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A insider's guide to the frightening reality of higher education
Here is a list of my posts that I believe are most essential for understanding the problems with higher education. I suggest reading the page with quotes from David Riesman and Clark Kerr, first, though. Then, hopefully, some of my posts give examples and explanations of how their general observations work out in practice. The best place on this blog for seeing and understanding just how outrageous things have become – and how much some academics think they can get away with – see A Tale Out of School – A Case Study in Higher Education. Finally, keep in mind that if what follows is what just one individual has observed, how much else is there?
EDUCATION AT MAJOR UNIVERSITIES
How Competition Leads to “Content Deflation” in One Anecdote
America: A flagging model | The Economist
How to Make Calculus Students Believe They Know Calculus When They Don’t
EDUCATION AT STATE REGIONAL SCHOOLS
Professor Alfred Doesn’t Know What is Wrong with the Homework
Prof. Teaches Stats But Doesn’t Seem to Have a Clue About the Most Fundamental Notion
Statistics Prof. Kevin Doesn’t Understand Basic Math, or Statistics
Regional State School Stories – Some Brief Thoughts About How Did This Happen
MAJOR UNIVERSITIES EFFECT ON REGIONAL SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER EDUCATION
No Jobs for Ph.D’s? Depends on what you mean by Ph.D.
An Example of College Benefitting From the Dumbing Down of High School
Important Paper on Value of Good Teacher May Be a Game Changer
“They Just Don’t Get It” part 2
A Suggestion for Holding Colleges Accountable for Teacher Performance
RESEARCH ETHICS
Scientists “Forced” to Cheat Says Medical School Professor
GENERAL
Arum and Roksa’s Important New Book “Aspiring Adults Adrift”
Professors DON’T become professors to teach! Better get over that idea fast.
Median Starting Salaries for College Graduates $27,000 or $40,735?
Columbia University – Another 3-2 Program Like Wash. U.’s?
When Is It Ok For a Non-Profit To Misrpresent Its Fees to the Public?
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Duke University Professor Calls It Like It Is
Michael Allen Gillespie, a professor of political science and of philosophy at Duke University, has written a revealing piece in The Chronicle of Higher Education. I recommend it for its honesty about grading (or not really grading) and about professors “cheating” students by not fairly grading them in a way that shows them what they still need to learn and understand. Here is the link http://chronicle.com/blogs/conversation/2014/01/14/degradation/
After reading Professor Gillespie’s piece, I recommend reading my post Insightful Commenter on New York Times Economix Blog . It gives a good indication of what many students really believe.
Here is the comment about Prof. Gillespie’s piece that I posted on The Chronicle. (It is similar to the comment I made in my post New York Times Behind the Times. Grade Inflation is Sooo 20th Century.)
“Grade inflation? That is sooo 20th century. We are now in a deflationary period. I call it “content deflation”. It’s so much easier for everyone. The tests are easier for professor and student alike. Administrators hold it in high regard. With “content deflation”, our “customers” (once quaintly called “students”) not only get a good grade with little real learning, there isn’t even much there to trouble the “customers” with. So, now we don’t have to dumb down the test. And the student and his/her parents can leave assured that they learned all that was required in order to be competent in X. After all, they went to an “elite” school.”
For anyone who hasn’t really seen content deflation encouraged by administrators, you can read my personal experience with content deflation at Washington University in St. Louis. It’s on my blog www.inside-higher-ed.com . Click on A Tale Out of School – A Case Study in Higher Education.
I can’t post this without thanking Professor Gillespie for being honest and calling “cheating” by its real name. Thank you.”
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