Higher education in Latin America

I've previously posted about higher education in Chile, lauding the movement toward more holistic and engaged learning made possible through adapting student affairs practices. Liz Reisberg's review conveys a very different picture of higher education throughout Latin America. Daniel Levy followed Reisberg's article with a slightly different perspective and Fernando Leon Garcia offered yet another.

The essential problems that Reisberg identifies are isolation and rigidity, conditions that have resulted in the use of unexamined traditional approaches to learning. Quoting the article, "There is a growing body of evidence that we need to prepare students with less field-related content in favor of a broader base of skills - with some essential content knowledge - and the ability to adapt to change." Reisberg concludes the article with a comment that "In a few instances progressive and visionary leaders have attempted reform through the creation of new institutions or programs."

I don't know if Reisberg has traveled to or consulted deeply with educators in Chile but my experience is that Chilean's are acutely aware of the need for change and are taking aggressive steps to modernize their approach. It's perplexing that the positive efforts in Chile were not acknowledged.