Thoughts on the Future of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

While it’s impossible to predict what the higher education teaching and learning experience will look like 50 years from now, the current landscape certainly seems to suggest that change will be a constant factor, and that educators will be challenged to think beyond traditional models if they want to keep pace. Following the launch of the “Reimagine Education” competition, which will celebrate examples of innovative pedagogy in higher education, Jerry Wind, director of Wharton Business School’s SEI Center, and Nunzio Quacquarelli, CEO of QS, shared their thoughts on what the next few decades may hold.

A more student-centered learning approach

One of the main points emphasized by the pair was the overall move towards a more student-centered learning model, in which the delivery of higher education is shaped by, and personalized to, each student. Emphasizing the role that technological developments can play in student-centered learning, Wind said, “The world is waking up to the fact that education does not have to be a faculty member standing in front of a class.” Envisaging a future of ‘customizable’ learning experiences, he postulated a teaching and learning model characterized by personal choice. “For example, visual learners can work with visuals while people who like to work with graphs can work with graphs.”

Quacquarelli likewise highlighted new technologies and online platforms as a particularly exciting space for developments in teaching and learning, while expressing a hope that the Reimagine Education initiative would help spread more innovative ideas across the full spectrum of classroom-based, online and blended programs.

What role for MOOCs?

In regards to the much-debated question of MOOCs (massive open online courses), the speakers agreed that while unlikely to constitute a viable alternative to more traditional higher education, MOOCs do have a valuable role to play – both in widening access, and in challenging educators to keep developing more effective and engaging teaching and learning models. Wind, who is currently developing a MOOC on the future of advertising, highlighted some of the new approaches being used, both in content delivery and in evaluation.

The “scalability” of MOOCs, he said, would depend on educators creating courses not only with a high value and engagement level, but also with some of the communal element that is such an essential part of teaching and learning in modern classrooms. “You have to turn the passive viewing experience into a situation [that is] engaging, motivating [and] encourages further learning.”

Re-thinking lifelong learning

Throughout the discussion, Wind and Quacquarelli returned to the concept of lifelong learning, an oft-used phrase which is being injected with new life thanks to the growing number of companies and private-sector organizations getting involved in education provision. Wind spoke about “Just in Time Learning” – referring to the provision of education that helps people meet immediate workplace challenges. “When workers have a problem, they’ll be more receptive to learn and more motivated to sort through the issue. That’s what makes this educational strategy effective,” he said.

Looking at the big picture, Quacquarelli concluded that while new technologies and new players in the marketplace will no doubt cause “disruption”, the higher education world as a whole is unlikely to be transformed on the scale some are suggesting, due to the enduring strength of the reputations held by today’s top-tier institutions. Wind suggested that these are the universities that will need to be most “courageous” in embracing and driving change, since they have less of an immediate incentive to change.

This “courage” is what the Reimagine Education competition hopes to inspire, recognize and celebrate, showcasing innovative educators and groundbreaking pedagogical models in higher education worldwide. “We created this global competition to try to pull on ‘the wisdom of the crowd’ to learn about different ways to creatively approach education,” Wind said. Quacquarelli said the contest would also help rankings organizations such as QS, which are seeking new ways to identify and exhibit exemplary teaching at universities.

Read the full interview here >