MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'higher education'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:11:50 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050524&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FkDOyFnvKS7k%2F On Tuesday, Cato held a forum on the big profits made by putatively “nonprofit” colleges, the subject of a new Cato Policy Analysis. Not surprisingly, Peter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, objected to the use of the term “profits” to categorize the excess money colleges take in through undergraduate students, but all the panelists seemed to agree that there is both significant waste in higher ed, and that the Capitol Hill obsession with unabashedly for-profit institutions misses big cracks all over the Ivory Tower. Unfortunately, of course, many of you couldn’t join us on Tuesday. Thankfully, you can now take in the entire bit of illuminating infotainment right here: On a related note, give George Leef&#821... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050524 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:30:18 +0100 5050524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036218&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F3fD3PuRdzxI%2F By Trevor BurrusHarvey Silverglate, co-founder and chairman of the board of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) and a Cato adjunct scholar, has an excellent op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal highlighting the emerging problem of due process violations on college campuses. As Ilya Shapiro has written about previously, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights recently sent out a letter outlining new procedural requirements for dealing with claims of sexual harassment and assault. Despite its cordial opening — it begins with the words “Dear Colleague” — the letter carries the de facto force of law: universities that receive public funds (nearly all of them) may have their funding stripped if they don’t follow the new guidelines. The new guideli... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036218 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:16:03 +0100 5036218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975828&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FfE42ltbBPEc%2F By Neal McCluskeyIt looks like Peter Thiel won’t be unopposed advising kids to stay out of college Thanks to a new report from Georgetown University economist Anthony Carnevale, and a David Leonhardt column based on Carnevale’s study, over the last few days the college-for-all crowd has been striking back. But they seem to have missed something in their own college training: correlation does not equal causation. Carnevale, Leonhardt, and others’ argument is basically that there are big, positive returns on a college degree. It’s something, frankly, that’s not generally in dispute. I say “generally,” because while on average college grads make a lot more than people without a degree, there’s a lot more to the story than averages. Ind... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975828 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:12:10 +0100 4975828 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960045&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FM0GW84_LlEY%2F By Ilya ShapiroEarlier this month I blogged about the U.S. Department of Education’s recent push to eliminate free speech and due process on campus.  More and more people are starting to notice this attempt by the department’s Office of Civil Rights to force colleges — by threatening an investigation and loss of federal funds — to redefine sexual harrassment to include unwelcome flirting and sex jokes and then lower the burden of proof they use when determining whether students or staff are guilty of violating the new code of behavior. And now we have a characteristically astute article by the Washington Examiner‘s Michael Barone.  Money quote: Education Secretary Arne Duncan has shown an admirable openness to argument and intellectual debate. Perhaps someone ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960045 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:57:44 +0100 4960045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934335&cid=t_151506_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F14%2Fwhen-our-intuition-leads-us-to-bad-decisions%2F Six years ago, Malcolm Gladwell released a book entitled Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. In his usual style, Gladwell weaves stories in-between descriptions of scientific research the support his hypothesis that our intuition can be surprisingly accurate and right. One year ago, authors Daniel J. Simons and Christopher F. Chabris, writing in The Chronicle of Higher Education not only had some choice words for Gladwell’s cherry-picking of the research, but also showed how intuition probably only works best in certain situations, where there is no clear science or logical decision-making process to arrive at the “right” answer. For instance, when choosing which ice cream is “best.” Reasoned analysis, however, works best in virtually every other si... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934335 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:39:28 +0100 4934335 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921392&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMFX0MWafTOw%2F By Neal McCluskeyThe following is cross-posted from the National Journal’s Education Experts blog. This week’s topic: Whether new ”gainful employment” regulations for higher education are too little, too much, or just right: I agree largely with Steve Peha — our policies and mindsets have made “college” synonymous with “job training,” and that has led to huge inefficiencies. But there is an even deeper problem: government aid, both to students and schools. The most aggressive opponents of for-profit schooling to have posted thus far appear to agree that taxpayer-funded student aid is what for-profit institutions are after. No doubt the critics are, for the most part, right. But there is another side to this equation: The aid also enables stu... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921392 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:21:39 +0100 4921392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893415&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyrejsaU4zQo%2F By Neal McCluskeyThe hotly anticipated — and dreaded — “gainful employment” regulations aimed at for-profit colleges were released this morning, and based on media reports the big news is that they are a little more lenient than originally expected. Most importantly, schools that fail to meet debt-to-income and debt-repayment requirements will not be cut off from federal student aid — the financial crack on which almost every college and university depends — until 2015. That’s the big news, at least as reported. But it isn’t the important story. The real story remains that the Obama administration, and at least the education leadership in the Senate, continues to divert the public’s eye towards for-profit schools when the entire hig... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893415 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:53:18 +0100 4893415 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841436&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FsSGo76ioxcw%2F By Neal McCluskeyThe most recent, comprehensive Pew higher education survey has gotten a lot of coverage for its findings on how important the public thinks college is, its financial payoff for grads, etc. For some reason, though, by far the most interesting statistic in the report has gotten roughly zero play, either from Pew itself or media coverage of the report: “Among all college graduates, 33% say they are in a job that does not require a college degree.” Wait. One-third of all college graduates are in jobs that don’t call for a college education? So one-third of all college degrees are quite possibly total economic wastes? (To be fair, no doubt some of those grads are looking for jobs requiring a degree, mitigating this somewhat. On the flip side, many job... