Higher Education in the Digital Age

by William G. Bowen

Overview

Two of the most visible and important trends in higher education today are its exploding costs and the rapid expansion of online learning. Could the growth in online courses slow the rising cost of college and help solve the crisis of affordability? In this short and incisive book, William G. Bowen, one of the foremost experts on the intersection of education and economics, explains why, despite his earlier skepticism, he now believes technology has the potential to help rein in costs without negatively affecting student learning. As a former president of Princeton University, an economist, and author of many books on education, including the acclaimed bestseller The Shape of the River, Bowen speaks with unique expertise on the subject.

Surveying the dizzying array of new technology-based teaching and learning initiatives, including the highly publicized emergence of "massive open online courses" (MOOCs), Bowen argues that such technologies could transform traditional higher education —allowing it at last to curb rising costs by increasing productivity, while preserving quality and protecting core values. But the challenges, which are organizational and philosophical as much as technological, are daunting. They include providing hard evidence of whether online education is cost-effective in various settings, rethinking the governance and decision-making structures of higher education, and developing customizable technological platforms. Yet, Bowen remains optimistic that the potential payoff is great.

Based on the 2012 Tanner Lectures on Human Values, delivered at Stanford University, the book includes responses from Stanford president John Hennessy, Harvard University psychologist Howard Gardner, Columbia University literature professor Andrew Delbanco, and Coursera cofounder Daphne Koller.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691159300
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	04/07/2013
Series:	The William G. Bowen Series , #66
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

William G. Bowen is president emeritus of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Princeton University and founding chairman of ITHAKA. He is the author or coauthor of many books, including the acclaimed best seller The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions, Crossing the Finish Line: Completing College at America's Public Universities, and Lessons Learned: Reflections of a University President (all Princeton).

Table of Contents

PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix
CONTRIBUTORS xvii
Part 1. Costs and Productivity in Higher Education 1
Cost Trends, the "Cost Disease," and Productivity in Higher Education 2
Factors Other Than the Cost Disease Pushing Up Educational Costs 9
Affordability 18
Is There a Serious Problem—Even a Crisis? 24
Notes 27
Part 2. Prospects for an Online Fix 43
Background 44
The Lack of Hard Evidence 46
The Need for Customizable, Sustainable Platforms (or Tool Kits) 55
The Need for New Mindsets—and Fresh Thinking about Decision-Making 62
What Must We Retain? 67
Appendix: The Online Learning Landscape 72
Notes 77
Discussion by Howard Gardner 97
Discussion by John Hennessy 109
William G. Bowen's Responses to Discussion Session Comments by Howard Gardner and John Hennessy 123
Discussion by Andrew Delbanco 129
Discussion by Daphne Koller 145
William G. Bowen's Responses to Discussion Session Comments by Andrew Delbanco and Daphne Koller 157
INDEX 163

What People are Saying About This

William E. Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland - William E. Kirwan

This is a timely and extremely important contribution to the discussion of rising college costs and the expansion of online learning. No one is better qualified than William G. Bowen to discuss these developments, as he is a recognized expert on the cost of higher education and he has devoted considerable time in recent years to studying the pedagogical and economic potential of highly interactive online learning. Substantive yet accessible, this book should generate great interest, not just within the higher education community but also among policymakers. Few writers on education, if any, can match Bowen's engaging prose and insightful analysis.

Michael Schill, dean of University of Chicago Law School - Michael Schill

William G. Bowen shows once again in this book why he is one of our nation's most astute sages of higher education. His insights on the "cost disease" facing higher education and how online education and massive open online courses (MOOCs) can contribute to a solution are fascinating, prescient, and transformative.

Dan Weiss, president of Lafayette College and president-elect of Haverford College - Dan Weiss

This book has been of great value to me. It offers a comprehensive and visionary perspective on the important issue of technology in higher education, and it stands above everything else written on the topic. Major change is coming and it would be a grave mistake for us to assume that elite liberal arts colleges can be bystanders in this revolution. William G. Bowen continues to be a wonderful teacher.

