Whether College Education is Important for Future Life - Annotated Bibliography Example

Andersen, J., Boyles, L.J .and Rainie, L. , The Future of Higher Education, retrieved on January23, from http pewinternet.org/Reports /Future-of-Higher-Education.aspx In this article, Boyles, Andersen and Rainie have stated that there are some major changes anticipated in the higher education of 2020 according to a web-based survey. However, this change will be established more in the form of web based courses and the medium will also depend a lot on technical aspects. However, the experts agree to the fact that although the face of education is rapidly changing it will have a lot of effect in the lives of individuals who are passing through this phase. The loss of touch and lack of communication intervenes with the basic purpose of education and it is quite clear that the future life of college education is certainly nebulous in form and substance. The system of mechanization is in fact changing the tectonic sects of education particularly in college and also bringing various changes in thinking and interpretation of issues, which is completely different than the previous times. Clare, S. (2013) University Libraries are Shaping the Future of Learning and Research, The Guardian,retrieved on January 23, 2014 from http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2013/aug/06/university-libraries-learning-shapes-design In this piece of writing, Clare has hinted at the moribund state of libraries in various universities. According to Diane Job, the Director of Library Services, a library is one of the most important places of growth and progress as far as an educational institution is concerned. As a matter of fact, it is a place of discussion and exchange of culture and religion and a hub in which some of the most significant ideas come up for the first time that goes on to become history later. Thus, it can be said that a college is not only a place for attaining higher education, but an institution that shapes the future life of an individual to a great extent. However, such ideals are on the verge of death and the feeling of being together in an educational institution has become nonexistent. Nevertheless, the hope for better never dies and the old tradition certainly prepare the students for a better life. Clawson, D. and M. Page (2012), The Future of Higher Education, London: Routledge The authors Clawson and Page certify that higher education is important for individual achievements and also to ensure economic development of a nation. However higher education in USA is undergoing a period of crisis while public funding is falling freely, tuition fees have increased drastically and hence colleges and universities are less inaccessible. The book anlayzes the crisis in higher education and describes the manner in which a strong neo-liberal political ideology has altered the system of higher education in America. The book attempts to answer questions like ‘who can attend a college?’, ‘Who pays for the system of higher education?’, ‘Who work and govern the colleges and universities?’ etc. The objective here is to offer a foundation for readers and thinkers to ponder on the social problems and relate the same with education in colleges. Goldrick, S. and Sorensen, R.K. (2010). Unmarried Parents in College, Fragile Families, 20(2), 179-204, Retrieved on January 23, 2014 from http://futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=73&articleid=536§ionid=3693&submit In this article, the authors state that the benefit of college education might not have far reaching effects or prove advantageous for every family member. However, this journal is related to particular circumstances such as those children who are born in different conditions and how their parent’s education affects their lives. Sorensen and Goldrick have begun with a completely different viewpoint, which is not uncommon and explores various themes until the conclusion. The issue of families that is not strong enough owing to different circumstances such as unmarried parents who are in college and the ways in which it affects the lives of future generations. Head, J. A. and Eisenberg, B. M., (2011) How College Students Use the Web to Conduct Everyday Life Research, 16(4) In this article, Head and Eisenberg have talked about the way in which college students struggle to locate and filter information in order to extract information about everyday life. These students turn to search much like people turn towards their friends and families. Thus, it is proved more than once that the future of education is instilled on a technical platform and the college students have to turn to search engines for filtering information. It has been found out in a survey that a majority of college students have a keen interest in extracting information whether it is through a medium or exchange of ideas between like minds. A repeated gap in the field of library and information science research reveals surprising facts about the ways in which the present day college students might adopt or prefer for all kinds of information that are relevant in their everyday life and studies indicate the dependence of the students on online activities. Haveman, R., and Smeding, T. (2006). Role of Higher Education in Social Mobility, Opportunity in America, 16(2), 125-126. Retrieved on January 23, 2014 from http://futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/journal_details/index.xml?journalid=35 This article deals with the role of college education and social mobility. According to John Goldthorpe, higher education, which is based on individual intellect, affects the economic structure. He goes on to state that in places where the education system depends on merits, there are greater chances that higher education acts as a bridge between the economic efficiency of the parents and their children thereby leading to a balance when it comes to social justice and economic equality. Haveman and Smeding have concluded their findings and related them with the opportunities that exist in the United States. The social aspects of college or higher education cast a shadow or a cloud on the system of education although there are various ways of mobilizing the system for fulfillment of this purpose. Jeffrey, S.J. (2013) The New, Non-Linear Path through College, The Chronicle, retrieved on January 23, 2014 from http://chronicle.com/article/The-New-Lifelong-Nonlinear/141867/ In this article, the Jeffrey Selingo intends to talk about various facets of college education and how it is affecting the youth of today. However, the author feels that