Higher Education in the Digital Age

"William G. Bowen shows once again in this book why he is one of our nation's most astute sages of higher education. His insights on the 'cost disease' facing higher education and how online education and massive open online courses (MOOCs) can contribute to a solution are fascinating, prescient, and transformative."--Michael Schill, dean of University of Chicago Law School"This book has been of great value to me. It offers a comprehensive and visionary perspective on the important issue of technology in higher education, and it stands above everything else written on the topic. Major change is coming and it would be a grave mistake for us to assume that elite liberal arts colleges can be bystanders in this revolution. William G. Bowen continues to be a wonderful teacher."--Dan Weiss, president of Lafayette College and president-elect of Haverford College"This is a timely and extremely important contribution to the discussion of rising college costs and the expansion of online learning. No one is better qualified than William G. Bowen to discuss these developments, as he is a recognized expert on the cost of higher education and he has devoted considerable time in recent years to studying the pedagogical and economic potential of highly interactive online learning. Substantive yet accessible, this book should generate great interest, not just within the higher education community but also among policymakers. Few writers on education, if any, can match Bowen's engaging prose and insightful analysis."--William E. Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland"Ours is a time of excitement sometimes bordering on hysteria about the two central topics of William G. Bowen's book: the cost and productivity of higher education. To these issues, Bowen brings deep experience, strong convictions, and considerable optimism about the future. These are, to say the least, difficult subjects for universities, but real solutions require frank and open discussion. Bowen's clarity and directness provide just the tone that is needed. This book should prove highly influential and give rise to a great deal of discussion and no doubt some controversy. It's hard to imagine a better framework for introducing the discussion to a broader audience than the one Bowen provides here."--Michael McPherson, president of the Spencer Foundation and former president of Macalester College