No one likes change. It never seems to be convenient to go through change. If one looks at education, however, many things are done the same as they may have been a hundred years ago (think lecture) even when we have had so many advances in technology. When in graduate school, I was told that the reason there was a requirement for all graduate students to take a non-credit, one-semester foreign language course was because “that is the way we have always done that.” Too often, I fear, this is the way academia works.
Take a look at the article entitled What You (Really) Need to Know written by Lawrence H. Summers in the January 20, 2012 Education section of The New York Times. Summers is the former president of Harvard University and a former Secretary of the Treasury. In the article, Summers wonders how university education might change in light of today’s world. He states:
Nonetheless, it is interesting to speculate: Suppose the educational system is drastically altered to reflect the structure of society and what we now understand about how people learn. How will what universities teach be different? Here are some guesses and hopes.He outlines six possible transformations in the way people learn in the university.
- Focus will be more on how to process and use information and less about imparting it.
- Because of the knowledge explosion, tasks will be conducted with more collaboration.
- New technologies will significantly change the way knowledge is transmitted.
- Technology and collaborative experiences will be used to promote dynamic or active learning.
- It will be essential that the educational experience become more cosmopolitan; that students have international experiences and see examples from around the world.
- Much more emphasis will be placed on the analysis of data.
I believe that we in COPHS are doing some of these things now. What are your thoughts on Summers’ suggestions? How could we incorporate his ideas to increase our commitment to helping our students in their careers and their ability to contribute to society?
1 comment:
How many academics does it take to change a light bulb?
Only one, but it takes him a long time because he has to write a book about it first.
This is actually an old joke I made up when I was a graduate student, while observing the personality cults that surrounded most of our best professors who wrote authoritative books that made them famous. That was 1990 and things, fortunately, have changed.
Now our best professors are those who convey a sense of awe and empower students to make the subject their own. Each student is different, each subject evolves and the role of the instructor is to chart a course in this changing sea.
The old model of Professor as expert and authority figure, supremely trusted to deliver his human cargo after a happy and predictable journey, has been replaced by the wonders and hazards of new discoveries, inquiring minds and unknown reefs.
I was in Home Depot the other day, looking at light bulbs. Just two years ago, the choice was simple: 40W for low back lighting, 60W for room lights and 100W for work areas. You could write a book about it.
Now it's more complicated. The traditional warm light of tungsten filaments? The exceptional economy of CFLs and their unworldly hues? The futuristic promises of LEDs that last forever and use less power than an old alarm clock? Buy from Home Depot or Lowes? Or online? Or directly from budding Chinese entrepreneurs for half the price (including shipping) that you can find state side?
Economy, efficiency, light quality, expense and, yes, even patriotism and politics, just to check an item off my shopping list.
So far, all I know is those expensive LED bulbs are not something you want in your living room and I'm out $45 (I'll let it go for $30). I'm still collecting data and shopping around. I'll let you know what I find.
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