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841436 Wed, 18 May 2011 17:32:46 +0100 4841436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794842&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJ6syOWF1POU%2F By Roger PilonTwo days ago Cato held a book forum to mark the publication of an excellent new book, Climate Coup: Global Warming’s Invasion of Our Government and Our Lives, edited by Pat Michaels. I coauthored chapter one, which shows how the modern executive state arose over the 20th century such that today the Environmental Protection Agency is able to regulate vast areas of life without ever having to go to Congress for authority to do so. It’s a remarkable inversion of the Founders’ vision. With emphasis added, the very first sentence of the Constitution, after the Preamble, reads as follows: “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress …” — not in the executive branch, not in the courts, but in Congress. Yet today we are governed mainly by over 30... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794842 Fri, 06 May 2011 18:33:20 +0100 4794842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780291&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FzRRDs2EfY94%2F By Neal McCluskeyThere is a reason “ivory tower” has a negative connotation, evoking images of effete snobs walled away in ivory opulence as they look down on the commoners and demand outsized respect. The image, unfortunately, is occasionally accurate for individual academics, and almost always so for the whole of academia, which is funded by massive subsidies taken from taxpayers, but walled off by claims that no price can or should ever be affixed to the “public good” it produces. Add to this its professorial residents often demanding limitless freedom — and job security – to say whatever they want about such evil pursuits as “big business” that generate the tax dollars that keep the tower cushy and its jobs secure, and... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780291 Tue, 03 May 2011 20:13:01 +0100 4780291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653314&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fb9sCNawlObs%2F By Ilya ShapiroSpeaking of free speech, last night I had an Obamacare panel at Widener University, which is currently having its own little speech-related brouhaha.  (Getting there was a bit of a hassle because I was held up at the Wilmington Amtrak station by Vice President Biden's entourage — but I didn't end up in a closet, so I guess it could have been worse.) There are strange things afoot at the tiny Delaware law school, specifically to tenured professor Lawrence Connell, who also happens to be the adviser to the school's Federalist Society chapter. From the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education: Widener University School of Law is attempting to fire longtime criminal law professor Lawrence Connell by charging him with dubious violations of the school's harassment code, s... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653314 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:27:13 +0100 4653314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4610895&cid=t_151506_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FWmRE0YNJTlA%2F Conferences have long been a staple of the professional calendar. Now, after a recession that has slashed travel expenditure, the landscape for events is changing. Sophisticated digital platforms are enabling virtual environments that simulate the benefits of real events, and attendees are beginning to shift to accessing subject matter experts and industry networking online. But can the digital environment really displace brick and mortar events, where eye to eye meetings and chance connections can justify the often costly registration fees and travel costs? In organizations where hundreds of executives and professionals attend several conferences a year at $1,000 or more each in total cost, a virtual conference at $500 can be attractive. Making virtual connections at an online conference ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4610895 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:49:41 +0100 4610895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600517&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F1YSRhz1002k%2F By Neal McCluskeyAn explanation for explosive college prices that's very popular with ivory-tower apologists is that state governments have been ruthlessly "defunding" higher ed for years, forcing schools to raise prices. Two new reports help to make clear -- as I have argued many times in the past -- that this simply doesn't hold water. The first report is the annual State Higher Education Executive Officers' State Higher Education Finance Report.  While it shows that on a per-pupil basis state and local funding has declined over the last few years, total amounts have risen pretty steadily since 2000. Adjusted for inflation, total state and local support dipped from $81.3 billion in 2000 to $78.0 billion in 2005, ballooned to $87.1 billion in 2009, then dropped just a bit to $85.5 ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600517 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:49:04 +0100 4600517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4459942&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FuDOUN8PWALw%2F By Neal McCluskeyYesterday, House Republicans introduced their preliminary list of spending cuts, cuts that were, they declared, "to go deep." Unfortunately, coming in at just $74 billion, they were about as deep as onion skin. After all, the total federal budget is well over $3 trillion, and the national debt now exceeds $14 trillion.  The relatively lilliputian size of the proposed cuts should give any taxpayer major queasiness over Republicans' desire to truly rein in government. But if that doesn't scare you, this report from Inside Higher Ed absolutely should: Shhh. Don't tell, and they'll never admit it publicly. But college officials are (very quietly) feeling okay -- at least for now -- about how Congressional Republicans would treat the programs that matter mo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4459942 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:33:38 +0100 4459942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4428999&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FGWpaeNPTmQI%2F By Neal McCluskeyLast week, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Comittee, announced that on February 17 he will continue his obssessive attack on for-profit colleges, holding yet another hearing to determine just how evil profit-seekers are.  