Customised classrooms for the digital age

The speed at which society and the job market are changing is insanely fast. There are increasing demands for job markets to open a space for customised learning possibilities. Part-time programmes, short training courses, and workshops need to be multiplied and diversified as the knowledge and skills of yesterday may not be sufficient tomorrow. Put simply, we need more digital, practical, sophisticated, and flexible courses, with immediate insights from the university and other participants. Such kinds of courses are an ideal combination, from which both you and your (potential) employer benefit directly; that help you get the most out of yourself, but also stimulates the talents of others, moving your company or organisation forwards.

?Individual and customised learning trajectory

The value of education and a received degree is changing in the digital era. The courses’ participants became extremely sophisticated, putting the pressure on study programmes that need to innovate in response to individual and company demands. As a result of these expectational pressures, customised learning not per company employees, not per department, but per individual is a must and is often shaped by personal experiences. The way we think and how we act leads to a situation where different participants need to take different trajectories, and are in need of progress at different rates and in different ways. A customised learning trajectory requires challenging assignments that stretch competences we possess in the best way to develop them further. For instance, attending boardroom simulations, where executives and clients meet and push participants to grow and develop are a good example of such as challenge. Obviously, such as learning is based on customised coaching, with individual mentorship and feedback accelerating competences development.

Paced education driven by technology

Access to short courses needs to be constant. Technology has disrupted our daily life, including the way we learn. Sitting in a classroom is replaced by reading and solving practical cases on your laptop, tablet and mobile, while commuting between work and home or between cities or countries, and at the same time accessing virtual learning communities, chatrooms and adding our input to files shared in clouds. Every moment and every form of study material is good to learn, including educational videos watched during the breaks. Customised study material, 24/7 access to an instructor, getting immediate feedback, sophisticated challenges to solve, with company involvement so you’re learning as you’re doing, and fun and pleasure on top of it, increase our learning today. The ideal method is to combine education not only with your work but also with your private situation.

Alumni network shaping Open Loop University idea

Each graduate that attends a few weeks of a course, or even a one-day workshop, is an asset for each university as learning never stops and sharing knowledge benefits parties involved. If there is no clear vision on how to involve an alumnus in university’s activities, there is a high chance of risking the potential of the network alumni might have. Yet, this is a great way of advancing educational offerings, and not only bringing the experiential side of business education together, but also creating diverse teams where we can learn to work virtually with people from around the globe. A few universities in the world already understand the power of connections. For instance, Stanford University gives us direction on how to advance alumni engagement in lifelong learning. Using a new learning model of Open Loop University, Stanford University guarantees that, upon enrolment, students receive a few years of access to residential learning opportunities. They are no longer considered alumni, but returning participants willing to learn, come back to the university for a mid-career loop and take advantage of on-campus offerings to launch new chapters of their professional lives. As such, Stanford University provides a way for adults to pivot careers with an academic grounding, and to reconnect with a meaningful and energizing social context later in life. At the same time, Stanford University developed new operational infrastructure for the university, with the ability to handle a more dynamic and shifting on-campus population and strengthened a broader network of alumni. They’re an exemplary case to follow.

Courses offered by Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen

Luckily, my current employer – Hanze University of Applied Sciences – offers more than 180 diverse courses; a wide spectrum to choose from. These courses need to be constantly revised and adapted to new demands coming directly from current or potential employees. For instance, courses related to digitalisation, ethics or data analytics became the overarching themes of the society we live in or the job market we contribute to. The new economic reality of sharing economies, political instabilities or environmental concerns, just to mention a few, define the need for the courses to be offered to professionals.

Keep moving and never stop learning

The speed at which society and job market are changing is at its best. Fast-changing demands from job markets open a space for customised short courses, because the knowledge and skills of yesterday may not be sufficient tomorrow. Therefore, the only way to keep the speed of developing new skills, talents and competences lies in constant learning. Various learning opportunities, accessible to employees, such as part-time programmes, trainings, courses, and workshops need to be numerous and diverse. Simply said, we need more. Getting the maximum of yourself, but also stimulating the talents of others, moving your company or organisation afterwards. Digital, practical, sophisticated, and flexible courses, with insights from university and other course participants, an ideal combination, of which both you and your (potential) employer benefit directly.