All Answers: RE: [pakgrid] Re: Need to invert higher education pyramid in Pakistan: Role of IT industry

>> From Nadeem Ghafoor Choudhary
AoA,

If you step back and spend a few moments on the fundamental philosophical question as to why we are doing what we are doing you will see that these three threads are related. Whether we like/accept it or not the reality of modern world is that it is being run under capitalistic ideology. Under this system, only those things are considered important and worthy of being pursued which are assigned a value in the "market".  If something has no price tag associated with it in "market" than it is not worth pursuing. Let me explain. What is the value of bravery, honor etc? Can you trade these in the "market"? obviously not. So why bother "wasting" time in teaching these. Capitalism demands efficiency. It wants efficient conversion of raw human beings into efficient workers for the system. Since the feathers of a chicken are useless for the production of meat so scientists got rid of them and created a featherless chickenhttp://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/05/21/1021882057281.html ( it is quite ugly so look at your own risk ). Similarly bravery, honor, sincerity etc are not traded in the "market" and as such have no "market value" so why bother wasting time on these useless appendages. Just focus and mass produce what is valuable and tradable, and like the feathers of a chicken discard the rest.
With this background one can see the proliferation of eLearning systems and privatized education. These are efficient means of mass producing docile educated workers for the system. I am not saying that public education institutions are bastions of honor and bravery. Why should they be, they are also operating under the same system and ideology. The difference is only of intensity, the basic thought process is the same.
Unfortunately we think that our problem is that we are not "educated" enough. To solve that problem HEC sent thousands of people for higher education to foreign universities. How many of them came back, what research facilities are available for them etc are valid questions but not the core question. The core question is: with more than a decade and all the money and effort put in this exercise have we 1) improved the lot of our poor 2) improved security 3) improved health 4) decreased suicide etc. The obvious answer is a resounding NO. The question then arises why not. In my humble opinion our problem is not that we don't know Pythagoras theorem but that we don't know what is honesty, honor, bravery etc. Until and unless we recognize what is the real problem and try to tackle it no amount of eLearning etc can pull us out of the mess that we are in.
Regards & AH
Nadeem 

To: pakgrid@yahoogroups.com
From: qs358@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2012 19:34:04 -0700
Subject: [pakgrid] Re: Need to invert higher education pyramid in Pakistan: Role of IT industry

This gives our IT industry a very significant opportunity. All they have to do is to provide a list of courses from EDx, Coursera, Udacity etc that an applicant for a position should complete or make newly hired employees to complete these courses in probation period. If the "proctored exam" fee is high, industry could reimburse this fee. Our typical undergraduate is good in using tools. So for example a good undergraduate course in databases in Pakistan gives students lot more training in using Oracle or SQL than is typical in such courses in 1st world. Some of this tools training comes at the cost of shallow coverage of theoretical background. Undergraduates of our universities who do both local as well as Edx type course will be really strong. I am sure it is only matter of time that courses in other fields will become available.

With Regards
Qasim
pk.linkedin.com/pub/qasim-sheikh/0/250/712
+923008540838 (mob)

From: Azhar Rauf <azhar.rauf@nu.edu.pk>
To: pakgrid@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 6:37 PM
Subject: [pakgrid] Re: Need to invert higher education pyramid in Pakistan

Here's a recent development @ Edx that's bound to generate some more interest in this thread. Universities faculty/management please take note - its starting this Fall 2012.

--
Azhar Rauf

EDX ANNOUNCES OPTION OF PROCTORED EXAM TESTING THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH PEARSON VUE
Online learning venture edX continues to transform higher education by announcing today its agreement with Pearson VUE to offer learners the option of taking a proctored final exam.
"Our online learners who want the flexibility to provide potential employers with an independently validated certificate may now choose to take the course exam at a proctored test site," said Anant Agarwal, president of edX. "This option enhances the value of our courses in the real world, helps us maintain our goal of making high-quality education both accessible and practical and thus is a natural evolution of ed's core philosophy of transforming lives through education."

Pearson VUE, a Pearson business, is the global leader in computer-based testing. Due to this new agreement, edX learners now have the option of taking a course final exam at one of over 450 Pearson VUE test centers in more than 110 countries. Proctors at the centers will verify the identity of the examinee and administer the tests. Examinees using the Pearson VUE centers will take the same rigorous exam as online learners and will be charged a modest fee for the proctoring service. EdX will offer the option to test takers for one of its online courses this Fall.

Robert Whelan, president and chief executive officer of Pearson VUE said, "We are thrilled to collaborate with edX and help its learners improve their employability and career prospects. Pearson VUE is also pleased to help edX protect the integrity of their courses by providing the option of proctored exams."