At least, that is what will presumably be discussed — the specific subject of the hearing is yet to be identified. But the committee actually tackling, say, rampant waste throughout higher education driven by federal student aid, or just giving for-profit schools an even-handed treatment, would be too huge a turnaround to contemplate. Despite there being no end in sight to Harkin’s seige, for-profit institutions aren’t just rolling over, and today they launched their latest ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4428999 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 20:06:56 +0100 4428999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337913&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FB8YxsIToNjA%2F By Neal McCluskeyThe United States is facing a gigantic debt problem, as we all know. Governments at all levels have simply been spending too much, which most Republicans and Democrats now seem willing to concede. But don’t expect to hear the following from many members of either party: We need to stop spending taxpayer money on sending so many people to college! Indeed, President Obama has already said he’ll support spending cuts but not to education, and few Republicans have ever shown the willingness to flatly declare student aid a costly waste. And maybe they’re right. After all, doesn’t more college education necessarily translate into more productivity and prosperity? Nope. As I’ve pointed out repeatedly, lots of people never finish the educat... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337913 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:53:54 +0100 4337913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277814&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FqsLU7mCp_-o%2F By Neal McCluskeyLast night, the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team broke the college hoops consecutive win record of 88 games set by UCLA’s men in the early 1970s. In anticipation of this, UConn coach Geno Auriemma caused a bit of a stir by accusing some male sports fans of being upset because a women’s team was threatening a record set by men. This does not compute. Somewhere there might be a man upset by this — though I haven’t heard one — but I don’t see why: The UCLA men beat men’s teams, the UConn women have beaten women’s teams. It says nothing bad about men that a women’s team has a longer win streak. Where there might be en element of gender conflict at play is in how UConn got to this point. According ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277814 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 03:07:55 +0100 4277814 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265675&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FUQTUzWCVuvo%2F By Neal McCluskeyToday, AEI’s Rick Hess and Andrew Kelly have a piece at Inside Higher Ed highlighting serious evidence of dirty-dealing in a highly influential Government Accountability Office report on for-profit colleges. Hess and Kelly’s piece is well worth a read and I’m glad they’re on the case. Unfortunately, theirs is about the only cry of alarm over apparent bias at the supposedly incorruptible GAO — potentially a huge story — I’ve seen since I wrote the following last week: Now, though much needs to be determined about why the myriad changes to the report were made, I wouldn’t be terribly surprised to learn that people at the GAO have actually been in on the crusade to demonize proprietary colleges. I also, unfortunately, ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265675 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 20:24:53 +0100 4265675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4241704&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FVUPWDJHeEmk%2F By Neal McCluskeyAs I’ve pointed out repeatedly, though the sector is no doubt rife with waste and home to some dirty-dealers, attacks on for-profit colleges are almost certainly driven by politics and ideology, not educational concerns. Were it otherwise, all of higher education would be taking a beating for its bankrupting waste and widespread failure. A recent symptom of anti-profit witch-huntery was the misrepresentation of GAO reporting on what “secret shoppers” found while visiting select for-profit institutions. At the time the findings were released I thought the main problem was that members of the media and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) — who has been leading the crusade against for-profit schools — were using the results to smear the whole pr... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4241704 Wed, 08 Dec 2010 21:03:54 +0100 4241704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4172039&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDJYxdqdNbgU%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonThe current issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education features a story by a professional ghost-writer of college student papers. One passage in particular caught my eye: it’s hard to determine which course of study is most infested with cheating. But I’d say education is the worst. I’ve written papers for students in elementary-education programs, special-education majors, and ESL-training courses. I’ve written lesson plans for aspiring high-school teachers, and I’ve synthesized reports from notes that customers have taken during classroom observations. I’ve written essays for those studying to become school administrators, and I’ve completed theses for those on course to become principals…. This is of course the weakest ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4172039 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 22:24:31 +0100 4172039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4065353&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FoTBKt6_Pu-Y%2F By Tad DeHavenA study from the American Institutes of Research finds that federal and state governments have wasted billions of dollars on subsidies for students who didn’t make it past their first year in college. The federal total for first-year college drop outs was $1.5 billion from 2003 to 2008. Due to data limitations, the figures are only for first year, full-time students at four-year colleges and universities. Community colleges have even higher drop-out rates, and part-time students or students returning to college are more likely to drop out. Therefore, the numbers in the report are “only a fraction of the total costs of first-year attrition the nation and the states face.” Moreover, it doesn’t include the cost for students who drop out some time after their sophomore ye... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4065353 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:50:26 +0100 4065353 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036622&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtH6P4GPzYM0%2F By Neal McCluskeyYesterday, President Obama hosted the White House Summit on Community Colleges, and in-your-face love was in the air. President Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden, a community college professor, couldn’t keep their hands off their signficant other, lavishing all sorts of praise on their favorite little schools. Swooned Dr. Biden about the dreamy things community colleges do for their students: They are students like the mother who shared her experience with us on the White House website of working towards a degree while raising three children and straddling financial challenges.  Now employed and the holder of a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree, she wrote, “Community colleges didn’t just change my life, they gave me my life.” Community colleges do that e... