In this very recent book, Cathy Davison argues that p
ost-secondary education is in need of a significant shake up. So add this book to the many other calling for educational reform. What makes this book at least slightly different is that the author certainly has the experience to make this claim and its somewhat optimistic tone. She writes two particularly compelling chapters on technophobia and technophilia. In the former she shows several examples of how avoiding technology use in the classroom can limit the active learning possibilities for students. In the latter she warns that the use of technology needs to be anchored in grounded academic thinking while at the same time tossing a few bricks at the for-profits with a serious nod towards the work of Tressie Cottom in “Lower Ed”.
She calls for a lowering in the cost of education and the revision of pedagogy to more active and experiential learning. This I have heard many times before but still remain unconvinced that the strategies presented in this work offer a particularly viable and sustainable path forward. Some time is spent on the firing of Alexander Coward for not conforming to traditional Berkley standards and trying new ways of assessment – she is clearly not a fan of standard testing or grades. I have to agree with the former, standard testing is not a particularly helpful educational technique but I am less sure about eliminating grades (yet!).
The most disappointing for me was the last chapter titled “the future of learning” unfortunately there was little meat, other than some interesting work that Georgetown U is doing that I am not sure was particularly scalable.
If you looking for a book to get you more motivated to try new techniques and abandon standard testing that provides the evidence to do it – then this is it. If you are looking for an answer for the problems and issues facing post-secondary education, then this is not it …. oh and when you find that please let me know.