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The William G. Bowen Series
Our Underachieving Colleges: A Candid Look at How Much Students Learn and Why They Should Be Learning More
Drawing on a large body of empirical evidence, former Harvard President Derek Bok examines how much progress college students actually make toward widely accepted goals of undergraduate education. His conclusions are sobering. Although most students make gains in many important respects, they improve much less than they should in such important areas as writing, critical thinking, quantitative skills, and moral reasoning. Large majorities of college seniors do not feel that they have made substantial progress in speaking a foreign language, acquiring cultural and aesthetic interests, or learning what they need to know to become active and informed citizens. Overall, despite their vastly increased resources, more powerful technology, and hundreds of new courses, colleges cannot be confident that students are learning more than they did fifty years ago.
Looking further, Bok finds that many important college courses are left to the least experienced teachers and that most professors continue to teach in ways that have proven to be less effective than other available methods. In reviewing their educational programs, however, faculties typically ignore this evidence. Instead, they spend most of their time discussing what courses to require, although the lasting impact of college will almost certainly depend much more on how the courses are taught.
In his final chapter, Bok describes the changes that faculties and academic leaders can make to help students accomplish more. Without ignoring the contributions that America's colleges have made, Bok delivers a powerful critique--one that educators will ignore at their peril.
Looking further, Bok finds that many important college courses are left to the least experienced teachers and that most professors continue to teach in ways that have proven to be less effective than other available methods. In reviewing their educational programs, however, faculties typically ignore this evidence. Instead, they spend most of their time discussing what courses to require, although the lasting impact of college will almost certainly depend much more on how the courses are taught.
In his final chapter, Bok describes the changes that faculties and academic leaders can make to help students accomplish more. Without ignoring the contributions that America's colleges have made, Bok delivers a powerful critique--one that educators will ignore at their peril.
424 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
21 people are currently reading
399 people want to read
About the author
Derek Bok
32 books17 followersDerek Curtis Bok (born March 22, 1930) is an American lawyer and educator, and the former president of Harvard University.
Bok was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Stanford University (B.A., 1951), Harvard Law School (J.D., 1954), and George Washington University (A.M., 1958). He taught law at Harvard from 1958, where he served as dean of the law school (1968–1971) and then as university president (1971–1991). Bok currently serves as the Faculty Chair at the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard and continues to teach at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard Kennedy School.
After 15 years away from the Harvard presidency, Bok returned to lead the university on an interim basis after Lawrence Summers's resignation took effect on July 1, 2006. He was succeeded by Drew Gilpin Faust on July 1, 2007.
Bok's wife, the sociologist and philosopher Sissela Bok, née Myrdal (daughter of the Swedish economist Gunnar Myrdal and the politician and diplomat Alva Myrdal, both Nobel laureates), is also affiliated with Harvard, where she received her doctorate in 1970. His daughter, Hilary Bok, is a philosophy professor at Johns Hopkins University.
Bok was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Stanford University (B.A., 1951), Harvard Law School (J.D., 1954), and George Washington University (A.M., 1958). He taught law at Harvard from 1958, where he served as dean of the law school (1968–1971) and then as university president (1971–1991). Bok currently serves as the Faculty Chair at the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard and continues to teach at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard Kennedy School.
After 15 years away from the Harvard presidency, Bok returned to lead the university on an interim basis after Lawrence Summers's resignation took effect on July 1, 2006. He was succeeded by Drew Gilpin Faust on July 1, 2007.
Bok's wife, the sociologist and philosopher Sissela Bok, née Myrdal (daughter of the Swedish economist Gunnar Myrdal and the politician and diplomat Alva Myrdal, both Nobel laureates), is also affiliated with Harvard, where she received her doctorate in 1970. His daughter, Hilary Bok, is a philosophy professor at Johns Hopkins University.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 12, 2017
An interesting read which is heavily based on research and yet accessible.
Chapter 1 - A small story of undergraduate education in the uS is presented, the essential point is that after the second World War the number of students enrolled increased and most universities developed to today's format.
Chapter 2 - In here it is shown how naïve certain expectations from faculty is regarding undergraduate education. The author himself once argued that the general science education should prepare a student to be able to understand most of the articles from Scientific American, and he was confronted by a Chemistry Nobel Prize that he couldn't understand most of these articles himself.
