Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ The rise of the experience industry on campus

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

This post chronicles - and laments - the rise of the student experience industry on campus. " This industry brings together a conglomeration of staff, services, resources, programs, initiatives and facilities designed to enhance the student experience and guarantee students' satisfaction." Jonathan Finn argues that this new emphasis detracts from the educational experience. "In the current university environment, a student's experience is being prioritized over their education," he writes. "Once students arrive on campus, they are encouraged to join a host of clubs, teams, groups and activities to contribute to their overall university experience." As a result, he says, students report a high rate of anxiety and depression. "It's an experience feedback loop." What Finn misses, I think, is that the clubs, teams, groups and activities are a key part of the student's education. That's why they are valued. And he needs to learn to live with that, and work with that.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Dec 23, 2024 04:19 a.m.

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