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036622 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 20:57:54 +0100 4036622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003295&cid=t_151506_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F20972647%2F0%2Fneuromarketing%7EThe-Case-FOR-College-Sports.htm Recently, Newsweek ran a big article titled The Case Against College Athletic Recruiting, with the sensational subtitle claiming that U.S. universities are “misappropriating resources” on sports. Accusing some of the nation’s most revered institutions of financial malfeasance is no small thing. But are colleges really squandering the money they spend on athletics? Perhaps in some [...] CommentsProbably the most oft-cited justification for investing in ... by Roger DooleyVery interesting piece on so many levels. I, too, have pondered ... by Nadine Bendycki (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003295 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:57:59 +0100 4003295 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3987037&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F40th4LunYA8%2F By Daniel GriswoldThe U.S. Senate may vote in the next few days on a piece of legislation known as the DREAM Act. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act would offer legal status to as many as 2 million students who are currently in the United States without authorization, many of them Hispanic immigrants who entered the country illegally with their parents. The act would legalize students who entered the United States at least five years before its passage and were under the age of 16 when they entered. A practical effect would be to make many of these students eligible for in-state tuition at colleges and universities. The DREAM Act is not a perfect call for those of us who believe in limited government, but in our less-than-perfect world, the act would make a bad situ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3987037 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:27:41 +0100 3987037 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3880834&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FBIPPMq9W5nk%2F Today, the annual U.S. News and World Report “Best Colleges” guide came out, and as always it is a slightly celebratory occasion for me. Though I agree with many people who critique the guide for its debatable methodology and implicit assumption that all schools can be cleanly ranked from best to worst, the simple fact that the issue exists makes me happy. When you spend the bulk of your time analyzing moribund, monopolistic, K-12 schooling, it’s just refreshing to dive into an education ocean where guides are abundant because consumers have plentiful, powerful choice. It also doesn’t hurt that, in stark contrast to elementary and secondary schooling, the United States seems to be the envy of the world in higher ed. Unfortunately, my higher ed enthusias... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3880834 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 20:00:37 +0100 3880834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845093&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FeTLB4WJAkxA%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonAt the Techonomy conference last week, Bill Gates declared that going to school would soon be obsolete, and that ”five years from now, on the web, for free, you’ll be able to find the best lectures in the world.” What’s interesting is that Bill was quick to note that he was talking only of higher education. K-12 education should still be tied to physical schools, he is reported to have added. Certainly there’s a custodial aspect to the education of young children, but there’s no reason that electronic learning options cannot be combined with custodial supervision — and much more affordably than traditional schooling. Homeschooling already consists of hybrids of parent lessons, lessons taught by paid tutors and guest lecturers, web cl... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845093 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:28:21 +0100 3845093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3831337&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5b8u1HvciCA%2F By Neal McCluskeyFor the last few days, for-profit colleges and universities have been suffering an even worse hammering than usual, both in the media and their pocketbooks. The proximate cause: a GAO report released Wednesday that has been portrayed as revealing “systemic” and “pervasive” fraud — and otherwise just seamy behavior — by the for-profit sector. No doubt there is some bad stuff going on in proprietary postsecondary education. But the assault on for-profits reeks of political bullying of the unpopular kid — the kid who’s just different — as well as the never-ending Washington demonization of anyone who honestly pursues a profit. The waving of the bloody GAO report is case-in-point, and one need look no further than t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3831337 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 21:41:12 +0100 3831337 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3714146&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fis-having-kids-a-waste-of-your-degree-study-shows-that-highly-educated-women-are-opting-for-motherhood-more%2F A recent report on childlessness and women from the Pew Center shows a trend that seems obvious: On the whole, more women are opting out of motherhood today than in the past. But under the surface is an interesting twist – among the most highly educated women, rates of childlessness have actually gone down. The Pew Center’s report looks at the percent of women ages 40-44 who’ve never borne any children during the periods 1990-1992 and 2006-2008. Overall, and across racial demographics, the number of women who chose not to become mothers rose. But when the data were compared by level of education (high school diploma, college degree, master’s degree, etc.), the most highly educated women are having children more often than in the past. The New York Times guesses that wo... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3714146 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:46:22 +0100 3714146 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706654&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4UrRkZz_iyg%2F By Neal McCluskeyWhile we’re all shooting off our guns in celebration of good Supreme Court news, Roger has reported the blow to liberty dealt by the Court’s lower-profile CLS v. Martinez decision. I won’t elaborate on whether the Court made the right decision — on that I stand with Roger (and Alito, Roberts, Scalia, and Thomas). I just want to add one thing about the root problem in the CLS case: You can’t have both taxpayer funding of higher education and full freedom. As Ilya Shapiro and I wrote in an April op-ed about the case: It is impossible to reconcile free speech with governmentally compelled support of speech. Just as public colleges cannot choose both which student groups to fund and avoid discrimination, they cannot pay a professor without priv... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706654 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:52:50 +0100 3706654 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3603663&cid=t_151506_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F12864457%2F1fe234%2Fneuromarketing%7ECollege-Branding-in-an-Open-Source-Era.htm At this year’s South by Southwest Interactive, I had a chance to speak with Anya Kamenetz, author of DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education. In her short but insightful book, Kamenetz outlines the forces that are starting to transform higher education in the U.S. and suggests alternative scenarios for [...] CommentsComments (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3603663 Tue, 11 May 2010 13:15:40 +0100 3603663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3335290&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_fcuVvGN2bo%2F By Neal McCluskeyAs I mentioned a few days ago, today is the “Day of Action” in California — and, it turns out, elsewhere – when college students and just general protectors of public schooling are supposed to take to the streets and demand that taxpayers fork over not one less red cent to students and schools. Ironically, the mindless, property-destroying, absurd goings-on that have surrounded past such demonstrations in Cali — and are already in evidence today – brilliantly illustrate one major reason we need to cut higher education subsidies, not increase them. Clearly, too many college students have both far too much time on their hands, and far too little self control, to justify spending hard-earned taxpayer dough on their “education.