(with apologies to Lakatos and Musgrave) When you’re a professor, you’re likely to get involved in the occasional discussion about the high price of a college education. One common answer is, “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” As the Freakonomics guys demonstrated, that’s also a correct answer: college degrees generally pay for themselves […]

When I sat down to transcribe some thoughts on technology and teaching, I had no idea that Nathan Heller’s excellent piece on the subject (Laptop U: Has the Future of College Moved Online?, New Yorker, May 20) was forthcoming. Reading and reflecting on it has prompted me to clarify what I think are some of […]

This week brings the news that the Department of Philosophy at San Jose State University has refused a Dean’s request to use Harvard Professor Michael Sandel’s online course on justice in its offerings. The professors, ultimately, are concerned that having their lectures be replaced by the lectures of people like Professor Sandel will be a disservice to students and […]