Chapter 3 - Here the author exposes a number of points he thinks an undergraduate education should cover and select among those 8 subjects which would be reasonable to attain and explore how to achieve of them in separate chapters.
Chapter 4 - Communication is discussed in this chapter. The conclusion is that though the methodology for teaching writing and composition is still in discussion there are concrete measures that have shown to be effective and an integration of this goal with other academic pursuits can be very helpful in enhancing this learning. Also the example and contrast with verbal communication is insightful, with the later being more successful.
Chapter 5 - The discussion on critical thinking is a little disappointing, from the start, because it lacks a good definition to the findings of research which essentially show that many of the common assumptions are wrong, for instance, that basic math courses as Calculus improves students critical thinking abilities. The chapter does not point in directions to remedy this.
Chapter 6 - Regarding character building the take-away seems to be that community service and changes to have personal contact with less fortunate people seem to be the best methods of helping with this aspect of education.
Chapter 7 - Preparation for Citizenship. This chapter touches on a very interesting topic and the research findings are disappointing as they show a big decrease since the 70s and greater decrease in certain popular concentrations. He also makes the point that public funding can play an important part in making changes on this aspect, as it seems natural for the political system to demand the formation of a more civic society with the use of its resources in education. The remedy seems to be to have more practical involvements, as politics clubs and for universities to campaign for civic engagement even if only by facilitating student lead initiatives.
Chapter 8 - The discussion about learning to live with diversity seems very fragmented and the book doesn't bring much more than general observations on the theme.
Chapter 9 - This touches on an aspect which is developing knowledge and sensitivity for a global society. The best ideas are for well planed study abroad programs and advanced language training. But the author points out to the many difficulties of these objectives.
Chapter 10 - Acquiring Broader Interests. The author starts with a discussion of four big schools on this theme and how none of them seem to have a definitive answer. His suggestion is for each institution to individually develop a blend of them that is appropriate for them. Without specifying the discussion the chapter doesn't get much further in the discussion.
Chapter 11 - Preparation for a Career. The author explains the strong tension between the liberal arts education purpose and the market pressure on universities to have vocational instruction. The bottom line seems to be that courses like engineering do a particularly bad job regarding the other aspects of education to accommodate for a big vocational requirement. The insight is to try to focus on processes of learning than information instruction. But the discussion is a bit convoluted and this seems to be the area where faculty might have the strongest opinions against any sort of chance.
Chapter 12 - Wrap up.
In this chapter the author essentially compile the ideas with potential of providing good change and also argues how the US can by itself start to try to solve many of the diagnosed problems.
Afterword - The author recounts his personal experience with the reform of the undergraduate Harvard curriculum. The hardness of the task serves as a corroboration to the arguments throughout the book about how hard to ameliorate education is.
Chapter 1 - A small story of undergraduate education in the uS is presented, the essential point is that after the second World War the number of students enrolled increased and most universities developed to today's format.
Chapter 2 - In here it is shown how naïve certain expectations from faculty is regarding undergraduate education. The author himself once argued that the general science education should prepare a student to be able to understand most of the articles from Scientific American, and he was confronted by a Chemistry Nobel Prize that he couldn't understand most of these articles himself.
Chapter 3 - Here the author exposes a number of points he thinks an undergraduate education should cover and select among those 8 subjects which would be reasonable to attain and explore how to achieve of them in separate chapters.
Chapter 4 - Communication is discussed in this chapter. The conclusion is that though the methodology for teaching writing and composition is still in discussion there are concrete measures that have shown to be effective and an integration of this goal with other academic pursuits can be very helpful in enhancing this learning. Also the example and contrast with verbal communication is insightful, with the later being more successful.
Chapter 5 - The discussion on critical thinking is a little disappointing, from the start, because it lacks a good definition to the findings of research which essentially show that many of the common assumptions are wrong, for instance, that basic math courses as Calculus improves students critical thinking abilities. The chapter does not point in directions to remedy this.
Chapter 6 - Regarding character building the take-away seems to be that community service and changes to have personal contact with less fortunate people seem to be the best methods of helping with this aspect of education.
