We need your help. The Chronicle of Higher Education and ProPublica have teamed up to untangle student debt, and we're seeking information colleges or universities gave you about your loans and other financial aid. We're also creating a Facebook community for people who are struggling with student debt, want to help inform our reporting, or just want to learn more about student loans and keep abreast of new developments. Specifically, we're looking for the "financial aid package," "award letter" or "offer letter" that you received from a college — the one you’re going to or ones that you decided not to go to. We won’t use your name or details that might identify you without first contacting you and getting your permission. We’ve done this ... Continue reading →

By Jeffrey R. Young Dearborn, Mich. The paper "Industrial Society and Its Future" makes the case that modern technology has restricted freedom, ruined the environment, and caused untold human suffering. People have become overstressed and oversocialized. Humanity, the author writes, is at a crossroads, and we can either turn the clock back to a happier, more primitive time or face destruction. The author has occasionally been praised for understanding the unforeseen consequences of technology in modern life. Kevin Kelly, a co-founder of Wired magazine who, even though he disagrees with the author's conclusion, devotes a section of his latest book to these ideas, calling the paper "one of the most astute analyses" of technological systems he has ever read. But for the most part the ... Continue reading →

Tuesday, May 8, at noon, U.S. Eastern time Can one instructor teach 2,760 students? Last week The Chronicle profiled John Boyer, a Virginia Tech instructor who does just that. On Tuesday the instructor will answer reader questions about his mega course, which touched off a feisty debate among Chronicle readers. Students have poured on the love, praising Boyer’s charisma and innovative use of social media, which have attracted world-famous class guests like the Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. But skeptics have questioned his methods and accused him of providing entertainment, not education. Which is it? Join the chat and decide for yourself. Related article: How One Instructor Teaches 2,670 Students The Guest: John Boyer is a Virginia Tech senior instructor of geography. He ... Continue reading →

Tuesday, May 8, at noon, U.S. Eastern time Can one instructor teach 2,760 students? Last week The Chronicle profiled John Boyer, a Virginia Tech instructor who does just that. On Tuesday the instructor will answer reader questions about his mega course, which touched off a feisty debate among Chronicle readers. Students have poured on the love, praising Boyer’s charisma and innovative use of social media, which have attracted world-famous class guests like the Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. But skeptics have questioned his methods and accused him of providing entertainment, not education. Which is it? Join the chat and decide for yourself. Related article: How One Instructor Teaches 2,670 Students The Guest: John Boyer is a Virginia Tech senior instructor of geography. He ... Continue reading →

http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2012-05-07/free-online-courses-higher-ed-future On Now: May 7, 2012The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University recently announced they're teaming up to offer free online courses. A handful of other prestigious universities and star professors are doing the same through sites like... Continue reading →

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A number of experiments are using new kinds of data – such as how many times a student has clicked on an e-textbook or logged in to a class Web page – to measure and guide learning in new ways. That could improve the student experience, but it could also end up dumbing down college, argues Gardner Campbell, director of professional development and innovative initiatives at Virginia Tech. Download this recording as an MP3 file, or subscribe to Tech Therapy on iTunes. Each month, The Chronicle’s Tech Therapy podcast offers analysis of and advice on what the latest gadgets and buzzwords mean for professors, administrators, and students. Join hosts Jeff Young, The Chronicle’s technology editor, and Warren Arbogast, a technology consultant who works with colleges, ... Continue reading →