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I think the largest such effort is Western Governors University. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Governors_University https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weste

by wrp 3y ago

I think the largest such effort is Western Governors University. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Governors_University https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Governors_University) The biggest problem for any attempt at education reform in the USA is that education is organized at the state level. It is practically impossible to get all interested parties to cooperate nationwide. The other major problem is that the public university system has developed a huge overcapacity. They operate now as businesses whose main goal is to keep themselves employed. You see the effects in the softening of academic standards and continual pursuit of more foreign students.

BizarroLand 3y ago
WGU is a good program for the fields that it covers, but it is based on competency to pass an exam and not so much on rigor of knowing the material in and out. It's much better suited for people with field experience who need the nice sheet of paper to move up in their field than it is for fresh HS graduates making their way in the world. With that being said, if you know college is for you but you are concerned about the money as a fresh high school graduate, consider getting your AAS at your local community college and then getting your BS or MS from WGU (if it teaches what you want to learn). You'll save tens of thousands early on in your career and be able to work for the 2 years between your AAS and your BS, getting experience and certifications in the process. It won't be as fun as going to a party college but if you have a goal in mind it might be a viable path.
- seanmcdirmid 3y ago
  Our local community colleges are rebranding as colleges so they can jack up tuition. It might have been an option in the past, it might still be an option in a few places, but they are increasingly becoming as bloated as the universities they were meant to be economy versions of.
- wrp 3y ago
  > better suited for people with field experience who need the nice sheet of paper to move up in their field That seems to be the case for online education in general. > consider...community college and then...WGU I agree. I've worried over what to say to kids facing the terribly high cost of university education these days. If you can find a good program at a community college (quality varies), I think this route would be no worse educationally than what you get at most traditional universities in the USA now.

by wrp 3y ago

BizarroLand 3y ago

WGU is a good program for the fields that it covers, but it is based on competency to pass an exam and not so much on rigor of knowing the material in and out. It's much better suited for people with field experience who need the nice sheet of paper to move up in their field than it is for fresh HS graduates making their way in the world. With that being said, if you know college is for you but you are concerned about the money as a fresh high school graduate, consider getting your AAS at your local community college and then getting your BS or MS from WGU (if it teaches what you want to learn). You'll save tens of thousands early on in your career and be able to work for the 2 years between your AAS and your BS, getting experience and certifications in the process. It won't be as fun as going to a party college but if you have a goal in mind it might be a viable path.

seanmcdirmid 3y ago
Our local community colleges are rebranding as colleges so they can jack up tuition. It might have been an option in the past, it might still be an option in a few places, but they are increasingly becoming as bloated as the universities they were meant to be economy versions of.
wrp 3y ago
> better suited for people with field experience who need the nice sheet of paper to move up in their field That seems to be the case for online education in general. > consider...community college and then...WGU I agree. I've worried over what to say to kids facing the terribly high cost of university education these days. If you can find a good program at a community college (quality varies), I think this route would be no worse educationally than what you get at most traditional universities in the USA now.