The discussion topic for this week, and my response:
Responding to the challenges of global education.
It’s pretty clear from the lectures presented so far that education is a critically important factor in determining success in the era of globalization. Academic thinkers (Robert Reich, Gary Downey, et al) understand the correlation between liberal education and success in a global society. Industry leaders (Robert Chiusano, Adel Zakaria, et al) recognize the need for science and engineering education in determining success in a global marketplace. But what about our institutions themselves — do our schools and universities “get it?” How have institutions of learning adapted to the demands of globalization?
In my (somewhat controversial, but strong) opinion, most educational institutions today are metaphors of the industrial era assembly line. Quoting Henry Ford, “People can have the Model T in any color – so long as it’s black.” This was for one reason: there was no room for customization on the linear assembly line. Educational institutions are modeled after such assembly lines: going from one grade level to the next, or one course after another to hit a milestone of graduation, which used to guarantee a lifetime of stable work.
Nowadays, we know that careers change over time and we need to be prepared for it. Reich mentions the notion of lifelong learning, both in the classroom and at the job. However, secondary and to a certain extent, higher education has been slow to adapt to these changing needs. Reich also mentions that everyone learns a little differently — and I agree with his claim that the education system needs to be flexible enough to help everyone learn.
In essence, our educational institutions need to address two issues if they plan on adapting to our global society. First, we need to abandon the assembly line, one-size-fits-all model of education. Like everything else we buy today, education needs to be customizable to meet the needs of each learner. Second, we need to think about what is important to impart in each of our citizens’ education. What are the skills everyone needs to be successful in a global society? Everyone needs to learn transferable skills that are universal to every job: critical analysis, communication, negotiation, to name a few, as well as specialty skills that give us a competitive advantage: whether it be math, science, engineering, business, and even music and art, as each provide value and fulfill a need at some level in the global society.
Solving the problem of reforming education to suit the needs of a globalization era instead of the industrial era is a difficult one for sure, but we know it’s important, and if we want a chance in staying competitive, we’d better get started soon.
By the way, there are two pretty good articles in Issues in Science and Technology that take a crack at this issue (on the higher education/university level):
Warning: Information Technology Will Transform the University — Time has come to recreate higher education to capitalize on the technology that is here or soon to come.
Envisioning a Transformed University — Change is coming, and the biggest mistake could be underestimating how extensive it will be.
Comments
Achieve your goal
It is not only convenient to get anything from a math degree to a psychology degree online, but it can also be less costly than traditional college or universities, too. Often, since online schools do not have a physical campus, they do not need to charge as much for attendance. Things like housing, campus building upkeep and cafeteria facilities are not typically offered, and so the cost of attendance is just tuition and books. In addition, most online education programs offer some form of financial aid. And the cost of online degrees earned from an accredited institution can often be offset with federal financial aid as well…………..
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Online instructional program
Online degrees sound great, and many universities are building the technology to offer distance learning programs. Yet, some universities still require you to use other mediums to obtain your online degrees besides your computer. Some programs require you to use video or telephone conferencing that are less effective. The best online degrees are earned from universities that are fully taught online. Being fully taught via the internet also means that you should look at online degree programs that are taught by qualified professors. Many online programs only hire local teachers………….
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Online Education
Advanced topics in regular course program may promote a quality education and more prepared professionals. In this paper it is demonstrated how a requirements management framework focused on sustainability, proposed as a post-graduation thesis, was applied in product development projects of a regular graduation course………….
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Online Training Program
Whether you are thinking about getting your bachelor’s, masters or doctorate degree, online education can be a great option for anyone with a busy life. When you are a parent or a busy career person, it can be hard to go back to school. Maybe you feel that too much time has passed since you were last in college or high school, and you would feel uncomfortable in a formal education setting……………
global education
http://www.sangambayard-c-m.com
Online instructional program
Online degrees sound great, and many universities are building the technology to offer distance learning programs. Yet, some universities still require you to use other mediums to obtain your online degrees besides your computer. Some programs require you to use video or telephone conferencing that are less effective. The best online degrees are earned from universities that are fully taught online. Being fully taught via the internet also means that you should look at online degree programs that are taught by qualified professors. Many online programs only hire local teachers………….
global education
Earn a Degree Online
Earning your degree online has never been easier. It is now possible to go to school, work, and your other obligations and still maintain an up to date education by taking your courses online. With the recent technological advancements, some online schools have now found new way for students and teachers to interact with each other through different mediums online. Webcams, instant messengers, e-mail, messages boards and VIOP systems have now all been implemented into online courses all across the world, making it much easier for students to ask questions and still have that face to face feel of a tradition college or university……….
global education
Boost your career
Taking courses online is also a great way to be able to do the class work on your own time rather than have time obligations and requirements for each course. It is now possible to have a fully booked life and go to school with ease. Also, you will want to consider all the money in gas you would be saving by not having to commute to school on a daily basis………….
global education