&#8... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3335290 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:24:56 +0100 3335290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3316253&cid=t_151506_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2F4TFYX3y6UOo%2F Anyone can learn online More than 100 Free Places to Learn Online – and Counting People in recovery from alcoholism, addiction, codependency, gambling and sex addiction often find they have a ‘need to learn’. Or they find they have missed learning some basic stuff about life and how to live. This list of free online education may help some people. Topics include; Online Tutorials and How-to Sites Higher Education and Open Education Initiatives Free CE, CME, and CEU Cooking Business and Professional Skills Dance Economics Handy Things to Know Economics Health Human Resources International Development Language, Spelling, and Grammar Skills Law Maths Music and Art Sports, Recreation, and Hobbies Theological Web and Computer Skills CAUTION; Select a course wisely that does not inte... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3316253 Sun, 28 Feb 2010 03:55:12 +0100 3316253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3243776&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FRn6agnYFkmA%2F By Neal McCluskeyAs part of his ill-considered credentialing-to-compete initiative, President Obama wants to greatly increase both the size and availablity of Pell Grants. Under his proposed FY 2011 budget, the total pot of Pell aid would rise from $28.2 billion in 2009 to $34.8 billion in 2011; the maximum award would go from $5,350 to $5,710; and the number of students served would rise by around 1 million.   A critical question, of course, is whether increasing Pell will ultimately make college more affordable or self-defeatingly fuel further tuition inflation. The New York Times took that up in yesterday’s Room for Debate blog. Economist Richard Vedder has long educated people about the inflationary effect of student aid, and does so again with great clarity. It’s ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3243776 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:21:48 +0100 3243776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3029885&cid=t_151506_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2009%2F11%2F26%2Fteaching-with-twitter%2F This is a video about using twitter during lectures. It’s mostly about the professor trying to get motivated by something different than useful for the students. See this video about the pro and cons of using twitter during lectures and ways to use it. Read the full story on The Chronicle of Higher Education: Teaching With Twitter: Not for the Faint of Heart Related posts:Twitter and Medical Education Twitter And Other Mobile Izing Tools For Teaching And Learning...Twitter during Lectures Lectures have become out of favor with medical students...Twitter during Lectures part 2 Rankin uses a weekly hashtag to organize comments, questions... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3029885 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:16:10 +0100 3029885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3015275&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FoW8eMkL5TqI%2F Kids often have a tremendous sense of entitlement. Well, there are a lot of kids in California colleges — and running them. You probably have heard about the University of California Regents voting yesterday for a 32-percent tuition hike over the next two years. Not surprisingly, many students are angry, some enough that they were arrested protesting outside the Regents’ meeting. Now, a 32 percent hike over two years isn’t small. But here’s the thing: California has typically charged students very little relative to both state taxpayer funding and national averages. As you can see in the chart below, which uses data from the State Higher Education Executive Officers, net per-pupil tuition revenue (meaning revenue from tuition minus any state financial aid) in C... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3015275 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:47:17 +0100 3015275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2958822&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_5LP2zHfIxY%2F Based on my regular reading on education, but not China specifically, I know that the world’s most populous nation has had a lot of trouble finding jobs for its throngs of recent college graduates. I wrote a bit about that yesterday, pointing out that the important higher education lesson from China is that pumping out more college grads is meaningless if they don’t have skills that are in demand. Well, thanks to a very helpful Cato@Liberty reader who actually lives in China (and wishes to remain anonymous) I now have a much better idea just how important that lesson is. He directed me to this Asia Times article that includes, among many fascinating tidbits, this startling revelation: An explosive report released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) in Sept... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2958822 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:21:56 +0100 2958822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2958824&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FL7tKUsex0Fk%2F Many thanks to Lisa Snell at Reason for bringing this interesting historical fun fact from 1973 to light: Ayn Rand was a fan of education tax credits: In the face of such evidence, one would expect the government’s performance in the field of education to be questioned, at the least, [but] the growing failures of the educational establishment are followed by the appropriation of larger and larger sums. There is, however, a practical alternative: tax credits for education. The essentials of the idea (in my version) are as follows: an individual citizen would be given tax credits for the money he spends on education, whether his own education, his children’s, or any person’s he wants to put through a bona fide school of his own choice (including primary, secondary, and high... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2958824 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:20:47 +0100 2958824 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2954496&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FNwJapahUV3k%2F Everyone has heard that China is leaving us in its dust when it comes to producing college graduates, and if we don’t do something drastic to catch up they’ll crush us economically as well. Indeed, it’s a driving force behind efforts to ramp up federal higher education intervention. As President Obama proclaimed when introducing his American Graduation Initiative, which is now part of the ironically titled Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act: By 2020, this nation will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world….Already we’ve increased Pell grants by $500. We’ve created a $2,500 tax credit for four years of college tuition. We’ve simplified student aid applications….A new GI Bill of Rights…is... