Jennifer Hunt, Tamar Lewin tells us in the New York Times of January 25th, got a bachelor's degree from Thomas Edison State College without ever taking a course there. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/25/education/25degree.html?ref=tamarlewin&_r=0
I wants to cheer for he. It wasn't easy; she probably worked harder than many undergraduates in cushier circumstances; she probably appreciates her degree more than they do.
But is this the future? The devil lurks in the details -- What counted for credit? What learning? How do we know? And there's a less nitty-gritty question too -- What does a bachelor's degree add up to? The dominant view has been that it is the sum of leaps through a certain number of credit hours.. Don't multiply, add. If 32 courses or so add up to 100+ credit hours, you've got your degree.
I wants to cheer for he. It wasn't easy; she probably worked harder than many undergraduates in cushier circumstances; she probably appreciates her degree more than they do.
But is this the future? The devil lurks in the details -- What counted for credit? What learning? How do we know? And there's a less nitty-gritty question too -- What does a bachelor's degree add up to? The dominant view has been that it is the sum of leaps through a certain number of credit hours.. Don't multiply, add. If 32 courses or so add up to 100+ credit hours, you've got your degree.
But, i f you believe in liberal education you look for more than addition -- synergies, evidence of cumulative personal and intellectual growth, long lasting benefits like clarity of mind and adaptability. Is that what's happening when a college just processes reports of college course equivalency?
Some years ago a staff member at the National Humanities Center completed after years of trying a bachelor's degree. The cake we ordered for her came back with the wonderful sugary typo, CONGRADULATIONS. So, Ms Hunt, congradulations to you too and thanks for raising these questions for us.
Some years ago a staff member at the National Humanities Center completed after years of trying a bachelor's degree. The cake we ordered for her came back with the wonderful sugary typo, CONGRADULATIONS. So, Ms Hunt, congradulations to you too and thanks for raising these questions for us.
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