We all know that the outlook for Higher Ed is pretty grim. Students don’t see the value in a college degree any more. They all seem to think it is a waste of time. There is no money for people to be in college. Students have stopped going to school even because they all see it as pointless. The whole bubble is about to burst.
Oh, except people forgot to tell the students about this.
Seems that the U.S. saw its highest jump in college enrollment in 40 years.
If people are really feeling that college degrees are pointless, and that Web 2.0 and social networking are better ways to learn… why are we seeing these statistics?
I’m not denying that Higher Ed needs some major reforms. People have been calling for that for hundreds of years, and I tend to agree with most of it. But all this talk about DIY U and students forcing change by abandoning Higher Ed for PLNs and all that… just isn’t happening. Seems that many people still see great value in a college education.
So can we change the conversation from how colleges will fall apart and all that rubbish to maybe something more helpful like real, tangible reform?
Matt is currently an Instructional Designer II at Orbis Education and a Part-Time Instructor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Previously he worked as a Learning Innovation Researcher with the UT Arlington LINK Research Lab. His work focuses on learning theory, Heutagogy, and learner agency. Matt holds a Ph.D. in Learning Technologies from the University of North Texas, a Master of Education in Educational Technology from UT Brownsville, and a Bachelors of Science in Education from Baylor University. His research interests include instructional design, learning pathways, sociocultural theory, heutagogy, virtual reality, and open networked learning. He has a background in instructional design and teaching at both the secondary and university levels and has been an active blogger and conference presenter. He also enjoys networking and collaborative efforts involving faculty, students, administration, and anyone involved in the education process.