this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2024
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The quality of education at college and university is in free fall.
I went to college before the internet was ever considered a valid source for any material. But using the internet made research extremely easy if I could determine the book source for reference.
I went back to college right around that time the internet just became the default source for everything. It was staggering how little information was expected to be known. The implicit ubiquitous access to information was a staggering foundational shift.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/06/wait-what-new-research-says-internet-use-is-killing-your-memory/#:~:text=That%E2%80%99s%20the%20main%20takeaway%20from%20new%20research%20by,technologyso%20ubiquitous%20that%20opting%20out%20is%20nearly%20unimaginable.
I fear too many universities are businesses designed to fund seminars; and students graduating are whether an afterthought or an actual negative for them.
It was related to me that, because they want to keep their customers, one can solve any problem at uni - grades, minor victimless crimes, etc - simply by offering to take more courses. The only problem money can't solve is the one where the student has no more money, and it's over quickly after that (saw that one happen).
It is far worse than that.
Universities have a lot of metrics that they are judged against that don't lead to a quality education. Research doesn't lead to good undergraduate students. A good pass rate just means the curriculum is soft enough to keep don't students from failing.
So you have university presidents who are incentivized to increase prestige and they aren't going to focus on the quality of education because that doesn't lead to better metrics. If presidents try to defend their universities' way of teaching, they get replaced by those who follow the system.
Why I likes the ABET requirement for engineering. Still have an 80% fail rate due to the standards, and you get audited for coursework.
I have yet to meet an employer who will hire an engineer from a non-ABET school.
Worked in higher Ed for a decade. Can confirm.
US universities are pro football teams with a sideline in education.
Everywhere? or in what country/place?
In Quebec/Canada at least. Haven't teach in another country but I fear it's similar.
What is causing that? Anything I can do to offset that when my children will be old enough for it to be a problem?
Was it ever good?