As the coronavirus puts the already teetering business models of higher education under massive strain, there are more and more calls to re-invent college. That’s a worthy goal. But if we’re not careful, we may just end up perpetuating long standing problems. We may end up “fixing” education for the people who don’t need it […]
When the pandemic forced schools and colleges to shove all their classes online, a lot of proponents of online learning felt triumphant: at last, online learning’s time had truly come, and nothing could stop it now! A month ago we predicted there would be a backlash. And, wow, has it arrived. Writing in the New […]
Read more about "Online Learning" is a great tool, but not a cheat code for social progress
We – our students, faculty, administrators, and advocates for equity-based solutions in higher education – are extraordinarily grateful that the latest budget agreement includes funding for Calbright. Investment in skills-based online training for underserved communities will help ensure California’s recovery through the COVID-19 crisis, and we are especially thankful for the support our leaders have […]
Real talk: America hasn’t even begun to take the impact of the coronavirus on the education system into account. According to recent surveys, more than half of all college freshmen say that they will no longer be able to afford their college tuition. As a result of the recession caused by the coronavirus, they will […]
Read more about The Impact of the Coronavirus on College Education Has Only Just Begun
Conventional wisdom holds that the era of online learning is upon us. After all, we have the technology, and now that nearly every school and college in the country has quickly changed from traditional classrooms to “online learning,” nothing can stop it. But we’ve heard “nothing can stop online learning” before, and it’s never worked […]
Read more about Is There a Backlash to Online Learning? (And is it justified?)
We’ve written before about how the Americans most impacted by the covid-19 pandemic are the people who were being least served and supported before the pandemic. Helping them through these new problems means we have to fix the old ones. California Competes, which researches higher education’s relationship to economic succes, has made that point very […]
One of the most difficult parts of the crisis we’re enduring together is its uncertainty. There’s still so much we don’t know about the virus, like where it’s going to strike next, or who it will impact, or what will happen with the economy, or … perhaps most difficult of all … how long this […]
Read more about We Don't Know What’s Going To Happen Next, But We Know What We Have To Fix
A recent article in Educause Review points out that what is happening in schools and colleges across the world should not be considered “online learning” anymore than consulting WebMD should be considered a trip to the doctor. That’s because “online learning,” in the sense that educators mean it, is actually a series of deliberate and […]
On April 23, a federal appeals court ruled that American children have a right to a sound basic education. At the very least, a right to literacy. We know, of course, that this is very likely to be overturned in the future. We understand the politics of it. But let’s put that aside for a […]
Read more about It's Time To Acknowledge: Education is Both a Right and a Necessity
People who had easy access to educational resources before the covid-19 pandemic will still have easy access to everything they need to keep their education going now. Things like money, time, and technology. But what about vulnerable populations that were struggling to access the education they needed before everything stayed home and went digital? What […]
