http://singularityhub.com/2009/05/01/is-the-university-a-dying-breed/ The Future Is Here Today...Robotics, Genetics, AI, Longevity, The Brain... Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:22:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 http://singularityhub.com/2009/05/01/is-the-university-a-dying-breed/#comment-52926 Sebastian Thrun Aims to Revolutionize University Education With Udacity « The Good Life In San Clemente – Darin R. McClure Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:03:58 +0000 http://singularityhub.com/?p=2944#comment-52926 [...] Is the University a Dying Breed? Technology and Education [...] [...] Is the University a Dying Breed? Technology and Education [...]

]]> http://singularityhub.com/2009/05/01/is-the-university-a-dying-breed/#comment-37049 A Robot in Every Korean Kindergarten by 2013? | xandot.com Fri, 05 Nov 2010 13:29:28 +0000 http://singularityhub.com/?p=2944#comment-37049 [...] Is the University a Dying Breed? Technology and Education [...] [...] Is the University a Dying Breed? Technology and Education [...]

]]> http://singularityhub.com/2009/05/01/is-the-university-a-dying-breed/#comment-8956 Back to School Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:30:04 +0000 http://singularityhub.com/?p=2944#comment-8956 [...] the past few months I’ve been seeing a few mentions of how universities might become obsolete recently. This is ridiculous, of course; it has been possible to learn this sort of material on [...] [...] the past few months I’ve been seeing a few mentions of how universities might become obsolete recently. This is ridiculous, of course; it has been possible to learn this sort of material on [...]

]]> http://singularityhub.com/2009/05/01/is-the-university-a-dying-breed/#comment-8266 Is the University a Dying Breed? Technology and Education « Curriculum Re-Development Centre Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:30:17 +0000 http://singularityhub.com/?p=2944#comment-8266 [...] http://singularityhub.com/2009/05/01/is-the-university-a-dying-breed/ [...] [...] http://singularityhub.com/2009/05/01/is-the-university-a-dying-breed/ [...]

]]> http://singularityhub.com/2009/05/01/is-the-university-a-dying-breed/#comment-8142 XM833 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:53:16 +0000 http://singularityhub.com/?p=2944#comment-8142 There is a separate role in education which is sometimes overlooked in debates such as these. When learning on your own it is difficult to distinguish the relative importance of ideas or accomplishments in a given subject. Without an interactive guide (professor, mentor, teacher, etc) to help understand context it is easy for someone to follow tangents that have been disproven or bypassed by more recent discoveries. With an overwhelming of information available online it is increasingly hard to separate the wheat from the chaff (not to mention fact from fiction). For example, if one wanted to learn about the biological mechanisms of obesity using only search engines and web content it could become very easy to get misinformed or lost. There is a separate role in education which is sometimes overlooked in debates such as these. When learning on your own it is difficult to distinguish the relative importance of ideas or accomplishments in a given subject. Without an interactive guide (professor, mentor, teacher, etc) to help understand context it is easy for someone to follow tangents that have been disproven or bypassed by more recent discoveries. With an overwhelming of information available online it is increasingly hard to separate the wheat from the chaff (not to mention fact from fiction). For example, if one wanted to learn about the biological mechanisms of obesity using only search engines and web content it could become very easy to get misinformed or lost.

]]> http://singularityhub.com/2009/05/01/is-the-university-a-dying-breed/#comment-31165 XM833 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:53:00 +0000 http://singularityhub.com/?p=2944#comment-31165 There is a separate role in education which is sometimes overlooked in debates such as these. When learning on your own it is difficult to distinguish the relative importance of ideas or accomplishments in a given subject. Without an interactive guide (professor, mentor, teacher, etc) to help understand context it is easy for someone to follow tangents that have been disproven or bypassed by more recent discoveries. With an overwhelming of information available online it is increasingly hard to separate the wheat from the chaff (not to mention fact from fiction). For example, if one wanted to learn about the biological mechanisms of obesity using only search engines and web content it could become very easy to get misinformed or lost. There is a separate role in education which is sometimes overlooked in debates such as these. When learning on your own it is difficult to distinguish the relative importance of ideas or accomplishments in a given subject. Without an interactive guide (professor, mentor, teacher, etc) to help understand context it is easy for someone to follow tangents that have been disproven or bypassed by more recent discoveries. With an overwhelming of information available online it is increasingly hard to separate the wheat from the chaff (not to mention fact from fiction). For example, if one wanted to learn about the biological mechanisms of obesity using only search engines and web content it could become very easy to get misinformed or lost.

