Threaded Bookmarks 08-February-2010

Three recent documents offer images of education in the future. I tried that once and concluded it’s better to build the future than anticipate it. Each of the three documents suffers similarly, but they are still well worth reading if the future of learning concerns you.

Education, Economic Performance and Social Progress

Education features prominently in the recent report from the Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress. There’s much to like, much to question, and some to reject.

A National Skills College?

You’ve got to sympathize with folks who try to change education from positions within federal (U.S.) government. Read more.

The University as Magician

Universities have long fostered a myth which, frankly, sticks in my craw because it is so patently sleight-of-hand. Read more.

Think Twice About the Economic Stimulus Lifeline

This one is for my university friends who grapple every day with charting the future direction of their institutions. When it comes to the economic stimulus bill now being considered by Congress, you’ll want to ask yourself if manna from heaven is worth the price. Read more.

Imagining Tomorrow’s University

In this slidecast I try to imagine new types of postsecondary learning organizations. Read more.

Re: Better-Than-Ivy-Education: $7,376 a Year

Vance Fried proposes a new business model for a college that would provide undergraduate students with “value – a high quality product at a relatively low price.” Many more efforts like this are needed.
Read more.

Looking Under Light Poles

In the U.S. currently, many colleges and universities have priced themselves precariously, making low-cost competitors the likely source of disruptive efforts to redefine higher education. Here I try to locate colleges and universities with innovative business models that include a low-cost strategy.
Read more.

College Pricing and Harvard

Harvard recently flexed its $35 billion endowment and announced revised financial aid policies designed to make the university more affordable for middle- and upper-middle-income families. Could Harvard afford to offer all its students a free education? I decided to find out by analyzing Harvard’s current Financial Report.
Read more.