Chapter 7 - Preparation for Citizenship. This chapter touches on a very interesting topic and the research findings are disappointing as they show a big decrease since the 70s and greater decrease in certain popular concentrations. He also makes the point that public funding can play an important part in making changes on this aspect, as it seems natural for the political system to demand the formation of a more civic society with the use of its resources in education. The remedy seems to be to have more practical involvements, as politics clubs and for universities to campaign for civic engagement even if only by facilitating student lead initiatives.
Chapter 8 - The discussion about learning to live with diversity seems very fragmented and the book doesn't bring much more than general observations on the theme.
Chapter 9 - This touches on an aspect which is developing knowledge and sensitivity for a global society. The best ideas are for well planed study abroad programs and advanced language training. But the author points out to the many difficulties of these objectives.
Chapter 10 - Acquiring Broader Interests. The author starts with a discussion of four big schools on this theme and how none of them seem to have a definitive answer. His suggestion is for each institution to individually develop a blend of them that is appropriate for them. Without specifying the discussion the chapter doesn't get much further in the discussion.
Chapter 11 - Preparation for a Career. The author explains the strong tension between the liberal arts education purpose and the market pressure on universities to have vocational instruction. The bottom line seems to be that courses like engineering do a particularly bad job regarding the other aspects of education to accommodate for a big vocational requirement. The insight is to try to focus on processes of learning than information instruction. But the discussion is a bit convoluted and this seems to be the area where faculty might have the strongest opinions against any sort of chance.
Chapter 12 - Wrap up.
In this chapter the author essentially compile the ideas with potential of providing good change and also argues how the US can by itself start to try to solve many of the diagnosed problems.
Afterword - The author recounts his personal experience with the reform of the undergraduate Harvard curriculum. The hardness of the task serves as a corroboration to the arguments throughout the book about how hard to ameliorate education is.
January 28, 2012
This book represents a courageous effort by Harvard University's former president Derek Bok who offers a critical examination of America's underachieving colleges. Drawing from his own experience and supported by concrete (albeit occasionally dubious) empirical research, Bok goes to great lengths to explain why he thinks America's undergraduate education is not living up to its reputation and potential, and offers his own recommendations on what he believes the goals of undergraduate education should be and the necessary steps required to achieve these goals. Rather than championing a systematical revolution in undergraduate education, Dok offers his manifesto for a pedagogical evolution.
There are two things, however, that I disliked about the book.
One, the writing is unbearably long-winded and repetitive. The three main theses of the book (1. colleges need to ascertain their goals, 2. colleges need a way to evaluate students' performance with regard to these goals, 3. pedagogy is important ) can be convincingly conveyed in much fewer pages.
Two, the author's criticism of the educational system is too contained (maybe due to his own extensive involvement with the system). While reading the book, I couldn't help feeling that every comment was made with measured honesty and subdued frankness. As a result, Bok's passion - and this is a subject that he and his readers should be impassioned about - becomes lost in the dreary passages.
The highlight of the book, in fact, comes in the afterword where Bok illustrates his philosophy in the book by recounting a personal case study. He was invited back to Harvard one month after the publication of this book to act as an interim president due to Larry Summers' departure and was charged with the task to lead an undergraduate curriculum review. The description of his effort (and the efforts of the various committees he formed) in the review process is lively and intimate, and an enjoyable read in and of itself.
There are two things, however, that I disliked about the book.
One, the writing is unbearably long-winded and repetitive. The three main theses of the book (1. colleges need to ascertain their goals, 2. colleges need a way to evaluate students' performance with regard to these goals, 3. pedagogy is important ) can be convincingly conveyed in much fewer pages.
Two, the author's criticism of the educational system is too contained (maybe due to his own extensive involvement with the system). While reading the book, I couldn't help feeling that every comment was made with measured honesty and subdued frankness. As a result, Bok's passion - and this is a subject that he and his readers should be impassioned about - becomes lost in the dreary passages.
The highlight of the book, in fact, comes in the afterword where Bok illustrates his philosophy in the book by recounting a personal case study. He was invited back to Harvard one month after the publication of this book to act as an interim president due to Larry Summers' departure and was charged with the task to lead an undergraduate curriculum review. The description of his effort (and the efforts of the various committees he formed) in the review process is lively and intimate, and an enjoyable read in and of itself.
December 26, 2013
As a two time president of Harvard, Derek Bok knows college education.
