Radical Reform of Higher Education is Inevitable

By Ronald L. Trowbridge

Radical reform of higher education is coming whether we like it not. Clayton Christensen of the Harvard Business School argues that “disruptive innovation” will inevitably radically reform higher ed. Michael Horn, co-author with Christensen of several studies on higher ed, predicts: “I wouldn’t be surprised if in 10 to 15 years, half of the institutions of higher education will have either merged or gone out of business.”

This change will not seriously affect upper elite colleges and universities because there will always be enough wealthy students to attend these prestigious schools – and image does matter. What are the causes behind disruptive innovation?

Continued at: http://www.chron.com/opinion/outlook/article/Radical-reform-of-higher-education-is-inevitable-2418714.php

Writing and Teaching Habits of Mind

By Steven J. Corbett

Are we holding ourselves to the same rigorous standards we apply to our students? Are we practicing enough of what we preach?

The recent document the Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing, developed by the Council of Writing Program Administrators, the National Council of Teachers of English, and the National Writing Project, posits eight “habits of mind and experiences that are critical for college success”: curiosity, openness, engagement, creativity, persistence, responsibility, flexibility, and metacognition.

In a recent exchange on the WPA listserv (subject heading “Measuring the Habits of Mind”) several scholars in writing studies have debated the slippery question of whether these habits of mind can or should be measured or assessed. Most respondents replied with horror at the idea of such motivational terms being put under the scrutiny and micropolicing of assessment. In a passionate reply, one respondent wrote, “If we’re going to assess anything, maybe we should start by looking at the conditions in which students are supposed to learn. A student can bring all the curiosity and creativity in the world into a classroom, but it won’t help much if what she encounters there is an uninspired, poorly designed course taught by an ill-informed, unreflective dolt who dislikes students as much as the job of teaching (or just spends every hour lecturing ‘facts’ to students in the manner of Gradgrind).”

Continued at: http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2011/12/22/essay-whether-writing-instructors-need-assess-themselves#ixzz1hHptXSng

Visit the Framework: http://wpacouncil.org/framework