August 4th, 2008
Blog Roundup 8/4/08: What Will You Be Studying at Age 93?
Summer’s just slipping right by, isn’t it? Nothing like a good “back to school” story to kick off August – but it’s not the kind you’re thinking of. The San Francisco Chronicle ran an article yesterday profiling four adults who are going back to school–one of them a spry 93-year-old art history major.
Meanwhile, Inside Higher Ed is reporting on the booming popularity of criminal justice courses–and the problem it presents for universities that fold the major into the sociology department, where criminology may not be the primary focus. If you’re in the market for a criminal justice degree, you may be better off at a school that offers it as a separate major, not a concentration within any other department.
We’ve talked here before about OER (open educational resources) initiatives, and over at Mission to Learn there’s news of another one–a MOOC, or “Massive Open Online Course.” The twelve-week program is about connectivity theory, which is closely related to the practice of online learning. It’s so meta!
And we close today with a ray of light (or silver lining) in the student loan/credit crunch crisis. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the big lenders’ sudden aversion to student loans is opening up opportunities for small local banks, who need the business and may be able to offer more generous terms. If you need a loan for your college education, it might be time to turn away from Sallie Mae and look at the credit union down the street.