First he asks important questions:
Are students learning more than 1950?
Has the quality of teaching improved?
Can students write with greater style and grace?
Do they speak foreign languages more fluently?
Read text with greater understanding?
Analyze problems more rigorously?
With the growing importance of college as a signaling mechanism there is a tension of acquisition of knowledge vs acquisition of skills.
What is the Role of values
What courses will help instill values?
Moral reasoning
Social justice
Government
Bok then breaks down more specific topics.
What is the role of the general education requirement?
Is it asked to do too much
Do colleges neglect of pedagogy? How can they improve teaching methods and what new methods are appropriate? Is there value to large lecture class teaching?
Extracurriculars are worth the time and commitment.
Learn more about working in small groups
Live with diversity
Learn about poverty and service
Basic knowledge that should be acquired in four years:
Ability to communicate
Critical thinking
Recognize and define problems
Identify arguments
Gather facts
Exercise judgment about alternatives
Grasp of stats and probability
Moral reasoning
Preparing citizens
Why are the goals of a major
Acquire relevant body of knowledge
Learn standard methods of the field.
Master methods of analysis to answer typical questions
Major paper to show mastery of subject
Interdisciplinary
Integrate material from different fields
First he asks important questions:
Are students learning more than 1950?
Has the quality of teaching improved?
Can students write with greater style and grace?
Do they speak foreign languages more fluently?
Read text with greater understanding?
Analyze problems more rigorously?
With the growing importance of college as a signaling mechanism there is a tension of acquisition of knowledge vs acquisition of skills.
What is the Role of values
What courses will help instill values?
Moral reasoning
Social justice
Government
Bok then breaks down more specific topics.
What is the role of the general education requirement?
Is it asked to do too much
Do colleges neglect of pedagogy? How can they improve teaching methods and what new methods are appropriate? Is there value to large lecture class teaching?
Extracurriculars are worth the time and commitment.
Learn more about working in small groups
Live with diversity
Learn about poverty and service
Basic knowledge that should be acquired in four years:
Ability to communicate
Critical thinking
Recognize and define problems
Identify arguments
Gather facts
Exercise judgment about alternatives
Grasp of stats and probability
Moral reasoning
Preparing citizens
Why are the goals of a major
Acquire relevant body of knowledge
Learn standard methods of the field.
Master methods of analysis to answer typical questions
Major paper to show mastery of subject
Interdisciplinary
Integrate material from different fields
June 6, 2007
Derek Bok is one of the most thoughtful observers (and participants) in higher education today. As president of Harvard for 20 years (1971 - 1991) he had many opportunities to see first hand how an elite university works--or doesn't. Many years ago I read his book "The State of the Nation", which I found to be a reasonable analysis of many of the difficult issues facing the country. In "Our Underacheiving Colleges: A Candid Look at How Much Students Learn and Why They Should Be Learning More", Bok is able to focus on issues that he has a unique perspetive on. The begins with the basic question: "What is the purpose of higher education?" His response is given in a series of wonderfully insightful chapters focusing on critical thinking, diversity, and character. Unlike many commentators, he takes a measured response towards such divisive topics as preprofessionalism and the degree of faculty commitment to undergraduate education. Bok presents a powerful argument that the modern university has largely abdicated its responsibility to teach a strong core curriculum, as compared to a random hodgepodge of courses that students and faculty can agree will be "fun". This book deserves to be a classic treatise on higher education, alongside books such as Clark Kerr's "The Uses of the University".
March 31, 2018
This book is a discussion of one of the central issues in higher education today: How can we assess what students are actually learning in college, and how college can use the results of the assessment of student learning for continuous improvement. On the one hand, the measurement problem is extremely challenging- it's hard to measure learning. On the other hand, there are challenges in getting faculty and administrators to accept a philosophy of continuous improvement and to focus the needed resources on improvement. This book does a very good job of laying out the challenges, but doesn't offer any easy solutions.
October 8, 2016
A superb book by any measure, still current in most areas, except for the arrival of MOOCs, which are making a real difference. Mr. Bok is invariably fair and big-hearted, though he doesn't hold back from identifying the problems in higher education and their causes.
December 23, 2020
Bok makes some decent points but he comes from such an elitist point of view that it is difficult to feel any connection to his experiences.
