3 ms·

Meta comment, but it's amazing to me how frequently articles about the cost/value of higher education hit the front page of HN. I wonder what the fascination is

by crabasa 11y ago

Meta comment, but it's amazing to me how frequently articles about the cost/value of higher education hit the front page of HN. I wonder what the fascination is?

toufique 11y ago
Higher education is starting to feel very hackable. Cost is substantially increasing. Benefit is stagnating or decreasing. Cost of substitutes is exponentially decreasing. It's ripe for disruption, hence my fascination.
- ap22213 11y ago
  Higher education has been ripe for disruption since the 90s, but that disruption hasn't happened. A lot of the ideas that are currently being floated around in the online space are pretty well-worn. In fact, I've seen very little progress in this space, compared to other industries. Not much has changed aside from self-driven 'autodidact learning'. And, that's kind of mind-boggling considering the supply and demand curves. There's huge inelastic demand for higher education and very limited supply (capacity). The toughest nut to crack is the accreditation and pedigree issue. If you can figure out how to get most (or even some) hiring managers (or grant-funding bodies, or even moms and dads) to give more weight to credentials that aren't the traditional diplomas, you'll be in a good spot.
  - berntb 11y ago
    Many of the people I've seen doing really well at university already learned about the subjects they study. A few studied in another country but couldn't get the courses transferred. Another did a year of math studies before university at a local university, then went on to study engineering at an "Ivy league". And so on. Just spending 10 hours a week studying a subject for a year before someone start studying it at university should be a giant market. No need for diplomas.
  - toufique 11y ago
    I think higher "education" is certainly being disrupted, but higher "accreditation" isn't yet. You're right on point.
pitt1980 11y ago
being a student is a near universal experience, so its an industry that nearly everyone has some degree of experience with also there is at least some degree of connection being the education industry and being perceived as intelligent, so a lot of people's self identity is connected to their relationship with the education industry for a lot of people their education is one of the 2 or 3 largest purchases they'll ever make in their lifetimes ------------------------- combined, it becomes a thing in which a large number of people come to hold opinions about, probably far more than the typical HN topic

by crabasa 11y ago

Meta comment, but it's amazing to me how frequently articles about the cost/value of higher education hit the front page of HN. I wonder what the fascination is?

toufique 11y ago

Higher education is starting to feel very hackable. Cost is substantially increasing. Benefit is stagnating or decreasing. Cost of substitutes is exponentially decreasing. It's ripe for disruption, hence my fascination.

ap22213 11y ago
Higher education has been ripe for disruption since the 90s, but that disruption hasn't happened. A lot of the ideas that are currently being floated around in the online space are pretty well-worn. In fact, I've seen very little progress in this space, compared to other industries. Not much has changed aside from self-driven 'autodidact learning'. And, that's kind of mind-boggling considering the supply and demand curves. There's huge inelastic demand for higher education and very limited supply (capacity). The toughest nut to crack is the accreditation and pedigree issue. If you can figure out how to get most (or even some) hiring managers (or grant-funding bodies, or even moms and dads) to give more weight to credentials that aren't the traditional diplomas, you'll be in a good spot.
- berntb 11y ago
  Many of the people I've seen doing really well at university already learned about the subjects they study. A few studied in another country but couldn't get the courses transferred. Another did a year of math studies before university at a local university, then went on to study engineering at an "Ivy league". And so on. Just spending 10 hours a week studying a subject for a year before someone start studying it at university should be a giant market. No need for diplomas.
- toufique 11y ago
  I think higher "education" is certainly being disrupted, but higher "accreditation" isn't yet. You're right on point.

pitt1980 11y ago

being a student is a near universal experience, so its an industry that nearly everyone has some degree of experience with also there is at least some degree of connection being the education industry and being perceived as intelligent, so a lot of people's self identity is connected to their relationship with the education industry for a lot of people their education is one of the 2 or 3 largest purchases they'll ever make in their lifetimes ------------------------- combined, it becomes a thing in which a large number of people come to hold opinions about, probably far more than the typical HN topic