The New Education

How to Revolutionize the University to Prepare Students for a World in Flux

By: Cathy N. Davidson

Narrated by: Carolyn Cook

A leading educational thinker argues that the American university is stuck in the past - and shows how we can revolutionize it for our era of constant change

Our current system of higher education dates to the period from 1865 to 1925. It was in those decades that the nation's new universities created grades and departments, majors and minors, all in an attempt to prepare young people for a world transformed by the telegraph and the Model T.

As Cathy N. Davidson argues in The New Education, this approach to education is wholly unsuited to the era of the gig economy. From the Ivy League to community colleges, she introduces us to innovators who are remaking college for our own time by emphasizing student-centered learning that values creativity in the face of change above all. The New Education ultimately shows how we can teach students not only to survive but to thrive amid the challenges to come.

©2017 Cathy N. Davidson (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"The New Education takes a good hard look at the old education, and finds it sorely wanting. Are colleges and universities failing an entire generation of young people? Yes, argues Cathy N. Davidson, a renowned literary scholar and a leader in higher education reform. This is an important and illuminating book whose argument is driven by a deep knowledge of the past and an even deeper commitment to the future." (Jill Lepore, David Woods Kemper '42 Professor of American History, Harvard University)

"The New Education compels us to equip our students with creative new tactics for navigating the volatile present. Grounded in a deep understanding of both historical and current crises in education, Davidson challenges us to reinvigorate and reconsider our approach to reform." (Danah Boyd, author of It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens)

"The New Education offers valuable reflections on ways educators can reexamine approaches to preparing young women and men for a rapidly evolving modern world. Grounded in decades of classroom experience and scholarly inquiry, Cathy N. Davidson makes a compelling case for educators to interrogate traditional structures in higher education, and help students seek, in her words, 'a sustained and productive life.'" (John J. DeGioia, president Georgetown University)

Great for a higher Ed educator

This book has a lot of interesting background about how we got where we are with college major structure, grading, and rampant standardized testing. It offers a critique of the current system, based on studies. And, it offers some ways to start making changes. Great

Practical Enough / Scholarly Enough

Cathy Davidson goes beyond the mere holistic identification of the current problems with American Higher Education - she promotes some very doable solutions to developing a 21st century workforce that is both educated capable of adjusting to what challenges the future may bring. Educators are tasked with preparing students for the future - a role that is increasingly challenging in a rapidly evolving world. That is why it is so important that we employ methods that will train people to be adaptive - to find answers, collaborate, think, and solve problems rather than pursuing trivia that will not benefit them in the real world.

The book is not too scholarly, which is a big plus. Sometimes scholars write to impress other scholars. This book is readable and her observations/arguments are practical.