haven't fully explored to date, at least with respect to higher education. =
Forgive me, as I am thinking out loud again.
Currently, if I wish to take a history course from Peter Stearns, I have tw=
o choices: attend George Mason University or buy the DVDs of his lectures f=
rom The Teaching Company. If Stearns were game, he could certainly deliver =
his lectures live to anyplace in the world, and the question then becomes -=
- what would I be giving up if I were not sitting in the classroom with Dr.=
Stearns? Perhaps nothing, and in that case, I have a formula for accessing=
your "CD Collection." On the other hand, what if that live classroom exper=
ience does have an impact on learning? How much will I be sacrificing?
There is a flip side to this argument that may be more disturbing to the av=
erage teacher. If I have a CD collection, I will always opt to select Led Z=
eppelin if I want to hear Stairway to Heaven. I'll never choose a cover ban=
d singing the same song. So, if I want to learn about Multiple Intelligence=
s, why work with anybody other than Howard Gardner? I can select him from t=
he collection. In the music industry, there are perhaps 50,000 artists prod=
ucing recorded music, but only 5,000 are listened to by more than 100 peopl=
e (I am proposing these hypothetical numbers for illustration). Thus, there=
may be 10% of the teaching population in demand by students, and if there =
are no restrictions on virtual class size (supply of seats is infinite), th=
en most of the student population will flock to 10% of the teachers. Whethe=
r these teachers are affiliated with universities or not in this virtual me=
thod of course delivery, what will happen to the other 90% of the teachers?=
Will they function as curriculum and grading assistants to the "rock stars=
?"
I don't find these questions frightening, but I do find them disturbing eno=
ugh to want more information before we sell schools with walls completely d=
own the river.
Joel
--=20
Joel Backon
Director of Academic Technology / History
Choate Rosemary Hall
333 Christian St.
Wallingford, CT 06492
203-697-2514
On Apr 3, 2010, at 9:35 AM, Fred Bartels wrote:
> Is a school's core curriculum like a music CD in being a collection of
> content imposed on the user by the 'authorities'?
>=20
> The article referenced below titled "Will The Web Kill Colleges" is what
> prompted me to think along these "Disrupting Class" lines yet again.
> http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/CutCollegeCosts/wil=
l-the-web-kill-colleges.aspx
>=20
> The web has not been kind to institutions which supply authority-determin=
ed
> artificial collections of content. The music, newspaper and magazine
> industries are examples of what the web has done to enterprises engaging =
in
> this business model as it has opened up opportunities for users to make
> their own decisions about what content they want to engage with.
>=20
> Since schools supply authority-determined artificial collections of conte=
nt
> are we next in line for disruption as the web increasingly makes it possi=
ble
> for our users to pursue educational content independently of our strictur=
es?
> Or will our credentialing / gate keeping function continue to force our
> users to stay within the boundaries we impose?
>=20
> Fred
>=20
> --=20
> Fred Bartels
> Dir. of Info. Tech.
> Rye Country Day School
>=20
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