Notes in the Margins: Dorms, digital distraction and artificial demand

With Gorgeous Dorms But Little Cash, Colleges Must Adapt Author Jeffrey Selingo paints a picture of an American higher education system that has lost its way. Selingo joins NPR's David Greene to talk about palatial dorms, online courses and why colleges are no longer an equalizing force. (National Public Radio)

Freedom, digital distraction and control A recently published study by psychologist Larry Rosen found that in a short 15-minute period of observation, teenagers spent only 65 percent of their time studying. Their attention drifted after an average of 2 minutes from reading and writing their assignments to activities like Facebook, texting and instant messaging–and all this was while they knew they were being watched. (The Hechinger Report)

Latinos Sharply Narrow Education Gap Last year, new Hispanic high school graduates became more likely than their white counterparts to go directly to college, according to a study.

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 (The New York Times)

Opinion: To attract more women, high-tech careers must move beyond stereotypes I.T. is not a single type of job, but rather an encompassing profession that can best be worked by individuals, male or female, that possess diverse skills. (USA Today)

The Reason Why College Is So Expensive Is Actually Dead Obvious Culture and the government have foolishly increased demand for higher education way beyond what is reasonable. Subsidies, foolish market design and malinvestment have funnelled this ballooning demand through the worst possible channels: increased tuition, trough-feeding administrators and rent-seeking private companies. (Forbes via University Business)

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