5 Questions for Higher Ed to be Mindful of in 2024
Higher ed is at a crossroads.?
As I recently wrote in The Evolllution, this past year Supreme Court decisions spurred national conversations about the role of colleges and universities in democratizing opportunity, and in many cases, highlighted the sector’s failure to act as an equalizer and engine of economic mobility. Reports about declining confidence in the institution of higher education dominated headlines, with many asking, "Is college worth it?"? 2023 may have indeed been higher ed’s year of reckoning, but as we look to the new year, I’m hopeful for a brighter future. Could 2024 emerge as the year when we finally test and harness the full potential of groundbreaking innovations? Or will we preserve convention, clinging tightly to a centuries-old paradigm??
Below, I share excerpts from my column, citing five questions for higher ed to be mindful of in 2024.? ?
1. Will the accelerated shift from exclusively in-person to exclusively online continue??
As reported by Phil Hill , exclusively online enrollments have increased 40% since the onset of the pandemic, with a corresponding 40% decrease in the number of enrollments exclusively in-person. If this shift continues it could necessitate significant regulatory changes providing colleges and universities a more favorable context in which to rethink their pedagogical models, instructional supports, and mentoring. Such a dramatic shift will surely have major compounding effects, perhaps even serving to bend the arc of the cost curve in higher ed.
2. Will institutions harness the full potential of technologies—like AI—to personalize learning and advance equity??
Technology is drastically changing the way we live and work, and higher ed is no exception. More than anything, I’m interested in seeing how AI can democratize learning just as the internet democratized access. But as with any innovation, it’s critical that AI not be confined to the same artificial constraints found in traditional models, such as deploying synchronous virtual lectures and fixed-pace schedules. To mitigate that risk, we should be asking: How can we deploy AI to dramatically increase the ability for every student to consume, engage, and master learning materials??
3. Could advances in AI drive a resurgence in liberal education??
As AI learns to automate many knowledge-worker tasks, it's going to become increasingly important for individuals to develop enduring skills such as problem solving, dealing with ambiguity, critical thinking, and communication. After all, if AI is supposed to be a co-pilot, the pilot better be very good at being human, especially given AI, like any technology, will only reflect the morals of the user.?
Enduring skills can and should be embedded in all degree programs, from computer science to marketing. But there’s no doubt that certain liberal arts degrees—for instance, sociology, psychology, political science, and other interdisciplinary degrees—will also be desperately needed in the future as we contend with challenges including population health, mental health, policy shifts, and climate change.?
4. Will the value of non-degree pathways be proven, and lead to the re-imagining of the degree??
In the coming year, I’ll be watching to see whether promising alternative pathways, including apprenticeships and certificates/microcredentials, are accepted and validated by employers, and how institutions ensure their quality and relevancy.?
2024 may indeed see an accelerated shift away from one-and-done four-year degrees, but that doesn’t mean the degree won’t still carry value, or that acquisition of microcredentials cannibalizes that of degrees. The degree offers optionality for a lifetime that no other credential can offer (yet). I’ll be interested to see how institutions reimagine the degree to enable stackable, timely, and career-relevant learning that’s packaged in an affordable, flexible way. Students shouldn’t be forced or expected to complete 120 credits in a single sitting, just as no one should be pressured to consume a 96-ounce steak all in one go, even if it comes with a free meal, hat and t-shirt. Just for fun, one of the scenes from the 80’s classic “The Great Outdoors” illustrates this point:?
5. Will income driven repayment plans reduce incentives for institutions to control costs and provide value??
The Administration is currently expanding an income-driven repayment plan and pursuing an alternative regulatory path to extend loan forgiveness to more borrowers, but I’m concerned about the potential risks of this response to addressing student debt and college affordability. Could doing so create a moral hazard for students such that they borrow more knowing they may not need to face the full cost of their tuition? Could it further open the door for institutions to recklessly increase spending, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill? Higher ed already has a massive spending problem that sadly does not translate to better outcomes (consider that progress in national completion rates has stalled, currently hovering around 60%).?
Final thoughts: Colleges and universities face numerous constraints that impede progress, but bright spots exist across higher ed that show what’s possible when we align around a common goal. When institutions understand their purpose is to help individuals experience progress in their lives by activating their innate talent and connecting them to opportunity, everything else will come into focus.
I’d love to hear from you—what other trends, disruptions, and considerations are on your mind as we head into the new year? As always, I look forward to reading your responses.??
