IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, Naomi Schaefer Riley reviews Andrew Rosen’s Change.edu: Rebooting For The New Talent Economy. Key bit:

For-profits have largely opted out of the prestige game. The schools are not looking to turn away students. Their professors are engaged exclusively in teaching, not research. No one has tenure, so incompetence means dismissal. Teaching is quality-controlled and student performance strictly measured.

The for-profit schools can track “learning outcomes” because much (though not all) of their education is online. For a book with a “dot” in the title, Mr. Rosen’s “Change.edu” does not spend a lot of time defending this mode of education—it’s just, well, the future. And maybe it is. He is careful not to overstate the value of online learning, acknowledging that there is plenty to be gained in the traditional, seminar-room, residential model of college—he calls it the “meandering” model. But there are many students who want a “direct route” to knowledge and skills. Mr. Rosen makes a strong case that for-profits, when properly run, are ready to provide it.

My interview with Rosen is here.