The big lie that big universities sell is that education equals smarts. I know a lot of idiots that can get a university degree and a lot of brilliant people that hated school. A degree is just a measure that at some point in time you knew some specific knowledge, nothing more. Iâm happy to see the free courses and education out there now because it might make people think more about the actual knowledge as opposed to the piece of paper.
A revolution is coming in higher education: http://www.lynda.com/ This is just the first step. I envision AI (artificial intelligence) teachers. Just like we go out and buy a car now and a toaster, soon we will go shopping for an AI that will educate our kids and maybe even perform Nannie functions. Imagine a world where education is essentially free, taking care of kids is essentially free, power is essentially free, the environment is clean, resources from mined comets and asteroids are limitless, organs are printed and life extension allows people to live to be 500 years old, happy and young? This is the Singularity. P.S. Ok we have to get rid of morons that believe in some guy living in the clouds that is worried what you do with your genitals, or will reward you with women with intact hymen (interesting that ghost women have hymens, but my head will explode if I try to understand these people) if you blow yourself up, but hey, the easy problems first.
Higher education is a "cartel"...Of course, most of this information can be found for free, but that isn't the point...I could give you a half a dozen industries that could be done away with in an instant, but it will never happen because these industries serve as debt conduits...i.e. if "growing the debt" is the name of the game, you must have a conduit industry to create that demand...Now show me where the majority of debt growth has occurred since the 2008 implosion...What would have occurred if your transformation from the pay for play to the free model that you are advocating?
I remember having paid about $75 USD per credit for a few calculus classes that were never used in a binary world. Should have paid more so i could have learned some better calculus. Tried it and it doesnt work.
Some people are good at learning from textbooks. Some people need to learn things a different way, needing examples and motivation for the techniques. I suspect you are the latter. I wish I had to the time rant about education, but I simply don't have the time to do so. I will say this. When I fail at something, failing has a different effect on me - I suspect that failure has the opposite affect than you - I refuse to give up, even if it takes me the rest of my life to get it. So, you tried learning Calculus some time ago, failed, and you gave up? I tell my students that maybe the most important word in any competitors vocabulary is, Perseverance. I defined this for my daughter long ago as, "when we keep going even if we don't want to or think we can't." The key to learning is to take a systematic approach, and then practice with lots of repetition. Figure out where you are failing, go back and fill that hole (probably trig or "pre-calculus"), then take the course again. Do this ten times if need be, and THEN tell me you didn't learn Calculus. "Do or do not. There is no try"
Actually I got good grades in Calculus. Got the grades and moved on as did most undergads. Certainly most undergrads dont/cant apply it and most(not all) companies , aside from an entrance interview dont use it. All the undergard , working, practical comp science and electrical engineers applying calculus please raise their hands. Calculus is an advanced subject. i contend the grade is meaningless. A model or abstraction never applied is misleading to the student who thinks they know something when they actually dont. It is stunning to see a "page1" model, never applied, not fully understood by "advanced" students. It is also the reason why a new grad cannot work but at least, unlike calculus, the company will provide the "application" and connect the dots / missing peices. Only then the determination you speak of begins and sets an individual apart. A doer fully immersed in ones work. Prolific is the one characteristic in the "for profit" mundane world I come from that will set one apart. Thats all behind me by the way. But I must say, that was a fine speech and i am inspired. Keep it simple friend. Ps: Where I hang my hat, take out the trash so to speak, now , is a real world modern marvel. Now, you know that I am math challenged and when I look at the specs I find the specs broken down to algebra, geometry, trig and statistics. Very little Calculus(some yes) but simple. I am left wondering if fully understood and applied undergrad math can elegantly solve such a seemingly complex problem in the right hands.