60% of college presidents surveyed said they believe we’re going to see major changes in Higher Education by the year 2020 — just seven short years from now.
What’s driving this shift? A major factor is most assuredly is the high price of education.
In fact, 75% of adults polled in a recent Pew Research study said that college is too expensive for most Americans to afford, and 57% of adults said that U.S. Higher Education system fails to provide students with a good value for their money.
So what’s the alternative to traditional Higher Ed.? What’s a more cost-effective way for young people to get further education beyond high school?
Well, 77% of surveyed college Presidents believe the answer to those questions — at least in part — is going to be found through online education.
You can read all about this probable shift in Higher Education in the infographic below.
When you finish, I’d love hear your thoughts on these questions:
How would this kind of shift impact traditional, campus-based ministry?
Would there be a recognizable impact on church-based college ministry? If so, what might it be?
Are there things we could/should start doing now — as ministries and ministry leaders — to prepare for this likely shift?
What do you think? Is this the future of Higher Education?
2 thoughts on “How Might Technology Change the Face of Higher Education by 2020?”
I’ve actually done quite a lot of online teaching, both at the undergraduate and masters levels. Some observations:
1. Generally, online education started out aimed at working folk beyond the traditional college age who need the college degree for professional reasons. It came as a natural change from “night school” on ground (to use the jargon). The online courses for traditional age students who sometimes live on a college campus will have a much different dynamic about it, because we are dealing with a different demographic group. If these two groups mix, the class discussions might get really interesting (because of intergenerational interchange) or people might just be really frustrated.
2. To have good online interaction with students, class sizes have to remain small. In think 15 in an online class is a lot of people, if you really want to have good interaction with students.
3. In a traditional face-to-face classroom, unless the professor requires every person to make a thoughtful comment (i.e. if the classroom environment and process are set up this way), most students sit in silence in the classroom. Usually, online courses require every learner to make a regular, thoughtful contribution to the class participation. In some ways, then, the online format is actually more demanding of both professor and student. It should be. If not, it turns into a technologically fancy correspondence course and becomes self-defeating.
4. I started out as a skeptic of online courses, but became an advocate. However, there are several important caveats. I could go on, but I won’t. I agree, though, that online courses are changing higher education. The elite schools will continue to draw students who want the campus experience, but there is coming a Great Divide (probably already upon us) in what the word “college” means.
Hey Steve!
Yes, I’ve seen much of this to be true as well — and I’ve only ever taught classroom/campus-based class, but added an online component, to ensure that EVERYONE is engaging.
I’d then leverage that engagement, in the classroom, by having them cluster together in small groups to talk (everyone getting a turn), before then bringing everyone back together for a large group conversation.
I’m curious how you think all of this might end up changing (or impacting) our work as ministers on campus? Any thoughts here Steve?
Thanks for your comment!
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