December 22, 2016
“Without a compelling, unifying purpose, universities are charged with allowing their curricula to degenerate into a vast smorgasbord of elective courses.”
We have a problem in higher education. Everyone seems to agree on that. What is the problem? Well, that’s the problem. No one can really pinpoint the problem. Former Harvard president, Derek Bok does his best to answer this question in his comprehensive work Our Underachieving Colleges.
To sum up his work as simply as possible: colleges do not know their purpose, they do not know how to assess themselves, and they do not know how to implement change.
What is the purpose of college? To prepare students for jobs. To create critical thinkers. To explore the brilliant minds of the past. All of the above? Each administrator, faculty member, and their respective departments could answer this question carefully and methodically and their answers would be scattered all over the map. Once you throw in legislation and accrediting bodies, the purpose of college gets even messier. With no true direction for colleges and students, it is no surprise that higher education appears fractured.
How do colleges evaluate their own programs and students? Standardized testing. Internal assessment. External assessment. All of the above? We have seen the dangers of evaluating education across the board; soon you simply get teachers teaching for the test and developing critical thought.
How do you implement change? This is an epic question. Faculty will, rightfully so, fight for academic freedom. Administrators are fighting for efficiency and effectiveness. Who should get the final say? Who should get any say?
Bok knows his stuff and understands that fixing higher education is not simple. This is a decent book that addresses the academic imperfections of higher education. Basically, it’s everyone’s fault.
We have a problem in higher education. Everyone seems to agree on that. What is the problem? Well, that’s the problem. No one can really pinpoint the problem. Former Harvard president, Derek Bok does his best to answer this question in his comprehensive work Our Underachieving Colleges.
To sum up his work as simply as possible: colleges do not know their purpose, they do not know how to assess themselves, and they do not know how to implement change.
What is the purpose of college? To prepare students for jobs. To create critical thinkers. To explore the brilliant minds of the past. All of the above? Each administrator, faculty member, and their respective departments could answer this question carefully and methodically and their answers would be scattered all over the map. Once you throw in legislation and accrediting bodies, the purpose of college gets even messier. With no true direction for colleges and students, it is no surprise that higher education appears fractured.
How do colleges evaluate their own programs and students? Standardized testing. Internal assessment. External assessment. All of the above? We have seen the dangers of evaluating education across the board; soon you simply get teachers teaching for the test and developing critical thought.
How do you implement change? This is an epic question. Faculty will, rightfully so, fight for academic freedom. Administrators are fighting for efficiency and effectiveness. Who should get the final say? Who should get any say?
Bok knows his stuff and understands that fixing higher education is not simple. This is a decent book that addresses the academic imperfections of higher education. Basically, it’s everyone’s fault.
Read
July 3, 2014I am trying not to underline the whole book.
Resisting commercialization cannot be an excuse for resisting change. Pg. 6
The potential for higher earning power doesn't mean that it will happen. Pg 7 Where are these statistics?
Additional large rewards for a BA? Seriously? Pg 8.
Cornell pres: "mental discipline by unwanted topics is like physical nourishment by unwanted food." Pg. 15. If it were wanted, where, then, does the discipline come in?
Post WWII, people went to college for job training rather than liberal arts. Pg. 19.
So, when were the good old days of education? Did they exist? Pg. 21.
College homogenizes values among students. Pg. 22.
The unity of knowledge remains an elusive ideal. Pg. 25.
Challenges are unfounded. No teaching neglect. No loss of unifying purpose. Vocationalism is not new, and is based on reasons that colleges cannot ans should not ignore. But, if everything else HAS improved, why not education? Pg. 29.
Profs care about teaching, but don't assess methods--no pressure to.
How successful are colleges? Pg. 32.
There is no good indication of better learning by students. Not SATs, not quality of libraries and labs, and no incentive to get better. Pg. 34.
Moral reasoning and civic education are valued by students, but not taught in most universities. Pg. 38.
Resisting commercialization cannot be an excuse for resisting change. Pg. 6
The potential for higher earning power doesn't mean that it will happen. Pg 7 Where are these statistics?
Additional large rewards for a BA? Seriously? Pg 8.
