EdTech Spotlight:
Following EdTech's impact on higher education
Moving Beyond The Agrarian Calendar: Higher Ed Needs A Fresh Start(-Date)
By David Rosowsky Via Forbes
The hard truth about higher education in the United States: it has not materially changed or innovated in the past 100+ years.
"You would be hard pressed to point to any other industry sector so tied to historical practice, or structured in such a way as to inhibit real change, even when failure to do so represents an existential threat."
COVID-19 changed everything for higher education. These institutions are finally considering different models and making significant changes to their operations. They were forced to change.
This considerations have been around "curriculum, class scheduling, semester length, electronic course management systems, credit for experiential learning, stackable and stand-alone certificates, and even enrollment in classes at multiple institutions."
David dives deep into the timing of traditional education. Why is there so little flexibility and personalization in the pathways to earning a degree?
David suggests some ideas: "12-month academic calendar, or the within-semester block scheduling options, or the embedded experiential learning component, or the flexible start-date, or the ability to start and stop enrollment."
This article highlights a larger point around higher education. It's finally innovating and iterating. Traditional institutions and alternative programs like MyMBA are giving people more personalized opportunities that fit their needs.
Timing flexibility is a major "innovation" coming to higher education. We now expect personalization as consumers. Technology can help give a more personalized and tailored approached to our learning experiences. Excited about the future!