shopping cart CART ITEMS: -
| CHECKOUT
Conferences Series Events
RELIGION   |   GAMING   |   FILM   |   FASHION   |   SEX   |   PHILOSOPHY   |   EDUCATION   |   HISTORY   |   ARTS   |   MUSIC   |   TRAVEL   |   PHOTOGRAPHY

Our Underachieving Colleges
Watch Full Program
More from this partner:

4
Likes
0
Dislikes
RATE
1,879 Views

  • Info
  • Bio
  • Chapters
  • Preview
  • Download
  • More
Please or register to post a comment.

phiscal Avatar
phiscal
Posts: 80
Posted: 05.06.09, 08:58 AM
As a graduate of a public university, Derek Bok confirms my suspicion that higher ed's mediocrity is formidable. We seem to have excellent universities at the top. Or at least the students are excellent.

In the middle, however, the skills kids graduate with are abysmal. Why? The system is not accountable to the parents in any meaningful way. It's that taxpayer dependent business model again.

Higher ed is too well insulated from society's real needs (and parents) for productive citizens to respond to that need. The institution is too intent on producing kids that view the world as professors do, not on producing kids that can view the world as it is. In many instances, the two appear to be widely divergent.
Permalink
amzwilliams Avatar
amzwilliams
Posts: 30
Posted: 06.20.06, 12:47 PM
I think there needs to be an examination of how education today differs from past generations. Also, how does our current social and cultural climate contribute to our requirements in higher education. While foreign language indisputably needs to be further developed, so do the studies that we already consider to be an integral component of education such as basic writing and reading skills. In addition, how has the economics of education played a role, if any, in the disintegration of learning?
Permalink
SNS Avatar
SNS +
FORA.tv Staff
Posts: 64
Posted: 05.19.06, 01:23 PM
Glad to see someone with this perspective coming in at Harvard. It's going to require the kind of leverage and visible platform that very few institutions (Harvard being one) can provide in order to bring about any meaningful changes in our educational culture.
Permalink
briankgruber Avatar
briankgruber
Posts: 54
Posted: 05.19.06, 10:26 AM
Interesting speech.
Permalink
RoyalWe Avatar
RoyalWe
Posts: 51
Posted: 05.19.06, 01:48 AM
We might be. The flaws are so entrenched that any meaningful change is going to generate plenty of opposition and plenty of pain.
Permalink
ProfessorTruth Avatar
ProfessorTruth
Posts: 2
Posted: 05.19.06, 01:41 AM
Is America--are we--afraid to come to terms with the dumbing down of our education? Do we worry that we'll compromise equality by allowing for or asking for excellence? That by raising the bar too high too many will be left behind? If we are we'd better get over it fast.
Permalink
SNS Avatar
SNS +
FORA.tv Staff
Posts: 64
Posted: 05.19.06, 01:25 AM
This is a timely commentary. The mediocrity of American education is embarrassing. It is, I think, both institutional and cultural.... would like to see this work generate some buzz and some motion. The need for systematic elevation of our foreign language learning and teaching is especially obvious.
Permalink
Advertisement
NO ADS + DOWNLOADS + HQ VIEWING
UPGRADE TO FORA.tv PLUS
JOIN NOW >>

Recommended

George Lucas on Star Wars and the Power of Hollywood George Lucas on Star Wars and the Power of Hollywood
00:33:59 min | 10,886 Views
Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity
00:51:51 min | 13,680 Views

Get Our Free Newsletter

Advertisement


LAW  |   ECONOMY  |   STEVE JOBS  |   INVESTING  |   MARKETING  |   ENTREPRENEURSHIP  |   RECOVERY  |   ECONOMIC POLICY  |   GLOBALIZATION  |   EMERGING MARKETS
CLIMATE CHANGE  |   ENERGY  |   SUSTAINABILITY  |   ENVIRONMENT  |   TRANSPORTATION  |   POLICY  |   BUILDINGS
OCCUPY WALL STREET  |   ELECTION 2012  |   MUSLIM WORLD  |   HEALTHCARE  |   SOCIAL ISSUES  |   FOREIGN POLICY  |   TERRORISM  |   CAPITOL HILL
SPACE  |   EVOLUTION  |   PHYSICS  |   SOCIAL SCIENCES  |   NATURAL SCIENCES  |   DNA  |   PSYCHOLOGY  |   BIOTECH  |   MEDICINE  |   ANTHROPOLOGY  |   ASTRONOMY
INTERNET  |   NEW MEDIA  |   START-UPS  |   PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY  |   WIRELESS  |   COMPUTING  |   ENGINEERING  |   CEOS
RELIGION  |   GAMING  |   FILM  |   FASHION  |   SEX  |   PHILOSOPHY  |   EDUCATION  |   HISTORY  |   ARTS  |   MUSIC  |   TRAVEL  |   PHOTOGRAPHY
Watch Now
Watch Now