“EdX's co-CEO answers 3 questions about higher ed's future,” by Hallie Busta, in EducationDive

“While it started with MOOCs, the nonprofit has since opened to a range of credit-bearing credentials, including options to stack courses into a full master's degree. The organization is developing a similar feature to these MicroMasters for bachelor's degrees, and it is also exploring ways that programs from different institutions can support each other.”

Why does this matter to the future of learning?

Alternative and new credentials continue to evolve slowly, but they are still climbing toward the “Peak of Inflated Expectations.”

If you are “thinking in bets,” consider the exponential opportunity represented by the combination of “stackable credentials” and modular courses. And if you’re an Early Adopter, you have plenty of runway to experiment (and scale, if successful).

How much are you willing to bet that developing alternative or new credentials could allow you to live your mission more fully AND meet a market need?

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“How to Fix College Admissions,” by Melissa Korn, in the Wall Street Journal

“Reforming the system goes beyond closing the loopholes exposed by the Varsity Blues case, in which parents paid to have their teens’ test scores boosted or athletic credentials faked. We asked college admissions officers, high school and private counselors, parents, students and others for ways to make the system fairer, more transparent and less painful for everyone involved.”

Why does this matter to the future of learning?

As Korn goes on to say, “Here are 10 of their ideas—some easy to implement, others just meant to start a conversation—to reform the status quo.”

1. Get rid of rankings.

2. Limit the number of colleges to which students may apply.

3. End preferential treatment for legacy applicants.

4. Stop giving athletes a leg up.

5. Rethink recommendation letters.

6. Blow up the essay.

7. Get rid of the SAT and ACT.

8. Eliminate early decision.

9. Use a lottery system.

10. Overhaul the tuition model.

Be sure to read the full explanation for each.

…for another take on the college admissions crisis…

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“The Frenzied College Admission Race is Making Our Children Sick,” by Suniya Luthar, in Independent School Magazine

“The health consequences of this focus on success are real. Since the late 1990s, my colleagues and I have documented elevated rates of serious depression, anxiety, and substance abuse among teens at ‘high-achieving schools.’ These are public and private schools with excellent test scores, rich extracurricular offerings, and students heading to the best colleges. These are schools that serve mostly well-educated, relatively affluent families.

“We have learned, however, that it’s not necessarily family wealth, but rather the unfettered drive to succeed that seems to be at the heart of the high distress. It is living in a culture where there is inordinately high emphasis on personal achievement and status.”

Why does this matter to the future of learning?

Stress ranks among the top 2-3 concerns expressed by virtually every school we work with.

What if we were to admit that stress is not as something that happens to kids, but something we adults do to kids?

In other words—and as the horror movie trope goes—the call is coming from inside the house…

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Question of the week:

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