In an effort to expand my minuscule Learning & Development library at home, I’ve been culling through lists of recommended books, checking out chapters and purchasing those I find on sale. The problem is, it’s not often that a decent educational title hits the sale racks at amazon.ca or chapters.ca. I’ve added cheaper ones to my Christmas wish lists and cashed in my airmiles for Chapters gift certificates.

Now I remember the most costly part of university education – the texts. Sure, tuition and residence cost thousands of dollars, but so did a lot of the textbooks I purchased over the years. To fill a single shelf on my bookcase with the seminal volumes in Adult Education, Instructional Design, and Cognition, it would likely cost more than $1500. The cost of the books is staggering which probably explains why this new section of my library has been mostly ignored.

The more I think about it, the more disheartened I am by modern education. I’m set to start classes (once again) for the next piece of paperwork I’m pursuing in a few months and am having a hard time developing any real motivation to do any pre-reading. The degree has a number of required courses which hold no interest for me. You’d think that after three times through the hoops I’d have more transferred credits to fall back on. It seems to me that too little consideration is given to prior learning and too much emphasis is placed on pre-determined formal curriculum.

In my perfect world, I’d be able to pick and choose the courses I want from a variety of universities and be able to slap them together to create a degree that meets my needs and interests. I’d be able to skip the required advanced math course and parlay my previous life as a web designer and programmer into transfer credits for the mandatory computer courses.

It’s disheartening. Quick, someone motivate me 😉

Can anyone say catch-22? In order to continue developing and expanding my understanding of the field I work in, I need some contact with others in the field in a formal learning environment. In order to move forward in my career, I need the additional pretty pieces of paper that indicate I know what I’m doing (despite the fact I’ve been doing it for years).

Have I mentioned that I have to juggle work and school? This expands a four year degree program into six years as a part time student – assuming I complete classes all three semesters. I work full-time in the field so I’m not about to quit my job to speed up the process. Ah, the traditional adult learner – no motivation to learn without a WIIFM statement and motivated by a current need to expand my knowledge and skills for work purposes…

Technorati Tags: textbooks, cost of education, adult learning, prior learning, instructional design, ID, ISD, informal learning, motivation

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