Notes

1. Lewis J. Perelman. School’s Out: Hyperlearning, the New Technology, and the End of Education. William Morrow, New York, 1992; Avon Books, 1993.

2. Several early publications are available (to subscribers) athttp://www.scribd.com/collections/3199537/Human-Intellectual-Capital; some also may be found athttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lewis_Perelman/publications/.

3. “From CEB, online tests that help employers figure out whether you should be hired,” The Washington Post, May 9, 2014.

4. Among the many sources providing evidence of the kinds of trends listed, here is a sample:

“For those who rely on traditional methods of résumé screening, Lahti’s research has led to some worrisome conclusions. ‘There’s almost zero correlation,’ between résumé accomplishments and job performance, Lahti said.”

“Some companies, especially those in the tech world, are going even further, saying they’re no longer interested at all in an applicant’s tried-and-true laundry list of jobs, education, awards and activities. Hiring managers often can gain a better sense of a person’s judgment, personality and communication skills by perusing their Twitter feeds or Tumblr posts, they say.”

This was recently reported on the front page of The Washington Post: “The [US} has the world’s most extensive and sophisticated system of higher education, yet top executives warn of a crisis in the science, technology, engineering and math disciplines considered to be at the core of global economic competitiveness. German companies such as Siemens in Charlotte or Wacker Chemical, which is building a working model of its polysilicon plant to train potential employees at Chattanooga State Community College, say German-style apprenticeship programs might help untie the knot.”

Still in its early stages, Degreed along with some others is making progress toward documenting individual learning from many sources other than a diploma: “Kirsner’s interviews also uncovered a current trend in hiring: education itself is becoming less important as portfolios and work samples are starting to take precedence.”

And from Fortune: “Carey sees Degreed’s offerings as one potential solution to this challenge. By his reckoning, the next wave of disruptive education-related technology will be focused on showing evidence of learning. Credentials are just about ‘organizing information in a useful way,’ he argues, and if startups like Degreed can provide such information clearly and meaningfully, then MOOCs have a shot at credibility.”

This summarizes a collection of views from more than a dozen highly successful business leaders of what they think is most important in making hiring decisions: “Resumes and qualifications are less important than they seem. These leaders also look for passion, and seek people with unusual experience that can add something new.”

Meanwhile, evidence that certificates from community colleges often lead to higher incomes than undergraduate or even graduate diplomas includes: “Nearly 30% of Americans with associate’s degrees now make more than those with bachelor’s degrees, according to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. In fact, other recent research in several states shows that, on average, community college graduates right out of school make more than graduates of four-year universities.”

“With the right major, California community college graduates can out-earn workers with bachelor’s and master’s degrees — often by a lot.”

And again, college/university diplomas now provide better assurance of burdensome debt than of employment opportunity: “Nearly half of grads from four-year colleges are working in jobs that don’t require a four-year degree.”

Finally, here is an argument from an HR expert that traditional job requisitions — emphasizing academic credentials and years of experience rather than work performance — should be abolished: “Get Rid of Job Descriptions and You’ll Hire Better People.”

And then there is this concluding point in an essay on “6 Ways Tech Will Change Education Forever”: “The university of tomorrow will not look like a university (or a MOOC).”

5. [Watch] “In 15 Years From Now Half of US Universities May Be in Bankruptcy” Clay Christensen. WiredAcademic. March 20, 2013.

6. Michael Horn and Clayton Christensen. Beyond the Buzz, Where Are MOOCs Really Going? WIRED, February 20, 2013.

7. Seymour Sarason and Robert L. Fried. The Skeptical Visionary. Temple University Press, 2002; p. 230.

8. “Why Professors at San Jose State Won’t Use Harvard Professor’s MOOC,”The Chronicle of Higher Education, May 2, 2013.

9. “The $10,000 bachelor’s degree: gimmick or real?” The Washington Post, November 30, 2012.

10. Tony Onink. Georgia Tech, Udacity Shock Higher Ed With $7,000 Degree.Forbes, May 15, 2013.

11. For example, see: Paul Krugman. Sympathy for the Luddites. The New York Times. June 13, 2013.

12. Jessica Marshall. Victory for Crowdsourced Biomolecule Design. NatureNews, January 22, 2012.

13. http://www.innocentive.com/about-innocentive

14. See: Brian Ladd. Autophobia: Love and Hate in the Automotive Age. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2008.