]]> http://singularityhub.com/2009/05/01/is-the-university-a-dying-breed/#comment-31164 Drew Halley Mon, 04 May 2009 19:26:00 +0000 http://singularityhub.com/?p=2944#comment-31164 C.Sprocket, My intention was in no way to reinforce or defend the inequalities that pervade higher education - I don't feel I did that, either. Rather, I wanted to give my best prediction as to the future of higher education. For better or worse, I see it taking place within the traditional structure of the university, albeit with some changes as technology changes. I agree that many individuals have done exceptionally well outside of these structures - you've named some particularly good examples. But it is also true that some of the greatest minds of our time - Nobel laureates, movers & shakers, etc - both learned and taught within the university setting. This seems to me the rule rather than the exception. Until I am offered strong evidence to the contrary, I see most - though not all - of the best education continuing to take place within existing institutions. I think we can all agree that school structures can be mechanical and uninspired. But (in my experience) they can also have moments of revelation, heights of excellence that forever change the student. I never had my own fire extinguished, largely by virtue to the rare but inspiring teacher, class, etc. I think that education at its best is difficult to replicate with online learning and many of the structures suggested to replace current systems. Most of what I've heard are vague complaints about the state of affairs; if a viable new system exists, I haven't heard it articulated in any convincing way. And believe me, I would love to. Best, Drew C.Sprocket,
My intention was in no way to reinforce or defend the inequalities that pervade higher education – I don’t feel I did that, either. Rather, I wanted to give my best prediction as to the future of higher education. For better or worse, I see it taking place within the traditional structure of the university, albeit with some changes as technology changes.
I agree that many individuals have done exceptionally well outside of these structures – you’ve named some particularly good examples. But it is also true that some of the greatest minds of our time – Nobel laureates, movers & shakers, etc – both learned and taught within the university setting. This seems to me the rule rather than the exception. Until I am offered strong evidence to the contrary, I see most – though not all – of the best education continuing to take place within existing institutions.
I think we can all agree that school structures can be mechanical and uninspired. But (in my experience) they can also have moments of revelation, heights of excellence that forever change the student. I never had my own fire extinguished, largely by virtue to the rare but inspiring teacher, class, etc. I think that education at its best is difficult to replicate with online learning and many of the structures suggested to replace current systems. Most of what I’ve heard are vague complaints about the state of affairs; if a viable new system exists, I haven’t heard it articulated in any convincing way. And believe me, I would love to.
Best,
Drew

]]> http://singularityhub.com/2009/05/01/is-the-university-a-dying-breed/#comment-31163 commandersprocket Mon, 04 May 2009 07:10:00 +0000 http://singularityhub.com/?p=2944#comment-31163 Wow, what a surprise! after reading the "before the jump" I had expected an egalitarian, hopeful, and technology-creating-equality read. Instead what I found was "I wouldn’t bet on it" and an apologia on the value of keeping the poor, those with unfortunate k-12 educations, without substantial parental support or those with even mild learning disabilities right where they are. Mechanical engineers, even if they went to the imaginary wikipedia-U would still have to take Mechanical PE exam to become a mechanical engineer. Our current accreditation system is in part education measurement and in part a system to enforce class barriers. When we waste the abilities of someone as smart as Chris Langan , because they don't have the right set of social skills, we toss the future of our country away. The business that has created the more wealth than any other in the last 50 years, computer science, is filled with non-majors and college drop outs (Steve Jobs and Wozniak, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Larry Ellison, Michael Dell). The learning fires of those who did finish (like Sergey Brin and Larry Page) seem to have been stoked MUCH earlier in life (both their fathers have graduate level math/computer science degrees, both went to Montessori schools, they were both well along the path to technological savvy by the age of 15(just as the earlier drop outs were)). K-12 education is punitive and boring, it systematically extinguishes the learning fires of our young through dull coursework, lack of real world application and drill and repeat memorization work. Wow, what a surprise! after reading the “before the jump” I had expected an egalitarian, hopeful, and technology-creating-equality read. Instead what I found was “I wouldn’t bet on it” and an apologia on the value of keeping the poor, those with unfortunate k-12 educations, without substantial parental support or those with even mild learning disabilities right where they are. Mechanical engineers, even if they went to the imaginary wikipedia-U would still have to take Mechanical PE exam to become a mechanical engineer.
Our current accreditation system is in part education measurement and in part a system to enforce class barriers. When we waste the abilities of someone as smart as Chris Langan , because they don’t have the right set of social skills, we toss the future of our country away.
The business that has created the more wealth than any other in the last 50 years, computer science, is filled with non-majors and college drop outs (Steve Jobs and Wozniak, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Larry Ellison, Michael Dell). The learning fires of those who did finish (like Sergey Brin and Larry Page) seem to have been stoked MUCH earlier in life (both their fathers have graduate level math/computer science degrees, both went to Montessori schools, they were both well along the path to technological savvy by the age of 15(just as the earlier drop outs were)).
K-12 education is punitive and boring, it systematically extinguishes the learning fires of our young through dull coursework, lack of real world application and drill and repeat memorization work.

]]> http://singularityhub.com/2009/05/01/is-the-university-a-dying-breed/#comment-1077 Truth Sun, 03 May 2009 13:28:35 +0000 http://singularityhub.com/?p=2944#comment-1077 I just use "pirated" education, meaning, I just download Harvard or Oxford or whatever educational books and professor lectures off torrents or watch them on youtube. I have educated myself in gene engineering this way. I just use “pirated” education, meaning, I just download Harvard or Oxford or whatever educational books and professor lectures off torrents or watch them on youtube. I have educated myself in gene engineering this way.

]]>