Time to end the academic arms race

MIT has placed all their courses online for free. Let the education begin....

 

Contrary to common thinking, "That is not how one truly learns ..."

It is by assimilation of the knowledge and (furthermore) common exchange of the knowledge in debate that that one gets a real understanding of it. Even with the most detailed (equation-based) technical education, that rule holds true. And yet, post-secondary educational institutions still give "final exams" that supposedly test a student's assimilation of a subject!

It is at the Masters and Doctorate level only, where a thesis is required for graduation, that one is tasked to transform learning into real insight regarding a subject, any subject.

Methinks ...

 

I think there are already debate societies. I could see the value in such societies offering thesis evaluations in order to help people educate themselves.

 

No, debate societies are formal institutions. I am writing about how the mind works.

Presuming one has one that "works" ...

 

We live in the information age. One can learn pretty much anything one wishes for virtually nothing.

 

Watching Fox News "learning"? Wow!

Learning is when "you prove your level of assimilation by means of education". The diploma indicates that, more or less, one has demonstrated from testing that they have assimilated the subject taught.

Distorted Information for purposes of moulding opinion is a technique the Nazi's honed post-WW1. It is how they passed misinformation to the public and blamed the Jews "for everything"; and came to run, then ruin, the country. And how did they get away with it?

Easy. They applied to the basest instincts of mankind, and moulded a notion that their race was superior to all others. Which the German population ate hook, line and sinker. - because they wanted badly to believe it.

WW2 was the direct consequence of having swallowed whole a Great Lie. But postwar, instead of punishing Germany, the US stepped in and actually helped Europe rebuild. Which was the smartest bit of foreign policy that the US ever mustered at just the right time ...

 

I don't quite understand why you brought up Nazis, but are you maybe unaware that there are online courses that are very reasonably priced.

Is there a specific bit of skill or knowledge that you feel is only available from an overpriced university?

 

I brought up the Nazis as an example of political outcomes derived falsely in elections.

Because what we learn is coming off the TV and outlets like Fox News are little different from the concocted news that the Nazis applied to come to power by means of a general election in 1933. The only difference being this: The Nazis were telling outright lies that were provably wrong - but if any one dared to do so, they were killed.

Do you really think Fox News is throwing out correct, unbiased news? If so, read from Politifact here, this excerpt:

Statements made on FOX

• 
  
  • • True 17 (10%)
    • Mostly True20 (12%)
    • Half True 31 (18%)
    • Mostly False 35 (21%)
    • False 50 (30%)
    • Pants on Fire 16 (9%)

And FN is not the only one. When one has the bundles of money that Rich-Replicants have, the sky's the limit on the amount of garbage news/opinion can be spewed at an American listening/viewing audience.

Shame on us for actually believing the bullshat ...

 

I never mentioned fox news, so I'm not sure what that has to do with my position.

My position is that one can learn pretty much any skill or acquire any knowledge one wants for a pittance now that we're in the information age. Are you aware of sites like Lynda.com? Thousands of courses. MIT has placed it's entire curriculum on line. You can get any of the great books online.

Anyone can educate themselves on any subject they wish with free or very inexpensive sources.

 

Nope, just aint gonna happin.

I teach economics. No way in heaven or hell that reading an economics book qualifies you as an "economist".

Stop dreaming ...

 

Why doesn't it, if you learn all the material?

 

You must pass an exam to qualify and then work in the field before one can be said to be "professional" in whatever is their undertaking ...

 

Says who?

 

totally wrong of course. Most people will learn far more about economics from a good 250 page book than from from a year long course in Econ. Even Krugman admits this in the forward to his book Depression Era Economics.

 

and still you are socialist who cant say one substantive thing in support of socialism!!

 

Just look at the history of higher education, and ask yourself that question.

You are beating a dead-horse.

Moving right along ...

 

I didn't pass an exam in the field I work in and yet I'm still a professional. How is that possible?

 

DENSE IS AS DENSE DOES

What you or I do is irrelevant to the discussion.

That's the problem around here. Too many people think that what has been good enough for them is good enough for the rest.

It is myopic, small-minded thinking - the ONLY SOLUTION IS FREE TERTIARY EDUCATION FOR ALL ...

PS: At the turn of the 20th century, the US had the same problem regarding secondary-schooling as it has today regarding tertiary-education. It was exceedingly difficult to convince some Americans that a secondary-schooling should be given the "guarantee of law". It then took another 30/40 years for secondary-education to become common-law through all the USofA.
PPS: Europe learned from WW2. The way Hitler was able to manipulate an entire population so easily struck a respondent chord. A post-secondary education was made available free, gratis and for nothing in most of the countries. It is now common amongst all the European Union countries/states.

 

Almost anyone can learn any skill they need to do their work from free online resources.

 

Oh good, so we'll copy Europe and be as poor as Europe is; about like Arkansas our poorest state.

 

The US has higher poverty rates than Western European countries, except Britain

 

Almost anyone can convey the above idiocy.

In this new Information Age of ours, only an education prepares one adequately for the "content of work" as it has developed recently and will continue to do so ...

 

Only 22% of Americans graduate from college by the time they're 24.

According to this report, by the time they were 23 years old, 23 percent of women had earned a bachelor’s degree, while only 14 percent of men had done so: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/nlsyth_02092011.pdf

 

Yes, let's ask ourselves WHY? Because it is too damn expensive!

There are three levels of Tertiary Education - Vocational, Associates, Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate. Whatever the mishmash, all post-secondary education is goodness to allow Americans the credentials necessary towards finding a better-paying job than had they not the diploma.

What matters is that it costs $10K a year at a state-school - and the poor cannot afford even that. Which is why the US must do as the EU does. It is a fundamental right that the government provides all citizens either directly or indirectly the means to obtain Healthcare as necessary as well as a Post-secondary degree whenever/wherever desired.

(In France, for instance, to obtain a Dentistry Diploma costs one $1100 a year because Tertiary Education is NOT A BUSINESS but a government prerogative!)

First we must dump this National Obsession we have for "war-games" and a DoD budget that has consumed about half the Federal Discretionary Budget for decades upon decades. Infographic:


Because the money for which (about half the total DoD Budget, about $300M) could be better spent upon Post-secondary Educational Achievement that is as low-cost to the student as is humanly possible.


Historically, the US spent very little on Defense (1 or 2%). But since the 1960s it has leveled out at around 5%. And for what? A number of silly altercations in Central America and some wars over in the Middle-east. For what benefit to the nation?

NADA, niente, rien, zilch, nichts, nothing, tipota ... just American deaths of our young.

We've lost perspective: The well-being of the nation's citizens depends more upon Tertiary Education than the DoD (which is a money-bucket for Replicant-run companies) ...

 

https://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

https://www.khanacademy.org/

https://www.lynda.com/

https://www.nypl.org/collections/articles-databases/bartlebycom-great-books-online

When you've exhausted those, I can find you more.