College Degrees Without Going to Class

More than one-fourth of all college students are taking at least one online class. In its "Room for Debate" series, The New York Times recently asked a number of commentators "Who benefits most from online courses — students or colleges? Are online classes as educationally effective as in-classroom instruction? Should more post-secondary education take place online?" Respondents include: Greg von Lehmen, provost and chief academic officer at University of Maryland University College (as good as classroom lessons); Robert Zemsky, professor of education and chairman of The Learning Alliance at the University of Pennsylvania (another false gold rush); Anya Kamenetz, author of the forthcoming DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education (better and cheaper); Mark Bauerlein, professor of English at Emory University and the author of The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (making the personal connection); Karen Swan, James Stukel Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Illinois Springfield (flexibility and time); and Ronald G. Ehrenberg, Irving M. Ives Professor of Industrial and Labor Relations and Economics at Cornell University and director of the Cornell Higher Education Research Institute (needs more tech support). A good discussion.

---

Regional SCUP Events! Enjoy the F2F company of your colleagues and peers at one of three SCUP regional conferences this spring:

• March 14–16: Baltimore, MD
• March 24–26: Cambridge, MA
• April 5–7, San Diego, CA