Chemical Education Today
Editorial
Education: Commodity, Come-On, or Commitment? second the institution does, with faculty providing works for July 4, and the glass art shown on pages 812–816, rehire. At many colleges and universities a somewhat unseemly mind us that freedom is fragile. Through their governments, scramble is going on to define who has the rights to what. citizens of democracies have traditionally made strong comSome think that education is a sufficiently valuable commitments to education on grounds that without it individumodity to serve as a marketing come-on (4). For example, als would not be able to act responsibly and to make wise notHarvard.com (5) develops Web-based courses that are ofdecisions in voting booths and public meetings. All citizens fered free by other Web sites that want to attract customers. have a stake in everyone’s education, because a better-educated According to its founder, Michael Rosenfelt, citizenry benefits all of society. In this “Education has always been at the basis of country such a commitment has produced Education is extremely commerce. Sellers need to teach and buya system of public schools and public universities that offers opportunities to many valuable, but it is much more ers want to learn.” In February of this year, Metrowerks, which markets software tools who otherwise could not afford a level of for programmers, began offering education commensurate with their tal- than a commodity and notHarvard.com courses on its ents. But there are signs that this commitCodeWarriorU site (6). One course requires ment to public education is flagging. certainly not a come-on. purchase of Metrowerks Code Warrior softMany students, teachers, and adminware, which is the subject of the course. By istrators view education as merely a way the end of February the courses had attracted enrollment of to enhance personal prosperity. How often have you heard more than 2000, though one student noted that the the statistic that a college education pays for itself through CodeWarriorU course carried no academic credit and would increased earning power, even if it costs $20,000–30,000 per probably not be accepted by traditional colleges or universities. year? Investing in education pays off just as investing in the If education is good, is free education better? If online stock market does, provided you wait long enough. Attendeducation is perceived as a marketing tool, rather than an ing a better school gets you a better job and a better income. attempt to enable students to develop their own skills, exIn other words, a certified level of education is a commodpertise, perceptions, and philosophies, will that reduce the ity—something that is useful and can be turned to commervalue of any kind of education? Is requiring my students to cial advantage. purchase a textbook written by myself or a friend less repreViewing education as a commodity has several consehensible than requiring them to view advertising or purchase quences. First, if education is a means to better employment a product to participate in a course? Will universities develop rather than better citizenship, why should anyone pay for it business plans to exploit their intellectual resources? Will they other than the person who benefits? Why should I pay taxes forfeit the education game to a knowledge industry and move to help someone else get a better job when I could be spendin the direction of becoming research institutes? ing the money for my own benefit? Education as a commodThese and many similar questions are being resolved by ity makes such attitudes reasonable, though not commenda flurry of activity involving business, government, venture able, and the result is lessened support for public education. capitalists, the Internet, educational institutions, and indiSecond, those who supply education as an economic vidual teachers. In the next few years there may be profound good should be rewarded, and those who are much better at changes in how students are educated in this country and educating should be rewarded much more. Hence the fear throughout the world. Only if we teachers commit ourselves of Arthur Levine, president of Teachers College, Columbia to supporting the best possible education and to encouragUniversity (1), that a commercial firm will hire the best facing our students, colleagues, and administrators to do the ulty from the most prestigious universities and offer an “allsame, are those changes likely to be in the best long-term star degree over the Internet”. The Internet might do for eduinterest of our society and ourselves. Education is extremely cation what television did for sports: eliminate a lot of mivaluable, but it is much more than a commodity and certainly nor-league players and make billionaires out of those at the not a come-on. It is crucial that we renew our commitment very top of the profession. to the ideal that education itself, not concomitant financial Third, education as a commodity implies that faculty gain, rewards both individuals and our entire culture. and/or institutions might be able to turn a profit by selling their wares in national and world markets (2). A Harvard law professor, for example, sells videotapes of his lectures to Literature Cited an online law school. Columbia, Stanford, Carnegie-Mellon, 1. Levine, A. New York Times, March 13, 2000, p A25. the London School of Economics and Political Science, and 2. Heterick, R.; Twigg, C. The Learning Marketspace, March 1, 2000 the University of Chicago form an academic partnership with (http://www.center.rpi.edu/LForum/LdfLM.html; accessed May UNext.com (3). As part of their normal duties, business2000). school faculty members contribute online courses and les3. http://Unext.com/unext-index.jsp (accessed May 2000) sons, the academic-partner universities reap the benefits, and 4. Guernsey, L. New York Times, March 16, 2000, p D1. then the institutions compensate faculty accordingly. In the 5. http://notHarvard.com (accessed May 2000) first example the individual owns the commodity and in the 6. http://www.codewarrioru.com (accessed May 2000) JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 77 No. 7 July 2000 • Journal of Chemical Education
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