This is a discussion of the book "DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education" by Anya Kamenetz (2011: Chelsea Green Publishing).
At THNK, we see that the traditional approach to education is becoming outdated quickly. Education systems need to change drastically in order to meet the needs and demands of their students and the world they live in. At THNK, we aim to offer leadership programs that are not just educational but truly transformational. A lot of Anya Kamenetz’s reasoning resonates with our mission and we support the ideas outlined in her book.
DIY U is a book about the future of education. Anya Kamenetz believes that the world is changing so fast that today’s institutions of higher education cannot possibly keep up. The standard degree program where a student takes all the "right" classes is no longer useful. She envisions higher education being taken out of the confines of the brick and mortar classrooms and brought into the world.
Education is getting more expensive all the time, and many schools have outdated systems, books and instructors. And while not everyone needs a university degree, people like to have—and prospective employers like to see—a credential of some sort. The idea is to help potential students find alternative paths to a credential using the plethora of online, alternative and open resources that are available today.
The education system Kamenetz envisions is outcome, skill, and project-based: students learn what they need to learn in a way that they find engaging, using their natural curiosity. Given the right tools, students will create the learning communities they need.