4 ms·

Yes, this was all vey predictable. But I have a different take. Something needed to break this fascination with useless college degrees. Having them devalued l

by yucky 4y ago

Yes, this was all vey predictable. But I have a different take. Something needed to break this fascination with useless college degrees. Having them devalued like this should accelerate that process. That's not to say college can't provide any value of course, it certainly does in many instances. The problem is we're at a tipping point where most degrees are basically useless and most of the universities that bestow them exist mainly to grow their endowment. The administrative overheard is absurd. With the same knowledge attainable online, society would benefit greatly with a 90% reduction in enrollment. All of these people talking about making college free are missing the point. The knowledge should be free, there is no need for the college itself in most cases. Cut out the middle man since it is a parasite on society at this point. We're saddling the youth with a lifetime of debt for a shit degree, all so countless nameless administrators can have a job.

musicale 4y ago
Administrative bloat does seem to be directly connected with the unbridled tuition increases of the past few decades. Much of the knowledge is already available for free - via MOOCs, open courseware, youtube, public libraries, etc.; yet the completion rate for MOOCs is low, probably due in part to students lacking the time, motivation, or background required to complete a course. Some courses are more flexible and self-paced, but there may still be issues in terms of overall time required, etc.. And without some (often externally applied) structure it can be difficult to complete a course of study. Unfortunately for people with jobs, employers do not typically encourage coursework (or any other study) as it is assumed it will reduce job effort and commitment. Be that as it may, I think there is a lot to be said for self-paced, programmed instruction. Some subjects (biology, chemistry...) do require specialized laboratory facilities/equipment/supplies, but many do not.

by yucky 4y ago

musicale 4y ago

Administrative bloat does seem to be directly connected with the unbridled tuition increases of the past few decades. Much of the knowledge is already available for free - via MOOCs, open courseware, youtube, public libraries, etc.; yet the completion rate for MOOCs is low, probably due in part to students lacking the time, motivation, or background required to complete a course. Some courses are more flexible and self-paced, but there may still be issues in terms of overall time required, etc.. And without some (often externally applied) structure it can be difficult to complete a course of study. Unfortunately for people with jobs, employers do not typically encourage coursework (or any other study) as it is assumed it will reduce job effort and commitment. Be that as it may, I think there is a lot to be said for self-paced, programmed instruction. Some subjects (biology, chemistry...) do require specialized laboratory facilities/equipment/supplies, but many do not.