Who has the upper hand?

This past week in class, there has been a lot of discussion regarding personalization and specifically whether it is more useful to be able to personalize your college education or to conform to the university standard of what your education should consist of. Should the university modernize itself and learn to cater to each students needs? Or should each student follow the conventional well-rounded education that is customary for everyone? Personally, I think there are pros and cons to each aspect of this situation. In the Tapscott article, he talks about how the University is stuck in the age of the “baby boomers” and that the new generation learns differently. I don’t necessarily agree with this viewpoint, and I think he underestimates the importance of the teacher/student relationship. If universities were to adopt a more interactive way of learning, in which the student discovers for themselves, what is the point of the teacher other than to spark discussions. Students want to learn, but more importantly they want guidance and structure. I think there can be a healthy balance between interactive learning in a way that interests students and lecturing. I also think it is important for each student to make the decision for themselves on whether or not they want to be able to personalize every aspect of their education. Ultimately, they are the consumers in the situation and the university is selling itself to them. However, once you choose a university, it is important to stick to its guidelines. If you don’t like that a certain school has a philosophy requirement and don’t feel that you need that in your future, then don’t choose that school. Overall, I don’t think the university should conform to any modern standards. I think there are enough universities out there that have the option to personalize, and it is the students job to decide what they want.