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Pub Date: |
2013-03-04 |
Pub Type(s): |
Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive |
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Descriptors:
Student Costs; Bachelors Degrees; Public Colleges; Electronic Learning; Competency Based Education; Private Colleges; Proprietary Schools; Academic Advising; Public Opinion
Abstract:
In August 2010, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, speaking informally at a technology conference, said technological innovations should be able to lower the cost of college to $2,000 a year. Mr. Gates's comments reportedly caught the attention of Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican of Texas, who came up with his own back-of-the-envelope estimate of how much college should cost: Multiplying $2,000 times four and adding $2,000 for the cost of books or other learning materials, the governor decided that a bachelor's degree should cost $10,000. In February 2011, Mr. Perry challenged public colleges in his state to create a $10,000 degree. Several of them have answered the call. From Texas, the idea of a $10,000 bachelor's degree has spread like an Internet meme to governors in Florida and Wisconsin, a state legislator in California, and some national online colleges. But the growing attention to the bargain-basement bachelor's degree is not just an indication of how an idea can quickly take hold with the public and lawmakers. The idea itself has become a kind of Rorschach test for how people view American higher education, what they think its role should be, and whom or what they blame for its shortfalls. Like a lot of things that get passed around on the Internet, Mr. Gates's comments became obscured by the interpretation. What he went on to say was that college costs would diminish because place-based higher education would become "five times less important" in five years. But in the rush to answer the subsequent gubernatorial challenges, the proposals that have emerged in Florida and Texas, in particular, have relied largely on shifting some costs of the traditional college model from the state to some other entity, such as businesses, community colleges, secondary schools, and even the student. In other words, the $10,000 degree will still cost more than $10,000.
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Pub Date: |
2013-00-00 |
Pub Type(s): |
Journal Articles; Reports - Research |
Peer Reviewed: |
Yes |
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Descriptors:
Evidence; Program Effectiveness; Agricultural Production; Developing Nations; Rural Development; Educational Practices; Agricultural Occupations; Knowledge Level; Efficiency; Foreign Countries; Program Evaluation; Seminars; Competency Based Education
Abstract:
Purpose: This study sought to explore how farmers' knowledge attributes influence the technical efficiency of their farms. In addition, farm efficiency was compared to the actual Macedonian Rural Development Programme (RDP) (2007-2013) and instruments considered to improve Macedonian education potential were evaluated. Design/methodology/approach: The three-year (2006-2008) panel data set on Macedonian grape-producing family farms were analysed. A two-stage approach for efficiency analysis was used. In the first stage, technical efficiency scores were estimated using a parametric Stochastic Frontier approach. In the second stage regression, the impact of farmers' knowledge attributes on farm efficiency was assessed. Findings: The results suggest that farmers' knowledge attributes have the potential to influence farm economic performance. Non-formal knowledge sources, such as seminars, and competence-based learning appeared to be key to achieving higher technical efficiency. Within the instruments used for strengthening the knowledge potential of Macedonian farmers, supporting non-formal education and young farmers' enrolment in agricultural production should remain priorities. Practical implications: As the study relates to specific RDP instruments, it is of practical importance for policy-makers and knowledge-providing systems. Originality/value: The study is of value in explaining the knowledge potential of farmers working in transition economies and its importance for attaining higher efficiency. Despite the evidence on the importance of knowledge in strengthening farm performance, the influence of educational practices and potential knowledge attributes on farm efficiency has not previously been analysed in the context of an economy in transition. (Contains 1 figure, 3 tables and 1 note.)
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Pub Date: |
2012-10-00 |
Pub Type(s): |
Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive |
Peer Reviewed: |
Yes |
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Descriptors:
Competition; Robotics; Experiential Learning; STEM Education; Engineering Education; Technology Education; College School Cooperation; Skills; Curriculum; Middle School Students; High School Students; Competency Based Education
Abstract:
Robotic competitions continue to gain popularity in the educational community as a way to engage students in hands-on learning that can raise a student's interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In 1992, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) held its first competition and presented a style of robotic competition that included a robust design challenge, a cooperative learning environment through the use of team alliances, and a format that emulated and generated the excitement of a sporting event (FIRST, 2010). In 2002, VEX robotic competitions began to emerge, based on the model developed by FIRST that generated success and attracted many students. VEX utilizes a model that enables a local team to host a VEX Robotics Competition (VRC). Through local VRCs, teams can compete throughout the year in multiple events and hopefully qualify for national and world competitions. In the Department of Engineering and Technology Education at Utah State University, the Design Academy allows middle school and high school students to compete in the VRC. As the Design Academy developed, it became apparent there were specific constraints the curriculum needed to address. An obvious constraint, and the one the developers became aware of early on, was the identification of certain skill sets (knowledge) that students need to possess to be competitive. Less obvious constraints were the need for curriculum to address the busy schedules of the students (sports, music, scouts, etc.), and that teams would be made up of students with various levels, even years, of experience. As a result, a performance-based, open-entry/open-exit approach was used. This allowed student performance to be measured against identified criteria and student progress to be monitored in stages. The curriculum developed for the Design Academy is divided into six skill sets, all pertaining to different skills that students should possess in order to be successful in VEX Robotic Competitions. The six skill sets are Driver/Operator, Builder I, Builder II, Programmer I, Programmer II, and Team Leader. Each skill set is structured into multiple lesson plans consisting of terminal and enabling objectives. The curriculum developed for the Design Academy will be continually modified and improved to ensure that students are able to effectively and efficiently meet the objectives. (Contains 2 tables and 7 figures.)
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Pub Date: |
2012-10-01 |
Pub Type(s): |
Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive |
Peer Reviewed: |
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Descriptors:
Virtual Universities; Models; Electronic Learning; Distance Education; Online Courses; Competency Based Education; Adult Education
Abstract:
Western Governors University Texas (WGU Texas), where the author is chancellor, is not an easy institution to describe. It just does not fit the profile of most traditional universities, even the newer for-profit and online ones. It brings the work of a national, online, nonprofit university into a state, and it embraces a competency-based education model that is rarely found on an institution-wide level. Even for seasoned educators, WGU Texas feels different. And in a year that has seen flat or declining enrollments at many traditional colleges, reports critical of for-profit institutions, and continuing debate over the perils and promise of online learning, its story, and its growth, has been unique. As WGU Texas hits its one-year anniversary, it is worth taking a few moments to reflect on the ups, downs, challenges, and champions of this newest state model. In this article, the author offers three key reflections on lessons learned: (1) Building a strong foundation; (2) Confronting conflation; and (3) Synching with the state's needs.
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