AKA Review - 07.26.2024

From The New York Times
The Sins of the Educated Class
By David Brooks

The author describes three dynamics of elite universities that “make America worse in all sorts of ways”—producing an educated-class progressivism that inflames culture-wars and perpetuates privilege without creating actual social change. He imagines two paths. In one, the educated class dismantles its privilege and cares for the whole country.In the second, it continues to exploit or not even see others down below. Of this path he warns: “That rumbling sound you hear is the possibility of a multiracial, multi-prong, right/left alliance against the educated class.” Read this article

From The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Endangered Small College
By Scott Carlson

Some see a healthy, natural market at work in the seemingly near-weekly mergers and closures of small colleges. But what if, instead of yielding stronger institutions more suited to what students and employers want, this culling results in a loss of “biodiversity” in higher education? The author describes how endangered small colleges play an important role in the redistribution of wealth, people, and ideas regionally—and how by increasing the heterogeneity of higher education, they help battle the increasing polarization of our nation.

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From The Hechinger Report
What Aspects of Teaching Should Remain Human?
By Chris Berdik

The debate implied by this article’s title is largely about finding the right mix of AI’s most effective roles in student learning and those aspects of teaching that should remain human. Using vivid examples, the author proposes common ground: using AI to augment human teachers while recognizing that keeping students engaged—fundamental for academic success—is something humans do far better. Experts believe that even as AI comes to seem more human it will continue to fall short on the student engagement front. Read this article

From The Chronicle of Higher Education

Algorithms and the Problem of Intellectual Passivity
By Eileen G’Sell

The author looks at her students’ behavior to explore how the algorithm-driven feeds of social media and streaming platforms are creating a culture that promotes “the least ambiguous, least disruptive, and least meaningful pieces of culture.” Her examples illustrate how this “homogenization of content” blunts students’ critical skills and discourages them from seeking new knowledge and experiences. And she concludes by describing how educators can counter this through several approaches that cultivate an active mind set.

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From Politico
How Software is Eating the World
By Derek Robertson

A new paper argues that software is different from other economic disruptors, largely replacing humans rather than improving their productivity and thereby reallocating income from workers to corporations. The unusually rapid development and adoption of AI will accelerate this trend and outstrip policymakers’ efforts to address it. A comprehensive investment in education that ensures workers can interact effectively with complex AI systems is likely to be most effective; however, retraining and education are slow.

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