Online Education's New Mobels : Innovation Over Establishment

Education is moving forward. Even if this online model for learning is flawed in some aspects, this is inspiring to see innovation and new thinking that will be the forerunners in developing how our kids educated.

The public school system and many universities are not up to the job of education, they seem to be more interested in make establishing and solidifying their own institutions rather then focusing on education. For these established colleges and universities this is all about the money and self gratification that comes with it.

Then to much of the failure of the current and established educational systems is it's institutional bias and ideology, progressive socialist liberalism. Given the cost and success rate of graduates, little is left to the imagination for anything that's paying attention or cares.


A New Online College Model
Source: Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry, "Minerva Is The Future Of Education. Here's What's Good About It And What's Not So Good," Forbes.com, August 21, 2014.

August 22, 2014

The rising costs of college (in large part thanks to federal aid policies) and the declining value of a college degree have prompted many discussions about the fate of traditional colleges and universities.

Minerva is a new university that is seeking to change the face of higher education. It offers not only online classes, but a technology platform that allows students to join in on discussions, explains Forbes contributor Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry.

Minerva does not accept federal student aid. It keeps its costs down, offers low tuition and admits students from around the world.

• Minerva's technology platform will create small-group seminars that allow students to join in on classroom discussions from wherever they are.
• The professor can use the platform to give students on-the-spot quizzes and provide them with other material.

By keeping tuition costs down, students that would otherwise be unable to afford school can attend Minerva, as can international students who want a Western-style liberal arts education without the price tag that comes with a traditional liberal arts college.

Gobry notes a few problems with the Minerva model. He is concerned that the school's focus is on teaching students "how" to think, a model which he says overlooks the basic necessity of a liberal arts education -- teaching students "things to know," such as Plato, Aristotle, Shakespeare, the Federalist Papers and de Tocqueville.