by Christina Smiraglia Colleges have debated and experimented with online education for more than a decade, but digital approaches have recently come to the fore given the necessary physical distancing measures in place across much of the U.S. – and other countries – in the wake of COVID-19. In our national study of American higher […]
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“If You Were the Czar…”: Answers from College Stakeholders
by Christina Smiraglia If you were the czar—a figure with absolute power—what changes would you make to your college’s academic program? This weighty question was a standard part of the interview protocol for the approximately 2000 participants—first-year and graduating students, faculty, administrators, parents, and alumni—in our study of American higher education. Some immediately said that […]
The Book Question: Surprises and Meanings
by Sophie Blumert What do Dr. Seuss, Harper Lee, and Plato have in common? These authors, though wildly different from each other, were most frequently mentioned when we asked participants to recommend books and to explain their choice. The answers yielded some of the most varied—and confusing—data from every constituency group in our study. While […]
It’s High Time for High Schools: Preparing Students for College and Beyond
by Wendy Fischman My Current Soapbox Nearly all American students go to high school, and about two thirds of them eventually go to college. Optimally, the transition to college should be smooth—students should be equipped with appropriate cognitive skills and content knowledge for higher education. Students also need a certain degree of maturity in order […]
An “Industrial Ph.D.”: Oxymoron, or the Salvation of Higher Education?
by Howard Gardner The University of Reggio Emilia and Modena in Northern Italy has announced an ‘industrial Ph.D.” in “Reggio Childhood Studies” and has admitted an initial cohort of ten students. Over the course of three years, the doctoral candidates will take courses, decide on a thesis topic, carry out the necessary library and/or empirical […]