From the Publisher

"William G. Bowen shows once again in this book why he is one of our nation's most astute sages of higher education. His insights on the 'cost disease' facing higher education and how online education and massive open online courses (MOOCs) can contribute to a solution are fascinating, prescient, and transformative."—Michael Schill, dean of University of Chicago Law School

"This book has been of great value to me. It offers a comprehensive and visionary perspective on the important issue of technology in higher education, and it stands above everything else written on the topic. Major change is coming and it would be a grave mistake for us to assume that elite liberal arts colleges can be bystanders in this revolution. William G. Bowen continues to be a wonderful teacher."—Dan Weiss, president of Lafayette College and president-elect of Haverford College

"This is a timely and extremely important contribution to the discussion of rising college costs and the expansion of online learning. No one is better qualified than William G. Bowen to discuss these developments, as he is a recognized expert on the cost of higher education and he has devoted considerable time in recent years to studying the pedagogical and economic potential of highly interactive online learning. Substantive yet accessible, this book should generate great interest, not just within the higher education community but also among policymakers. Few writers on education, if any, can match Bowen's engaging prose and insightful analysis."—William E. Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland

"Ours is a time of excitement sometimes bordering on hysteria about the two central topics of William G. Bowen's book: the cost and productivity of higher education. To these issues, Bowen brings deep experience, strong convictions, and considerable optimism about the future. These are, to say the least, difficult subjects for universities, but real solutions require frank and open discussion. Bowen's clarity and directness provide just the tone that is needed. This book should prove highly influential and give rise to a great deal of discussion and no doubt some controversy. It's hard to imagine a better framework for introducing the discussion to a broader audience than the one Bowen provides here."—Michael McPherson, president of the Spencer Foundation and former president of Macalester College

"A slim and highly readable volumne. . . . The collection of voices provides a thoughtful and provocative discussion of the emergence of online education."—Richard D. Kahlenberg

Editorial Reviews

One of The Times Higher Education Supplement’s Books of the Year 2014, chosen by Steven Schwartz

From the Publisher

Higher Education in the Digital Age is an elegant exposition of old-fashioned, gentlemanly and humane views and values, couched in concerns about the value of new educational technologies and their pedagogical and economic potential. It is worth reading for its beautiful prose and for its clear commitment to the continuing importance of teaching and pedagogy in higher education.

Times Higher Education - Miriam E. David

Higher Education in the Digital Age, frames the current and coming debates instead of answering questions about the future of online learning. . . . Bowen worries online learning will leave students behind or that the solutions dreamed up at elite institutions will not work in a country with a higher education system that bears no great resemblance to the classes in Cambridge. . . . Bowen also predicts coming debates about faculty governance and intellectual property as faculty members team up to teach courses or use an online course from another institution to aid them in their own classrooms.

Inside Higher Ed - Ry Rivard

Education and economics strategist Bowen (president emeritus, Andrew J. Mellon Fdn, Princeton Univ.) identifies two complex issues generating concern and speculation in digital learning among higher education: "cost disease" and the potential for technology-based teaching and learning. Based on the 2012 Tanner Lectures delivered at Stanford University, this title explains how education is organizationally expensive, that the current costs are not yet too damaging for students and families, but stresses the need for colleges to control expenses. He describes approaches to online learning, distinguishes the difference between useful and unnecessary educational practices, and encourages an evidence-based introduction to technology. Critical of unfounded attacks on digital learning, Bowen urges practitioners and critics to preserve the broad goals of education: developing values and upholding personal responsibility. This thoughtful analysis is complemented and expanded upon by responses from authoritative educators; extensive notes provide further exploration and valuable references. VERDICT Highly recommended to educators and all who care about preserving the best characteristics of our higher education system.—Elizabeth Hayford, formerly with Associated Coll. of the Midwest, Chicago

Library Journal

Bowen makes an objective and prudent X-ray of the state of higher education today, recognizing a crisis and offering some fixes for the future. These include online education and stricter collaboration between institutions.

ZME Science