What might be some of the top choices for universities twenty years from now

Khan Academy. In twenty years a regular college will be outrageously expensive (it is pretty much there now, and growing about 10-15% per annum). Khan Academy is FREE and many students use it in place of classroom learning already. That trend will continue, and I see it getting to where it issues some form of certificate of completion (ie, a degree equivalent). As that trend continues, maybe universities will finally become cost competitive. An education now is like 50 times what I paid when I went. Is the education 50 times better? in fact, is it any better AT ALL? Education has gotten out of whack...what should be getting cheaper and better is getting ever more expensive instead. I think there will be a revolt, and online learning will replace it.

FWIW...it is a great supplement to a regular education as well, and many secondary schools now actually use it as their entire curriculum and learning platform.

If you haven't heard of Khan Academy, the story about how it was founded (told by Khan himself) is a great story. Here is his story from a Ted talk a few years ago.

 

YouTube / Kahn Academy / edX.

Seriously, I've learned more from free online courses from Stanford, Harvard, and MIT than I ever did in college. The line between education is just going to further blur over the next two decades. If I had a kid today, I wouldn't put them through traditional school for any other reason that the social aspect. They can learn far more online at a much faster pace.

Ron Paul Curriculum is the perfect example - https://www.ronpaulcurriculum.com/

 

I just don't see how that is possible for feild like Engineering. For example, I use YouTube tutorials all the time to watch the method others use for specefic calculations where I believe my proffesor is teaching in a inefficient manner but I couldn't do this for the whole course. Engineering has far to many courses that have massive amounts of pre-reqs. A junior or senior level engineering course such as Heat Transfer for my specefic field requires prior knowledge in Calc1, 2, 3, DiffyQs, physics 1, 2 and 3, thermodynamics 1 and fluid mechanics. You will be lost in the class if you didn't learn those courses. You have to understand the order to learn these concepts and I just can't see this being done in a non structured environment where you don't have Engineering proffesors who have immense experience in the field.

 

Sites like edX have grading, peer review, instructor feedback, etc. Basically, the need for these brick and mortar institutions simply won't exist for many reasons. Obviously some degrees like medical and technical degrees will still require labs and hands on, but for the most part - the need for colleges simply won't exist.

This doesn't even take into account the massive changes coming to our economy due to automation over the next two decades.

 

That might be a stretch. What level of classes did you take? What type of classes? Can you be more specefic with your experience? For engineering, having multiple engineering proffesors who have been in industry for decades mentoring and guiding you is something invaluable.

 

Harvard's extension school offers every one of their classes online, and most for free. You basically just enroll in the extension school to get grades, official certificates or degrees - but you can take every class otherwise.

Just browse through the availability of courses on edX for a look at the future.

 

Shhh! Some people here might become suicidal.

 

they will be in China.

 

Have you looked at Khan Academy? That's exactly what it does...makes sure you learn the basics of each segment before moving on. It's very structured...probably better than university, because it is broken into smaller chunks. It's entire purpose is to take people through all the steps in sequence.

 

Thatt statement makes no sense. You don't think Engineering proffesors not known how to break things 'into chunks'?

... probably better than university? Probably not. I think of Khan Academy as supplemental. That's the point.

Also there is a reason the basement in my major's department has millions of dollars worth of equipment. It ain't for ***** and giggles.

 

Cannot agree.... I used to bang a coed as an undergrad and do huge quantities of coke and E while getting credit watching an online Econ class. To my 19 year old mind, that was as good as life got.

 

People like that...experts in their field, as well as experts in teaching (something sorely lacking in major institutions) is who puts the Khan Academy curriculum and trainings together. It could (and often will be, already happening in primary and secondary schools) be combined with an available professor to go to with any specific questions.

The reality, though, is that people will discover that the value of a $100k a year education, vs what is available on-line, for free, won't be there, and people will modify their behavior accordingly. As I said, many college students are already at the point where they get their actual learning from these sources---meaning the tens of thousands of dollars their parents are paying are essentially a waste of money. Universities will need to start justifying the outrageous fees they charge, and they will become increasingly unable to do so, as the quality of their education hasn't remotely kept pace with the increase in the fees they charge.

 

You hold University profs and classes in far too high an esteem, and I'm pretty sure are far too unaware of what goes on in Khan Academy.

You do have a point on labs. Assuming those are necessary (which is debatable), that is hard (but not impossible) to simulate online. But the purpose of labs is learning...and the learning is certainly possible to provide on-line. The labs are too, for that matter...customizable simulations. In which case they could be even more productive, in that they could be repeated, with different parameters, in a time frame and manner that would be impossible with hands-on labs. I liked doing labs, and it was good to actually see what happened (or, often, didn't happen)...but I never really learned much from them.
Grading of them can be highly subjective as well.

 

You understand the hypocrisy in this statement? There are hundreds upon hundreds of ABET accredited Engineering programs in the country. Your statement would only have any merit if you physically experienced the proffesors and the ciriculum for each one of those schools because EXPERIENCES VARY.

So I'll ask, what's your experience with engineering undergrad and at what school?

 

Nothing beats a good professor/TA to catch the imagination of a college student.

Courses will trend more online, but that leaves out the reason why American universities are still great incubators for the young straight out of their parents home.

 

Trump school of business at Leningrad, Ohio campus.

 

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