Cornell pres: "mental discipline by unwanted topics is like physical nourishment by unwanted food." Pg. 15. If it were wanted, where, then, does the discipline come in?
Post WWII, people went to college for job training rather than liberal arts. Pg. 19.
So, when were the good old days of education? Did they exist? Pg. 21.
College homogenizes values among students. Pg. 22.
The unity of knowledge remains an elusive ideal. Pg. 25.
Challenges are unfounded. No teaching neglect. No loss of unifying purpose. Vocationalism is not new, and is based on reasons that colleges cannot ans should not ignore. But, if everything else HAS improved, why not education? Pg. 29.
Profs care about teaching, but don't assess methods--no pressure to.
How successful are colleges? Pg. 32.
There is no good indication of better learning by students. Not SATs, not quality of libraries and labs, and no incentive to get better. Pg. 34.
Moral reasoning and civic education are valued by students, but not taught in most universities. Pg. 38.
November 19, 2021
Really interesting book on the struggles facing higher education from a former Harvard President. As usual, not really caring about other people is a pretty big part of the problem. It's amazing how many massive cultural shifts would take place if people actually genuinely cared about building others up. Problems with the quality of teaching at the undergraduate level stuck out to me the most. The area of pedagogy is fascinating to me. I didn't have great teachers in college, although a few stuck out. And to be fair, I'm not a great teacher either. I think I learned a lot more about teaching from my time as a pastor. I also wasn't really familiar with the debate over liberal arts and vocational training in higher education. That is fascinating to think about. There is a school of thought that wants to be rid of general education and replace it with the Great Books. That sounds AWESOME in some ways. But it runs into a problem Bok mentioned for almost all reforms needed. University faculty won't want to teach it. They also won't want to teach courses that focus more on soft skills. Bok seemed to see faculty as someone prideful from their years of pursuing higher learning. I have had only limited interaction, but I can see a trend toward being out of touch with the reality that most students face. Thought-provoking read!
Read
January 25, 2008Bok's best contribution to the higher education debate is his acknowledgment that undergraduate colleges have a multiplicity of goals, and like Greek Gods, those goals are noble and warring. An undergraduate University should help students express themselves with more clarity and grace, foster habits of careful moral deliberation and the courage to act on ones deliberations, and in addition, impart a skill that's amenable to earning a decent wage. The problem is that these manifold aims are often anti-thetical in application and do not match up with the desires of the Professors teaching. The Professors were not highered for there commitment to pedagogy. They do not study the newest breakthroughs in effective teaching. They mostly teach the way they were taught, for better or for worse, to students like them. Bok does fantastic job giving a broad overview of the problems and answers, but it does make me wish that some current president or dean would come out with a similar book. These books are always written by former deans and presidents, and one gets the feeling that these authors don't have as much at stake as the people currently called upon to lead our great educational insititutions. edit | delete review
February 29, 2008
I was not too impressed with this book. Maybe it is because I am an experienced teacher, and I have been in higher education long enough to see the points Bok is making about complacency in academia and the entrenched conservative ways that prevent change. After reading for a while, you can easily end up despairing at a system that pretty much refuses to change while the rest of the world is at the gates besieging them. Some of what he writes I have seen elsewhere in bits and pieces. The fact is that the graduates of our colleges are underachieving, and they are doing so where it matters. Lack of moral values, critical thinking skills, communication skills, civic responsibility, so on. They are just not learning it in college, and yet college should be the place to be learning all this and more in order to become a well-rounded person and a productive citizen able to participate in society. Indeed, reading this book may drive some to despair, but maybe someone will actually read it and think of ways to gradually bring about some change. At least, I'd like to think so.
November 1, 2022
Why Colleges Suck or Why College Is Broken.
This book is a good critique of how colleges are failing, or at least how they can better serve students. Some of Bok's ideas are reasonable, but some just seem overly idyllic. Still, even if his ideas aren't 100% feasible, the book is an interesting analysis of the college system, from the need to give students better communication skills (especially writing) to the idea of the college environment as a lesson in multicultural awareness.
The book also made me think about my college education, and what I got out of it and what I wish I'd gotten out of it. Many times I found myself thinking, "Yeah, none of my classes taught me anything like that!" or "I wish classes I took were structured that way. It would have made the subject sink in more, or made me more willing to participate." The ideas Bok brings up are definitely things to keep in mind when one is in school in order to make the best out of the time in college.
