It is clear that education is changing, as it always has and will. But few would argue against thinking that the Internet has changed education most quickly. Massive Open Online Courses, or “MOOCs,” have been around for at least a decade, perhaps made “institutional” by “edX”, the free online college course web site mutually created and managed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard and California-Berkley.
But now comes “The End of College,” a book by Kevin Carry, an American higher education writer and policy analyst. Many are describing the book as utopian, because Carry envisions free education societies where people of all varieties worldwide gather, most often online and in-person considerably less. Carry argues this “University of Everywhere,” will replace the traditional college experience of living and attending class on campus.
Economics will push many students away from traditional college and toward online courses, as average national student and graduate debt tops more than $30,000. As much as education has changed and continues to, it’s difficult to imagine a world without traditional universities and colleges, which run deeply with the American mindset of families “raising themselves up,” and companies and institutions which still place high stock in college graduates. (Plus: College football still needs a home, right?)
Greg Goaley, President of WinCommunications in Des Moines, Iowa, is a former copywriter and creative editor, and a 25-year digital content strategist and provider. Kathryn Towner is President of WinM@il USA, a former 15-year sales rep for Random House/McGraw-Hill, and a 20-year permission-based email publications consultant and provider.