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2954496 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:58:44 +0100 2954496 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3044816&cid=t_151506_109_f&fid=34761&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedblitz.com%2F%7E%2F2246180%2Fvicop%2Fneuromarketing%7ECollege-Branding-What-if-Harvard-Moved-Next-Door.htm Why do most college branding efforts end up as meaningless pablum? I think it’s because most colleges have been relatively insulated from the effects of devastating competition. In fact, historically there have been major barriers to competition in the cozy world of higher education. The biggest have been geography, cost, and reputation. [...] CommentsComments (Source: Neuromarketing) Neuromarketing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3044816 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:06:16 +0100 3044816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2943757&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FY4k1jLOVBK4%2F You might recall that a  few weeks ago University of California at Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau co-authored a Washington Post op-ed calling on the federal government to provide direct support — meaning taxpayer dollars — to select public universities. Birgeneau decried decades of “material and progressive disinvestment by states in higher education,” despite, as I pointed out, no such disinvestment actually occuring. Well now we know where much of the precious investment in Cal was going — to subsidize sports. According to Inside Higher Ed, over just the past few years Berkeley has provided tens-of-millions of dollars in subsidies and loan forgiveness to its sports programs, which are supposed to be self-supporting. Now, the whole college athletics undertak... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2943757 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:59:30 +0100 2943757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2851740&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F7WV-RsICUJA%2F On Sunday, the Washington Post ran an op-ed by the chancellor and vice chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, in which the writers proposed that the federal government start pumping money into a select few public universities. Why? On the constantly repeated but never substantiated assertion that state and local governments have been cutting those schools off. As I point out in the following, unpublished letter to the editor, that is what we in the business call “a lie:” It’s unfortunate that officials of a taxpayer-funded university felt the need to deceive in order to get more taxpayer dough, but that’s what UC Berkeley’s Robert Birgeneau and Frank Yeary did. Writing about the supposedly dire financial straits of public higher education (“Rescuing Ou... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2851740 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:02:09 +0100 2851740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796412&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FK_3gIPrDQBc%2F This weekend, the Detroit News ran a letter to the editor taking issue with a piece I wrote about the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsbility Act (SAFRA). Strangley, though the main part of SAFRA deals with higher education loans; the bill contains new spending all over the education map; and I made no specific mention of early-childhood education in my piece (though there is an early-ed component in the bill); the letter is all about pre-K education. That the pre-K pushers even saw my op-ed as something to write about illustrates how very agressive they are. Unfortunately, the letter also demonstrates how dubious is the message that they are so loudly and energetically proclaiming. Here’s a telling bit: Economists, business leaders and scientists all know from cold, hard dat... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796412 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:08:31 +0100 2796412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2751882&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FTnnLzTsJ_Kw%2F Probably because it’s back-to-school time, there are lots of interesting higher education related items worth checking out today. Here are a few: I have a new op-ed on the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsbility Act, the bill that we’re told will save taxpayer money but will almost certainly cost us tens of billions. Meanwhile, the Associated Press published a big article on “spin” about the legislation that ignores supporters’ extremely dubious assertions about SAFRA’s true costs — the AP repeats the supposed savings line without question – but instead focuses on whether Pell Grant increases will be as large as some people hope . Over at the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy, they’re running a three-part series that&#8217... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2751882 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:53:02 +0100 2751882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2598186&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FUakKnH9jZss%2F With the Obama Administration promising to ramp up all sorts of college-affordability (read: government expenditure) efforts in the coming months, now is a crucial time for Americans to understand why our colleges and universities ingest money as bottomlessly as their students guzzle beer. With that in mind, the release of a new report from the John William Pope Center is perfectly timed. The Revenue-to-Cost Spiral in Higher Education explains how colleges’ internal arrangements render them almost destined to spend every dime they bring in, no matter how wastefully. The basic problem, argues author and economist Robert E. Martin, is that very few colleges and universities are intended to make a profit — which would give “owners” a powerful incentive... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2598186 Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:54:58 +0100 2598186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570379&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKUsFX1D1yZc%2F The Harriet Tubman Agenda – ordinarily a pretty rational blog — takes issue with my recent post expressing unease about a proposal to have Uncle Sam create and furnish free college courses. Accurately noting that American institutions of higher education, including private and for-profit schools, are addicted to government subsidies, the blogger asks what the problem is “if a free curriculum (defined by designated text books and tests), coupled with a competitive market in examination services, reduces the burden on taxpayers”? Here’s the problem: From the perspectives of both freedom and effectiveness, why would we ever want the federal government creating free college curricula and, potentially, a giant federal university that, thanks to the internet, would not even ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570379 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:05:42 +0100 2570379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2552993&cid=t_151506_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F29%2Fhealthcare-student-support-systems-a-review-of-the-literature%2F This report also contains a descriptive summary of the funding systems for healthcare students in Germany, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Publisher: DH Size of Document: 72p Published: 29/06/2009 Posted in AHPs, Decision Making, Education, Financial Management, Grey Literature, Medical Education, Medical Staff, Nursing Tagged: Allied Health