So, is it true? Zappa seemed to think so. Will Richardson has commented that, although a college education still has its place, with the read/write web come alternative pathways to learning:
 

Instead of the piece of paper on the wall that says you are an expert, you will have an array of products and experiences, reflections and conversations that show your expertise, show what you know, make it transparent. It will be comprised of a body of work and a network of learners that you will continually turn to over time, that will evolve as you evolve, and will capture your most important learning.

[...] depending on what you end up wanting to do, college might still be the best answer. But it might not. And I want to remind you that in my own experience, all of the “learning” I did in all of the college classrooms I’ve spent time in does not come close to the learning that I’ve done on my own for the simple reason that now I am learning with people who are just as (if not more) passionate to “know” as I am.

Food for thought, certainly. Steve Olson helps stimulate further discussion on this (and other) issues with his 10 Things I Wish I Had Never Believed post. Go check it out.

Update: For an entirely different take on what a college education may fail to provide, be sure to read this recent article in the New York Times concerned with students graduating from colleges in India. Thanks to George Siemens for the link.

 


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