This weekend I was intrigued to learn of the existence of Thomas Edison State College (TESC). A 19-year old home-schooled young woman told me she was getting college credit through TESC by bundling together courses from various institutions and taking College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests. She said that “they work with you to create a degree from what you already have.”
Who knew it was possible to cobble together a higher education degree in such a way? After taking a look at Thomas Edison’s website, I gathered that the college, based in Trenton, New Jersey, offers online courses for adults (the average age of students is 35) and accepts credits from all regionally accredited institutions. Advisors work with each student to create a customized program plan that fits him best.
The school is named for Thomas Edison, who ended his formal education after a teacher called him “addled.” From then on, his mother home-schooled him and he became a self-directed learner, reading books such as R.G. Parker's School of Natural Philosophy.
Here is a video that tells more about TESC and how it provides “higher education for adults with higher expectations.” I wonder if this type of learning will be the future of higher education. What do you think?
