Higher Education: The Last Frontier
What it is and what it should be
In Higher Education we are used to talk about Lecturers and not Educators, we are used to talk about research methodology, "write or burn", and not teaching methodology - pedagogy.
We all know education is not about publishing, but in the academy it is the way to progress. Education is not about efficiency, but about preparing the future generation to lead and live in this world together. Teaching is the means of the teachers to guide them and achieve these goals.
We know research is important, but let’s focus on teaching. We know, as stated before, how Lecturers progress in academia - researching and publishing. We also know that Technical Institutions of higher education need to provide technical knowledge as fast and efficiently as possible to prepare and form more professionals. But I propose to put both those facts aside, and focused on education.
So based on the following idea:
Higher Education institutions (Universities, Colleges, Academies, Seminars, and Institutes of Technology) have a heavy duty on their shoulders - They are the last ones to “meet” the future generations.
If we agree on this “simple” idea, there are some questions we should ask ourselves and re think.
Do these institutions provide Degrees\Certification or an Education?
Nowadays students of higher education understand that their studies are “keys” to their future. They know they have to pass through this path and keep moving forward.
Although the Council of Higher Education (in Israel) supervises these institutions, and the Director of the Council is the Minister of Education, it is clear they are organized differently from any other educational institution which belongs to the ministry. It is my belief they do not see their responsibility to society as a main goal, as opposed to the rest of the educational system.
Sometimes they seem more interested in “clients” and “associations” than “students” and “collaboration with the community”. They focus on the income they receive per student and per research more than on the social value of a well-educated ad responsible citizen entering the "real world".
To my surprise:
When speaking with students (at the Hebrew University), students turned out to be less practical and functional that we thought and much more involved and caring. They expressed a sense of belonging to the institution.
The fact that they wanted a degree from a recognized university did not mean they do not want good teachers and a meaningful educational process, something they expressed is important for them too.
Apparently, Universities not only understood this but also started to invest in developing better teachers. When I met with Prof. Aaron Palmon - Head of the Teaching & Learning center at the Hebrew University, one of the things which surprised me the most was how this center was attentive and interested in adapting the process and the contents according to the needs and preferences of students. One example is an evaluation form for the students to evaluate the Lecturers. They developed this form in a way in which the amount of answers grew rapidly. The reason – they put the students at the center and not the university objectives.
Is teaching a collateral effect of Research, or a means by itself?
In the academic world, the way to individual progress is through publishing. The problem is that universities do not always have the funds or the contacts to help their Lecturers publish. This is the reason Lecturers at universities do not care about teaching: they are working at the university so they can work on their research.
Moreover, when we look at Seminars, Colleges and Institutions of Technology many teachers are professionals that are teaching in order to get additional income.
In both cases, not enjoying or caring about teaching is related to the fact that most of the time they are not educators and they do not know how to teach.
After checking on five recognized higher education institutions in Israel, I was surprised again:
In the last decade centers or departments on Teaching & Learning were created. These institutions are in fact taking care of the professional development of their teachers. Furthermore, today every Higher Education institution in Israel counts with one of these centers in which many resources are invested.
Researchers are now enjoying teaching and as consequence they dare to venture with new technologies or methodologies in their classes, form flipped classes, to mobile furniture to educational apps during class.
Is the classic model of University, part of the future of Higher Education?
Some new creations threaten the classic higher education status quo, for example: MOOC and Universities online.
MOOC – Massive Online Open Courses are provided by many online platforms. There, you can find all kinds of courses for your own development. Also nowadays, the biggest Universities are offering courses as MOOCs. Not all the content is available, and not everything is free. This shows that universities manage to remain relevant in this new world.
Online Universities are important because they get to places and people who do not have access to higher education through other means.
In any case, none of these replaces the concept of a university. It doesn't fit the classical robust campus, and the concept of an educational center remains intact.
In this matter, I believe that universities will stay here for longer. In a world in which we suffer from infoxication (too much information, to the point that we cannot decide which is good and which is not) these institutions are important.
Furthermore, the social ingredient still plays a big role. The teacher as a role model and the classmates for peer learning and social interaction. This will be difficult to replace, even with the most advanced technology.
To conclude Higher Education began as training center to prepare young people for their jobs. In the same way, schools were created during the industrial revolution and European colonialism with a different objective. Schools changed in some way (a delicate issue to be discussed elsewhere) because our perception as a society regarding school changed. The same should happen with institutions of Higher Education. Stages in life have changed, for instance: adolescence got longer and our expectations regarding Higher Education are changing.
So I believed that nowadays, the Higher Education system is the Last Frontier, in which the future generation should learn the values, ideas and skills they need for their adult life. The higher education system is the Last Frontier in which the future generation should question the important things about their country, society, culture, or even belief. The higher education system is the Last Frontier in which the future generation should test their identity and understanding of the world, and everything which surrounds them.
And Higher Education Teachers should be there for them and ready to guide and support them: Providing an education, teaching and being relevant in this process.