linear or traditional paths are no longer considered by a majority of students even if they are studying in colleges. In short, the concept of one campus or college and the nostalgia no longer exists to the extent that it used to be; thus, there remains a constant ambiguity whether college education has a significant effect in the future life as more and more students are hankering for jobs and mingling their professional lives with that of online education, taking breaks and transfer in between. In conclusion, that author has stated clearly that the four-year college, which is being compared with the norms of Hollywood, would probably exist for many years although it is difficult to predict how much it will benefit the students. Korgan, C., Durdella, N. and Stevens, M. (2013). The Development of Academic Self-Efficacy among First-Year College Students in a Comprehensive Public University, Higher Education in Review, 10, 11-37. Online Publication. Retrieved on January 23, 2014 from http://www.higheredinreview.org/article-index This is a study that focuses on various factors that might affect the self-efficacy of the students in completely different cultural and educational backgrounds. College education does not thrive on the old principles any longer and changes are gradually setting in various educational institutions located in the United States. Bandura’s model that has been incorporated as the framework or the basis of the findings, the studies have been carried out within a fairly small group of 146 participants. Korgan, Durdella and Stevens have emphasized on the role played by intrapersonal and environmental factors in shaping the life of an individual in the process of attaining college education and subsequently on the development of self-efficacy among the newcomers or the students who have just entered college. Newhouse, M. (1999) Deprogramming from the Academic Cult, The Chronicle. Retrieved on January 23 from http://chronicle.com/article/Deprogramming-From-the-Acad/45598/ In this article, Margaret has described that college students are made to believe that being educated is perhaps the greatest maxim of human life and they tend to believe in it until the myth is broken when they face the real world. In fact, the stress of being in an academic field is so powerful that those who are not able to seek college education are tagged as failures. However, the impact of this psychology has been felt later by various people when they had to face such opportunities in which compromises were required to be made. Under such circumstances, many individuals who are actually erudite could not live up to the expectations of their families. Furthermore, the author has written that there are many people who have realized the real value of education and how it should be used in later phases of life. It is more important to be true to oneself rather than surrendering to the demands of the world. This article is a genuine eye-opener in all aspects. Park, V. and Watford T., (2012). Peer-Reviewed Research on Low-Income Students in Post Secondary Education: Trends and Future Directions, Research Brief, 3, 1-8. Retrieved on January 23, 1014 from http://pathways.gseis.ucla.edu/publications/201203_parkwatfordRB.pdf This article deals with an extremely relevant topic by Watford and Park which shows that low-income students are frontrunners when it comes to research and the overall value of education. The entire material is taken by the students from peer-reviewed research materials which have genuinely helped in bringing out the statistics of the students belonging to low income group and others who are not. While college education is viewed in different perspectives, this is certainly one of the major areas that need to be explored while dealing with its implications. It is quite easy to understand that those students with severely insufficient resources might not be in a position to complete college studies although it is not the primary focus of the researchers in this area. There are different platforms which address the issue of post-secondary education among low income group students thereby fulfilling the entire purpose of the study. Scott, P. (2012). Crossing Boundaries: Mass Higher Education in Multiple Perspectives, Higher Education in Review 9, 2-14. Retrieved on January 23, 2014 from http://www.higheredinreview.org/article-index This article talks about the individual on the one hand and the system on the other. The writer Sir Peter Scott, who was initially an editor of a higher education weekly and later became a Professor and Vice-Chancellor of a University in UK, has thoroughly examined the shift of focus and ideals in higher education and its implications. The fact that college education plays a great role in shaping the life of an individual to a great extent is a foregone conclusion in itself. However, a linear assessment does not help in finding out the changing tides of education and the ways in which they affect the society on the whole. Scott, who is a person of repute as clearly indicated by his profile has added a different strength to this journal and helps in finding out the various facets of college education and relates it to the future life. He reiterates that mass education and its understanding inevitable depend on the emergency or possibilities that surround this issue and theories cannot unravel the real truth regarding the need of education. Soria, M.J., Troisi, M. J. and Stebleton, J.M. (2012). Reaching Out, Connecting Within: Community Service Participation Among College Students, Higher Education in Review, 9, 65-85. Retrieved from http://www.higheredinreview.org/article-index This is an intense study that concentrates on the role of students in community service and that of allegiance towards the campus in which they live and study. While there are more discussions about the mechanized system that is also making way into the minds of millions of students who are completing their higher studies, the scenario is not as pessimistic as it seems according to different statistics about community service and associations that are being highlighted in this article. In fact, the trends that re shown here is extremely positive as it describes that increased associations lead the college students to help or reach out to others and the surveys conducted at different times indicate that college students inclined to help those who are in need and it is important for them. Thus, college education has positive effects on future life and the picture which appears grim in most cases suddenly becomes bright and endearing in different perspectives. Read More