Freemium College Degree?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by TEKMAN, Jun 24, 2018.

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  1. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    Hi Everyone,

    I am wondering if the higher education is going to follow the freemium business model. For example, it is free to take a certain course, and a small fee to get the next course, and paying $10,000.00 to get a diploma. I think currently EdX and CourseRA are doing this practice. Do you think the future universities and colleges engaging this way for tuition?
     
  2. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

    If there is a future for universities and colleges, in current form. The current form, IMO, more sells credentials than imparts knowledge.

    Reinventing the wheel is one technique of the education racket, expensive textbooks being an obvious example. Texts that long ago fell into the pubic domain will teach timeless math as well as Dr. Doolittle's shiny new text but students must pay for Dr. Doolittle's do little work of smart.

    Competency based credentialing may gain acceptance as proof of worth and that would go a long way towards sweeping clean the educational stables.
     
  3. mintaru

    mintaru Active Member

    I think there will be future schools engaging "freemium tuition", but I do not think this will become the new normal. The main reason is the very high number of drop-outs in MOOCs and other free courses. This kind of education is not for everyone, and that includes many people who will succeed at schools with more traditional models. That's also the reason why MOOCs didn't "kill" traditional universities.
    Of course, there is a future for universities and colleges, but in current form? There has to be change, simply because our world is changing fast. The question is how different future universities will be.
    I agree, but who will offer these competency-based credentials? Why not universities, for instance? Then a number of these credentials could make up a degree, However, not everyone will need such a degree anymore.
     
  4. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

    Maybe the universities can revert to a classic Arts & Sciences curricula, either general or with specialty. More specialized education can be done elsewhere or by other means.
     
  5. mintaru

    mintaru Active Member

    That's also possible. There is only one problem: I really don't think the market for that classic Arts & Sciences curriculum is comparrible in size to the size of the current US higer education system. In other words, that would mean many of todays colleges would no longer exist in the future.
     
  6. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    On an emotional level I would regret the passing of those colleges as I do the waning of the historically black schools. But if they've become superfluous then they have.
     

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