Higher Education, the 21st Century and Professional Development

After a conversation with a colleague about educational changes in the 21st century, and some interesting data we shared on these topics, I wrote these lines to share my conclusions on such fascinating subjects.

It's clear that Higher Education (HE) is going through a period of evolution, or perhaps transformation. It has reached a point where the world of education has come to realize that HE must be at the forefront, and — whether it likes it or not — has a major impact on the rest of the education system (elementary, secondary, vocational, etc.). The most significant changes in recent years relate to:

1) Alternative accreditation, which can be described as alternative methods of assessing learning, and of recognizing that learning through credentials other than the degrees we already know. The clearest example is MOOCs (massive open online courses).

This kind of change is driven by several factors:

Students have changed. On one hand, they are more independent and have access to places that, in the past, only professors or the university as a physical space could offer them. In today's world, the computer and the cell phone have become the keys to a whole range of new options. On the other hand, today's student has more faces — not just the young people our teachers used to be accustomed to. Examples include professionals looking to broaden their knowledge and skills in order to grow professionally.

There's a push to lower costs and bring new knowledge to more people — the democratization of knowledge.

2) Experimentation with new teaching methods and learning spaces. The classic frontal-teaching approach remains relevant (for now), but new teaching models — project-based learning, simulations, the flipped classroom — are “knocking at the door.” At the same time, the physical spaces where we teach are changing: from MakerSpaces, to virtual rooms, to different layouts and furniture. At the same time, the introduction of ICT into university pedagogy is reaching a turning point within these institutions.

3) Personalized, student-directed learning. Students take control of their own learning and stop being mere consumers of content, becoming instead active creators of content, building knowledge through collaboration and connectivity.

In each of these shifts, technology plays a fundamental role that we must accept, pay attention to, and learn from.

This is accelerating the Democratization of Knowledge, and, as a result, of Education in general. It becomes limitless, reaching nearly any point on the map; costs come down; and we all gain access to quality academic resources.

Over the past two years, I've had the good fortune to see these HE institutions invest in developing their educators, through training I have led across Latin America. The development and strengthening of Professional Development Units within institutions of higher education is essential, and these are the units best positioned to respond to these changes.