4 Ways the Future of Learning is Changing | Randy Swearer

As the world becomes increasingly complex, the old Industrial-Age approach to higher education—studies of siloed individual subjects such as math, language, and science—has to change.

4 Ways the Future of Learning Is Changing: "

One of the hallmarks well-regarded universities share is their history as longstanding institutions of education and tradition. But disruption of how people make (and how they learn to make) things is erupting everywhere. So in the future of learning, if universities don’t ride the waves of change, they (and their students) won’t be able to keep up with the evolution of industries and jobs—and more broadly, the demands of a complex, global society.

Higher education must adapt to the 21st century—in learning, in culture, and in developing future leaders. And it won’t look anything like the current college experience.

1. No More Lectures. That’s right: The days of showing up to an hour-long lecture at 8 a.m. will slowly diminish. Traditional teaching pedagogies are ripe for disruption, and it’s starting with the new idea of “flipped classrooms.”

2. Not Just a Degree: Micro-credentialing. The boundaries of having just “one” role in a career is eroding: Skills and knowledge across disciplines is becoming more evident and necessary. Unbundling of degrees is gaining traction as an approach to actually get multidisciplinary education into practice.

3. It’s the Student Experience That Counts. Universities must adapt to the idea of expanding learning opportunities outside of campuses—to local businesses, major corporations, nonprofits, and other institutions.

4. No More Grades. The grading system started around 150 years ago, and it requires more than evolution; it needs a revolution. How do you quiz a business student interning with a company as part of their real-world application of materials in a flipped classroom? How do you take all of those multi-channels that students are confronted with and bring them together into a graded experience? Right now, you can’t.

Integration of education is the key because learning happens everywhere—in the classroom, in outside experiences, and online. It’s not about the knowledge channels; it’s about the connections between them. So each university must bring that integration to bear on the needs of its students.


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Murray Guy aka @Lean_tobe_Green
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