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According to a recent McKinsey study, "Only one out of four employers believe that traditional universities are doing an adequate job of preparing graduates for the workplace".
There have been many advancements in every aspect of our lives, but the one major part of our life that is still the same for over 200 years is the education system. The classes are still based on lectures in classrooms and online courses, then they are being tested on the information that they are being taught in those classes. We see this process in all of our classes.
I have asked a few students and young professionals about their thoughts on higher education here’s what they told me:
John Taylor Gatto an American author stated that "...schools and schooling are increasingly irrelevant to the great enterprises of the planet. No one believes anymore that scientists are trained in science classes or politicians in civics classes or poets in English classes. The truth is that schools don't really teach anything except how to obey orders." So what can universities offer that we can’t find on the internet?
“One consideration for reforming higher education is the idea of cross functional or associative learning. Majoring in a particular field does have its uses, however, giving the students the opportunity to study any number of fields at any given time can give them adaptability. The one skill college graduates lack upon graduating is the ability to draw solutions from multiple fields of study.” Kenny Soto
“Higher education right now (for most institutions) is a machine turning students into workers. What’s even worse is that there are many institutions that are not even doing that--they’re leaving students hopeless and jobless. They’re completely failing us. I believe higher ed needs to focus on the fundamentals of what will build students’ characters from the point they enter college till the rest of their lives. Topics like managing oneself, financial literacy, building relationships, and self-love. These topics will help students build the foundation of who they are and whom they want to become.” Mahmoud Khedr
“We believe higher education should change because innovation is key for the progress of the world. We want higher education to change into a more diverse curriculum, one in which we the students can learn about the different and newest technologies currently In the market. And thus making us much more prepared for a real world scenario” Keith Low
“The purpose of higher education is to provide young adults with an environment to grow, develop mentally and to prepare them for the working world. However, unfortunately, that is not always the case, many college graduates are not prepared for the basic skills necessary to compete in the workforce.” Danny Tsoi
By talking to my peers I’ve learned that universities need to incorporate creative learning, design thinking, and gamification,—making it experiential and competency based while making use of today’s technology (such as Virtual Reality).
As you can see, many students are losing faith in the educational system. “With education being defined as the main gateway to "success" we need to consider why many students feel this way. Education needs to be able to serve students of all communities with 21st-century approaches where skills, innovation, and societal impact are valued in the classroom rather than memorization, tests, and evaluations.” (Frantzy Luzincourt)
This will lead to more students becoming more receptive to higher education; they will be inspired to further their education and search for new ideas and concepts.
We are no longer in the 19th century, we have developed into a whole new world now and we need to learn independently, creatively and innovatively. Education does not move as fast as technology. We need to learn about the most high and on demand skills in the market today, so we can keep up with the real world after we graduate from college.
Higher education must change in order to better serve us as we prepare for our future and the world of modern work.
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