Characteristics of the Class of 2020
July 10th, 2009Whenever I can find a good book or research paper on the topic of distance education, I will usually obtain a copy in order to see if there’s a trend or idea that is worth noting or pursuing. For a few weeks, I had noted the ad in The Chronicle of Higher Education touting their new report, “The College of 2020: Students.” I had to pay for the report, so I’m sure that the Chronicle wouldn’t like it if I provided a blow-by-blow description of its contents. However, I think that they would not mind someone touting the report on their blog, so my thoughts are summarized below. (Those interested in purchasing the report can do so at the following site: http://research.chronicle.com/asset/TheCollegeof2020ExecutiveSummary.pdf.)
Chronicle Research Services released the first of a three part report last month that describes the characteristics they predict that we will see in college graduates of the class of 2020. The fundamental themes of the report are that as the class of 2020 (today’s first graders) enter their college years, their demands on colleges and universities will be drastically different from what students have previously expected, forcing higher educational institutions to reconsider their curriculums, formats, and basic characteristics.
