBronco

DCBronco — Wed, 19 May 2010 03:59:31 +0000

Anya, I watched(heard you first) you on C-span a couple of weeks ago and was really impressed. The San Diego event sounds like it was the usual “higher” education fun. Professor Johnson does sound like a complete joy to debate. I assume since he’s against distance education and is a Philosophy prof, he achieved his degree strictly through direct oral teachings. If he doesn’t believe you can learn properly from a video, how do you learn from a book. Obviously he doesn’t have a HDTV either.

I also find the idea of online institutions being strictly about making money funny coming from someone involved in traditional higher education. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that is the case with most higher education and trade schools. But, universities could teach Haliburton a thing or two about how to steal money. Nothing about the constant price hikes and the unending of supply of “Jay-walking’ contestants leads me to believe that standard education practices are doing anything but turning a profit. And watching GWU expand it’s holdings in Washington convinced me a long time ago that colleges were about making money first and foremost. GW is in the process of building a mini-mall on campus at the moment.

I think the inter-activity online-education can provide would be a step in the right direction. More of a “living” education system would be ideal. The classroom is over-rated. Toyota could remake it’s company by watching the hard braking classroom education provides on the average students thinking processes.

Again I was really impressed with your interview. Hope to see more of you soon. Keep up the fight.

By: Andy Schadwinkel

Andy Schadwinkel — Tue, 18 May 2010 21:33:24 +0000

People like choices. The idea of a DIY U gives people more choices in the way they learn. But people also want to see value in their choices. Right now, it seems people are sorting out what’s valuable in higher ed as more choices arise in the way students can take coursework.