Hacking the University: Will Tech Fix Higher Education?

If 2012 was the year of the Massive Open Online Course, according to the New York Times, 2013 was something of a reality check. MOOCs were meant to give people all over the United States (and the world) access to the best lecturers and classes from some of America’s top universities. But their first iterations have been beset with problems–lack of student engagement, high dropout rates–leading critics to question their long-term value. MOOCs highlight the usual trajectory of new technologies that are supposed to transform education: big promises, followed by the trough of disillusionment, and a return to the status quo. So, what’s next for technology in higher education in 2014 and beyond? Should we just give MOOCs some room to grow? Does big data have the answers? And anyway, is college even the best option in the tech economy?

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