
Higher Education - Dangerously Close to Becoming Irrelevant - danw
http://www.openeducation.net/2008/08/12/higher-education-dangerously-close-to-becoming-irrelevant/
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ojbyrne
"Today, certifications like the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Cisco
Certified Internetwork Expert, and the Red Hat Certified Architect
certificates are sometimes worth more to an employer than a four-year degree
in computer science." Um, no.

Or at least, I think that in fact higher education is completely in step with
business practices, it's just that those business practices are also outmoded.
Especially the insistence that everyone work in a office ("tethered to a
place"), fit into rigid hierarchies, job descriptions and roles ("the
experience is closed"), sign NDAs, non-competes and closely guard intellectual
property ("each student/employee is isolated though surrounded by peers").

It's ironic that Deming is referenced at the end, because he was all about
building quality, no matter how hard, long and laborious that is, and I think
this article is all about scare tactics driving quick fixes while protecting
the people in positions of power and the hierarchy they've built. The goal is
obviously to make higher education more like job training, which is going to
make it easier to fit people into cookie cutter roles that are even easier to
ship overseas. "The World is Flat?" Please.

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swombat
Another article missing the basic point that university is not supposed to be
a preparation for the workplace (as much as employers might wish it to be),
it's a preparation for life.

If you train for a job, you're not doing a degree, you're doing an
apprenticeship.

An MCSE is useful for a couple of years. A degree is useful for your whole
life.

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philf
An employer who values an MCSE more than a university degree in computer
science is most certainly one that I don't work for.

~~~
aswanson
If their customers pay well, please name those employers so I can go into
business and compete against them.

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azharcs
I may not totally agree with Certifications replacing Higher education but
education is changing for sure, people who are not seeing it are either
closing their eyes or are refusing to accept reality(Colleges i am talking to
you).

Today's generation is certainly more rebellious than previous generation, they
are questioning everything that is not right and ready to change it. Colleges
are suddenly becoming obstructions( I am not talking about all the colleges
here but most of them). This generations wants everything on-demand be it
entertainment or education. Now if you are telling them, Rebel against RIAA
but not against colleges(apples and oranges). To them, both are obstructions
in the path of what they want. They want knowledge which can give them
practical results and they have just found a medium(internet) where they can
obtain it. What colleges are telling them now is learn Quantum Physics or
Organic Chemistry, you might use it in the future. It is like telling, Learn
how to use a Gun, your country might be invaded sometime(that should be taught
in Middle Eastern colleges though).

We all know the purpose of colleges, They prepare you to face real world and
secure your future, they are unable to do that currently. I have hardly met
any Hackers, who got their hacking skills from college(Everyone has self
taught himself with the help of a new medium). So if currently people are
becoming successful, it is in spite of higher education not because of it. We
have seem lot of successful people as example too, who have done really well
without higher education( Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Michael
Dell). The phenomena of more successful people without higher education will
only be more common now.

Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few
employers are interested in helping you find yourself. - Bill Gates

~~~
scott_s
I think you're confusing the high profile exceptions (Jobs, Gates, Dell) with
the rule. I think you're generalizing based on your own experiences, which
aren't necessarily representative of the whole.

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stcredzero
Higher Education, and education in general, used to teach values. There is so
much cynicism (much of it warranted) that this no longer works like it used
to. But this is also one of the key differences between a substantive
education and trade school.