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Until next time,??
Scott?
Reader Spotlight: Challenges for expanding equity in access and attainment?
I'm truly grateful for your comments which help shape my perspective and undoubtedly those of other readers. So please, keep them coming!??
This month, I’d like to share thoughts from Vernon Hood Taylor , who in response to the previous edition of Progress, highlighted challenges for expanding equity in higher ed (response edited for clarity and length; italics are my own for emphasis).??
“Higher ed has made significant strides in advancing equity. And I totally agree, there is still so much work to be done to address equity in higher education comprehensively. Being raised and educated in an all-Black School from 1st to 12th grade, this article reminds me of the challenges I did not have while being educated at Atkinson County Training School. Key challenges that did not prevail:?
I believe the ‘caring and belonging’ environment contributed more to my success than the academic policies and procedures. Ongoing and enhanced assessment of these challenges will help tremendously in bridging the gap in education in a more equitable way.”?
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Vernon's thoughts remind me of simple counsel once afforded to me, that is “if you want someone to change (or develop) they first need to feel loved; that they matter.” It seems like all other things we can do hinge on this first point.??
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Transforming our education and workforce systems requires a collaborative effort and continued discourse. Please join me in this endeavor by engaging in discussion and sharing this newsletter with your network.?
Expert Educator
6 个月I can’t agree with your perspective on the partial or full loan forgiveness impact our society. If higher education’s purpose is to help people advance in life, then what message are we sending regarding borrowing money with no obligation to repay. Moral and value courage are 2 of many lifeskills we learn through our experiences and education. That said, I also believe the tuition financial structure in higher education should be reevaluated with all stakeholders’ interests in mind.
I use my organizational psychology to boost team effectiveness and crisis confidence through immersive training.
11 个月As new technologies, pathways, and business models emerge, there seems to be a risk of losing that student-centric North Star. However, some experiments show the potential if priorities align with skills, affordability, and equity. Here's hoping mission-driven innovation outpaces convention in the year ahead. If learners' needs dictate leaders' decisions, I'm excited to see how education will transform and benefit from new technology and trends.
Course Instructor, Communication at Western Governors University
11 个月The good news is that a college education continues to be one of the best investments one can make, even if measured solely in terms of dollars and cents ("ROI"). Despite the many foibles, missteps, and missed opportunities (just ask any faculty member at any college anywhere and you'll be given a long list of them), American higher ed is one of our nation's great treasures (hence the huge numbers of students from around the world who choose to come to the US--to institutions that run the gamut from Research I universities to community colleges--to learn). As the article below points out, however, while this is true, there is less equity in the distribution of benefits. Often, higher ed, while benefiting all, does less for those most in need than it does for those who already enjoy socioeconomic advantages. It's an issue higher ed needs to address, although it will also require leadership and action beyond.
Founder & Director, The History School, LLC
11 个月Thank you for this piece. As ever, your commitment to student success is a beacon. I strongly encourage you to also recognize and advocate for higher education's research and knowledge-creation mission. My PhD and career have included a strong focus on student success, but if we do not also value and support the unique and vitally important role most public and non-profit universities play in producing knowledge, higher education will be reduced to a job pipeline and humanity as a whole will be stunted and impoverished. As I have always asserted, WGU should not position itself as us against them. It focuses on just one higher education mission, while most universities focus on multiple missions. Many of those institutions are under assault by hostile political entities and are losing funding to support knowledge creation. As we head into 2024, I hope you will add a number 6 to your list of issues in higher ed: the urgency of supporting the research mission of traditional IHE's. And as President of WGU, I hope you will double down on helping other universities adopt the strategies for supporting student success WGU has innovated.
CCMO | Higher Education Innovation | Science & Research Popularization | Workforce Development | EdTech | Societal Change Management | 2020 Award for Strategic Innovation in HE Marketing | CTE PhD To-be
11 个月Great callout on alternative education pathways through vocational training and exposure, Scott. With the advent of GenAI taking over basic tasks which (at least in some roles) have traditionally made up the bulk of entry-level hires' workloads, there is a question of whether entry-level jobs will be effectively eliminated, or if the bar will be raised to such levels that schools will have to provide that entry-level experience. Given that possibility, I'd add that apprenticeships and internships may become just as necessary for 2- and 4-year program graduates to gain entry-level skills in "higher-order jobs" as it has traditionally been for graduates in vocational careers.