Professionals, Attrition, Economics, Education, Financial Management, Grey Literature, Higher Education, Medical Education, Nursing Education (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2552993 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:27:06 +0100 2552993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405022&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FRiMBjn2iPXc%2F While much of the debate around the so-called “Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights” has been on ending various card policies aimed at disguising different credit risks, one group of cardholders is certain to lose their right to credit under this bill: adults between the ages of 18 and 21. Under the current Senate bill, the only way for someone under the age of 21 to get a credit card would be either: 1) they have a co-signer, such as their parent, sign for it, or 2) they maintain a job with sufficient income to cover any obligations arising from the credit card. By contrast, neither of these requirements is put in place for student loans; there is the clear expectation that you pay those loans back in the future from your increased future income that results from going to ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405022 Thu, 14 May 2009 17:51:06 +0100 2405022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380733&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMnG5Uj6PXdQ%2F William F. Buckley famously said that he’d ”rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University.” That was, of course, a swipe at the practical wisdom of those people who spend their lives teaching in ivory towers, and a deserved one. But score one for the egg heads when it comes to identifying the practical reality of modern higher education. According to a new report from Public Agenda, while college presidents blather on about their impoverished schools and what a tremendous public good higher education is, the professors (at least those that Public Agenda interviewed) are pretty darn realistic about the real problems in academia. This quote, echoed in profes... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380733 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:31:53 +0100 2380733 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375860&cid=t_151506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFDvXziEhntw%2F The latest Long Term Trends results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress are out. They reveal a productivity collapse unparalleled in any other sector of the economy. At the end of high school, students perform no better today than they did nearly 40 years ago, and yet we spend more than twice as much per pupil in real, inflation-adjusted terms. I can’t think of any other service that has gotten worse during my lifetime. Our school system has failed alone. While the stagnation in overall achievement masks a 3 to 5 percent gain in the achievement of African American 17-year-olds since 1970, the scores for whites at the end of high school are virtually unchanged. Anyone who points to the slightly higher scores in the early grades as cause for celebration is missing the point... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375860 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:11:07 +0100 2375860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2223290&cid=t_151506_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F02%2F27%2Fthe-situation-of-hate-speech-abstract%2F Julie Seaman recently posted her terrific paper, entitled “Hate Speech and Identity Politics: A Situationalist Proposal,” (36 Florida S.U. L. Rev., Vol. 99 (2008)) on SSRN. Here’s the abstract. * * * The scholarly debate over hate speech regulation has often been characterized as a clash of absolutes, an irreconcilable conflict between the values of free speech and equality. In this Essay, which focuses on the college and university context, I consider whether the findings of social and cognitive psychology research might have the potential to shift the hate speech debate such that some areas of common ground come into view. Relying on insights from the substantial body of research that demonstrates that individual behavior is strongly influenced (often unconsciously) by... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2223290 Fri, 27 Feb 2009 04:01:33 +0100 2223290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1618146&cid=t_151506_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F334210005%2Flose_talents_abroad_or_certify.html  It’s no secret that secondary schools stunt teen talents and universities often lack intelligent actions that business craves. Nor is it surprising that disillusioned seniors seriously suspect they are over the hill and simply stop developing their brain’s peak potential. Increasingly workers vent about problems at work … while organizations struggle against staff who hate their work, and competitors who move their most successful operations abroad. It's no wonder we see absenteeism and financial loss on the rise here in the US. The talent shrinkage in our country will continue to tighten the public purse due to conflicts that follow.The time for innovative thinking has never been greater, in order to turn away from criticism generated by so... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1618146 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 12:36:59 +0100 1618146 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1512316&cid=t_151506_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F310490223%2Fsecrets_for_change_lie_in_your.html Unless people deliberately alter their brain’s plasticity … they’ll rewire daily against the very changes most people crave in education and careers. How does it happen?It's no secret that educational systems tend to resist growth and block improvements that could keep learning at the cutting edges. Without rejuvenation … organizations waste time and money defending flawed practices. Have you seen it happen? If it used to be that universities prepared people for successful careers … that too has changed for the worse. The result? College drop out rates continually arise as universities lose their relevancy. In addition, more and more workers tell us they face toxic organizations daily.Sadly, dissatisfied employees now number well over 50% of the western... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1512316 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:44:14 +0100 1512316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1512317&cid=t_151506_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F310390477%2Faction_awakens_a_university.html Science is shedding light on how brains learn best through doing and how to transform complex concepts into doable actions. Yet when higher education ignores the wonders of acting on or applying ideas … entire education systems soon struggle from flawed visions. Have you seen it happen?If you agree that practice leads to excellent performances … you’d likely also concur that learning should be the clarion call to apply or act out dynamic insights. Do universities in your area spike or stunt learning?To act on a good idea … is to wire the human brain’s plasticity to do more of it … and to do it better.  Toss multiple intelligences into the mix … and you up the ante for golden applications that draw from hidden or unused talent. How so? Ima... