Category Archives: Teaching
A farewell to academia
There is a scathing elegiac on modern higher ed written by a departing mid-career professor that appears in Inside HigherEd. After too many years at this job (I am in my mid-40s), I have grown to question higher education in ways that cannot be rectified by a new syllabus, or a sabbatical, or, heaven forbid, […]
Posted in Teaching Tagged Alternative education, Council of Independent Colleges, Criticism of college and university rankings, Eleanor Duckworth, General, good teacher, intercollegiate sports programs, Ivy League, mid-career professor, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Pragmatists, professor, Teaching, University administration 3 Comments
Financial Times on Search Engine Society
James Harkin, writing for the The Financial Times, has a wrap-up of three new books on search engines, including mine. He suggests that I am too awed by search technologies. Well, as criticism goes, I think that’s fair. Or, to be more exact, I have the feeling that most people are too complacent about the […]
Ask Alex: Getting a Communication Ph.D.
So, it’s that time of the year again, and so the inevitable question comes from a few graduate students: Where’s a good place to get a communication Ph.D.? Well, first of all, that’s probably the wrong question. The right question is: “Should I pursue a Ph.D.?” and the answer I will always give is “no.” […]
Posted in Teaching Tagged Academia, Academic degrees, advisor, America, apprentice researcher, ask alex, assistant, Austin, Bachelor's degree, chair of the department, co-worker, Columbia, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctorate, education, Graduate School, knowledge, Learning, National Communication Association, Postgraduate education, recruitment tool, researcher, San Diego, Scholarly Communication, Seattle, Teaching, Titles, United States, University of Washington 56 Comments
Against letter grades