This book is a good critique of how colleges are failing, or at least how they can better serve students. Some of Bok's ideas are reasonable, but some just seem overly idyllic. Still, even if his ideas aren't 100% feasible, the book is an interesting analysis of the college system, from the need to give students better communication skills (especially writing) to the idea of the college environment as a lesson in multicultural awareness.
The book also made me think about my college education, and what I got out of it and what I wish I'd gotten out of it. Many times I found myself thinking, "Yeah, none of my classes taught me anything like that!" or "I wish classes I took were structured that way. It would have made the subject sink in more, or made me more willing to participate." The ideas Bok brings up are definitely things to keep in mind when one is in school in order to make the best out of the time in college.
October 12, 2009
This book strikes a nice middle ground between those who believe the modern university is fundamenally flawed, and those who don't see a reason to change anything. Bok reviews both arguments and more importantly, evidence on all of the core components of general education, including critical thinking, communication, character, citizenship, appreciation of diversity, and global perspective. He shows that higher education works (there are gains in all of these areas in most undergraduates), but that there is still room for improvment. The author also puts the issue in perspective in his excellent opening chapter on the history of American higher education. There are no easy and obvious solutions in this book, but it does provide a useful summary of what we know and what we should worry about. I highly recommend this book for faculty and administrators that are preparing to revisit their general education requirements.
February 15, 2015
This book gives a baseline for understanding student learning in higher education. I had to read it for a Student Outcomes class in the last semester of my graduate program - I feel as though it would have been better suited earlier in the program.
As a positive, the text is not too dense, which makes it easy to understand and a relatively quick read. Sometimes texts like this try too hard to sound important and thusly lose the focus of the reader.
Negatively, however, this book could have been more concise. Many things seemed to have been repeated using different wording; this 400-page book could have been easily cut down by 100 pages by removing repetition.
I'm also not sure if the lack of inclusive language is due to this book being almost a decade old, or if the author is just coming from an extremely privileged background, but I fee like the perspective showed a bit of ignornace.
Overall, this book is good for gaining a basic understanding.
As a positive, the text is not too dense, which makes it easy to understand and a relatively quick read. Sometimes texts like this try too hard to sound important and thusly lose the focus of the reader.
Negatively, however, this book could have been more concise. Many things seemed to have been repeated using different wording; this 400-page book could have been easily cut down by 100 pages by removing repetition.
I'm also not sure if the lack of inclusive language is due to this book being almost a decade old, or if the author is just coming from an extremely privileged background, but I fee like the perspective showed a bit of ignornace.
Overall, this book is good for gaining a basic understanding.
August 4, 2008
This is why I want to go to grad school, to study this sort of thing. The title is a bit depressing, colleges aren't "failing", but they have a lot of room for improvement, which Bok details very well. His suggestions are common sense initiatives directed at undergraduate education. It is good to know that SHC does some things well, such as writing skills. Large institutions just can't handle teaching good writing to 30-50,000 students. But small schools I think do this well, at least mine does. One of my favorite parts was his questioning the curriculum, such as the core being a smorgasbord of classes with no other purpose but to include all departments, a couple foreign language classes, in which no really learns a language, and majors jam-packed with requirements beyond what is necessary. I'm ready to start that PhD now!
June 9, 2013
Offers a condensed, but still interesting, review of higher education as an industry - focusing on the evolving purpose of higher education and public expectations. Reviews current state of teaching/learning relative to several important outcomes and finds practices unacceptable. Suggested solutions are somewhat beyond most readers sphere of influence. Hopefully this book can focus public/media attention on teaching practices in higher education.
July 25, 2013
Bok, former President of Harvard, makes sensible observations about how colleges have tried to improve student learning over the years, and what programs seem to work best or at least hold the most promise. Not earth-shaking, but college administrators, faculty, trustees, and students could learn from this book. As an insider, Bok at least doesn't misunderstand the college context, as some outside "reformers" do.
February 24, 2008
Good book. Derek Bok is smart.
September 9, 2012
Yes: a book about the future of education that is not hysterical. In fact, it's remarkably clear, practical, and balanced.
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March 1, 2016Insightful commentary and advice to strengthen collegiate education.
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