Chapter 5 primarily discusses the steps that are being taken for higher education, especially on the undergraduate level, to be a more personalized experience. By digitalizing essential services such as applying to college and choosing classes, students across the U.S. can cut costs and save on time to make the most out of their education, and more importantly, the rising cost of a four-year experience.
- Arizona State is regarded as a leading pioneer in rolling out innovative learning technologies, with one such software, Knewton, described by Selingo as an “adaptive learning technology that watches a student’s every click and then adjusts on the fly what is delivers next” (74). Rather than taking remedial classes that end up being a waste of time, students are able to get real-time help on a certain question with the help of Knewton. This comes as a big money and time-saver as remedial classes (1) should have been offered and taken in high school, and (2) more often that not do not help as students never get out of these classes or fail their primary course. This is an issue that I see a lot with peers at Brooklyn College and at other CUNYs/SUNYs. They are forced to take classes that they could have taken in high school, or stuck taking classes that they have passed and could have been exempt from retaking. For those who aren’t as lucky and must pay out-of-pocket, this may be an extra hundred to thousands of dollars from their savings, or in loans.
- Arizona State and Harvard, the long-regarded model for higher education institutions, have experimented and found success in a technique called ”flipping the classroom” (77). The idea of flipping the classroom is simple: students amass information online and then spend class time discussing and processing this information with professors and fellow students. As Selingo puts it, professors leave the traditional role of lecturer and replace it with that of a coach. However, many professors habitually cling to tradition and fail to see the benefits that this method has on students. This is not only an issue with professors, but with students as well. Many may also be unaware of alternative options in which classes are administered. Students should be given the option to choose the method that best benefits them, whether it be in a traditional lecture setting or the flipping the classroom approach.
- Software like Naviance (79) and ConnectEDU (80) are test-driven and appealed to students as a college admissions measure. These applications narrow down choices that best fit each student’s interests, financial capabilities, and geographic preferences, and were meant to offset the limitations of uninformed college counselors. Furthermore, ConnectEDU can access students’ academic portfolios- of course with permission- to determine the most suitable major or area of study. As the information in the portfolios may date back to middle or even primary school, ConnectEDU may even reach out to prospective students as early as eighth grade. Selingo mentions that some students lose the opportunity to get into their perfect-fit school due to their counselor’s carelessness. This software shouldn’t be seen as an alternative, but as a complement since there are other areas of counseling that may be unable to be put into an algorithm.
- Once again, Arizona State sets an example with another alternative system they term eAdvisor (83). Much like high school/college counselors, college advisors are also limited by the knowledge they have and the information they can get. eAdvisor serves to offset these human errors to keep students as well as advisers on track by giving advisory warnings when students go off track. This way, the college can maintain a high retention and graduation rate. However, similar to the point I made with the third issue above, this should be used as a complement and not completely replace human advisers. Students’ performance isn’t only measured in their academics, but may be affected by other factors as well. For example, students may take a leave of absence or a gap year due to personal reasons unrelated to their academic performance. A completely computerized system would not account for that personal touch associated with human advisors.
- Like Arizona State with eAdvisor, Tristan Denley at Austin Peay State University released Degree Compass, a data reader that helps keep students on track with major-related and general education courses (84). Degree Compass tracks through each student’s course history and uses this information to customize a list of recommended courses and even possible majors. If the student has already chosen a major but haven’t been faring well in the required classes, Degree Works will send a warning to the student, in time for him/her to switch majors if he or she so wishes and still be on track to graduate. Choosing majors is a hit or miss. Like Selingo mentions, college itself is an”experience good”; you do not know if it was good until after you experience it. Computer software may offset limited knowledge and advice from relatives or school faculty, but at the same time, they cannot determine the “perfect” major for everyone as well.
