Interesting article about how MIT is moving from massive lectures to interactive sessions. Attendance is up and failure rates are down. 'bout time.

We constantly think that we need more teachers. That may not be the case. In fact we may need fewer, better teachers in combination with better automation (particularly in college). Some points:

The delta of experience between attending a lecture and watching a video of a lecture? Nada. If anything, the video is better since you can rewind it, view it at the best vantage point (vs. at the back of a big lecture hall), and view it in a quiet relaxed space.

Video lectures (as most colleges are doing now) make it possible to get the best. A dozen of the best lecture series could serve to replace 99% of lectures now being given by less gifted teachers.

Interactive education, like what MIT is providing now, is highly computerized. Almost all of it could be done online.

The interactive process of learning/application via collaboration is something that is perfectly suited for virtual worlds. JIT information in combination with simulated real world application within a collaborative environment is something that is going on with WoW right now (on a massive scale). OF course, this means that the system could become extremely productive. There's very little need to attend a school in person. Geographic decentralization is possible (at a huge reduction in expense). There's also little need for most of the teachers at the mid to upper levels of education. All measures of productivity would zoom through the roof. OF course, this means that the system could become extremely productive. There's very little need to attend a school in person. Geographic decentralization is possible (at a huge reduction in expense). There's also little need for most of the teachers at the mid to upper levels of education. All measures of productivity would zoom through the roof.

All that needs to happen in this space is for a University with a solid brand to open it up virtual undergraduate education to a million or two students (at much less cost than presently). It would not only become the most profitable school in the world (even with massive reductions in fees), it would produce some of the most capable students in the system.

Unfortunately, the quality of entrepreneurship in academia is terrible.