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1512317 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:09:45 +0100 1512317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1454761&cid=t_151506_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F293675820%2Flectures_block_brainpower.html While science is shedding light on the brain at work … practice is far from benefiting from these dynamic insights. Take the simple fact that too much talk works against learning or growth. Here’s the skinny:1. Lectures and staff  meetings often work against the human brain.2. The brain’s plasticity is limited when we simply hear – without doing.3. Learners walk in with 8 intelligences but engage few in lectures.4. To teach others as you learn – helps you retain 90% more than lectures.5. Lecture or delivery approaches perpetuate myths that limit human brains.6. It takes two footed questions to address a flat world.7. The brain is equipped with dendrites for competitive edge when engaged.8. It takes active learning to increase IQ, memory capacity and... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1454761 Mon, 19 May 2008 19:18:48 +0100 1454761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1434596&cid=t_151506_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F288008310%2Flearning_is_contagious.html This morning I fly out to engage two progressive universities … in what it means to learn creatively … with more of the brain in mind. Without doubt ... many scholars and leaders at the conference will be far smarter than me ... and I look forward to insights each person I meet will teach me. As I prepare to facilitate so many expert learners … I am again aware myself that learning at its best is rather contagious. It strengthens those who facilitate and rejuvenates those who participate. It’s really a process of teaching, listening, questioning, modeling active engagement, and empowering others to share their wit and wisdom.Learning’s not an activity for any one person alone. It’s really a team endeavor. The facilitator is a bit o... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1434596 Sun, 11 May 2008 12:25:03 +0100 1434596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1386943&cid=t_151506_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F274329312%2Fbrains_engaged_at_kings_colleg.html If you wonder how King’s College London made it into the world’s top 25 universities … you likely also wonder about dividends from brains at work. It involves seizing opportunities ... as well as creating winning distinctives. In contrast ...  at less successful universities … some claim that students demand more and give less. Others blame higher education faculty for resisting changes that rejuvenate learning. King’s stands out as a higher education campus that looks to opportunities for growth ... and then welcomes partnerships to make it happen. Their golden status raises the question …  what makes any organization top among competitors? Here on King’s campus … the brain is at work to spotlight concrete w... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1386943 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:38:40 +0100 1386943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1337082&cid=t_151506_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F260816288%2Fstudent_drop_outs_or_smarter_c.html With growing college drop out rates … some say universities are losing their relevancy. Others say that neuroscience discoveries open unique opportunities to transform the brain’s capabilities into world class universities. What do you say? If learner retention is the key to a university distinctiveness … it makes sense to do what works to attract and keep learners. That raises the question … What goes on in distinctive universities? It boils down Roosevelt’s challenge to … take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. We know that distinctive universities … above all … try something to engage more learners. Yet research suggests we still have a way to go. How so? 1. Many higher education students st... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1337082 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:25:57 +0100 1337082 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1265084&cid=t_151506_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F02%2F28%2Fgovernment-response-to-the-tooke-report%2F The Response to the independent inquiry into Modernising Medical Careers (see earlier posts Aspiring to Excellence: Final report, and Aspiring to Excellence to see details of the Tooke Report) is the Secretary of State for Health’s response to the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Modernising Medical Careers, led by Professor Sir John Tooke. Many recommendations are met with a direct response; others of the recommendations are substantial and require further work to develop them ahead of implementation. The response informs national and local planning for recruiting and training doctors in the future. (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1265084 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:10:59 +0100 1265084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1152563&cid=t_151506_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F217124284%2F Autism mother Jenny McCarthy has often spoken about how she earned the equivalent of a Ph.D. from the  ”University of Google” while researching treatments to “recover” her son Evan from autism. She’s not the only student to have matriculated at this fine (if virtual) university: Rather than “trolling though musty books for their term papers,” kids these days are also “regurgitating whatever material pops up in their Web browser.” Who needs a “brain dead neurologist” (as McCarthy refers to one of her son’s doctors) when you’ve got the U of Goo? Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1152563 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:00:50 +0100 1152563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1064934&cid=t_151506_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F193976614%2Fhigher_education_shifts_brainp.html How much college tuition did you spend to expand your mind and increase your chances? If costs came out of your own pocket ... you'd be interested to know how pillars of pedagogy stand under new scrutiny. Simply put, new questions are being asked with the brain in mind, and answers are turning headsRecent research affirms troubling news that college classes can create mental decline in later years. The research also seems to support that fact that lectures clearly work again the human brain.If college degrees seemed a no-brainer … and if higher education promised a bonus in business … you may wish to take another look.Research now suggests that college actually tends to trigger mental decline when people comes to fumbling for words and ideas later... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1064934 Sun, 02 Dec 2007 18:25:11 +0100 1064934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=873926&cid=t_151506_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F156681442%2Fhybrid_teams_bring_higher_prof.html Are you a hybrid team player? Let me explain….The other day I golfed with Robyn McMaster, senior VP here at the MITA Center and Rob Jacobi – the guy who keeps our computers running. Just as we hit rough terrain on the challenging course, Rob pulled out a new hybrid – and slammed a ball effortlessly to the green. I saw amazing capability in this crossbreed club between my woods and my irons. The next day I pulled into Dicks’ Sporting Goods … before they opened and waited for my chance to own a Callaway hybrid #3 golf club. No question ... it’s already one of the finest tools in my golf bag.  Game after game ... it digs my wayward ball out of the rough ... and steers it back toward the fairway for a better shot to the green. This&nbsp... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=873926 Sat, 15 Sep 2007 03:07:08 +0100 873926