In Order to Survive the AI Economy, Higher Education Needs to Change
A college degree is usually thought of as a ticket to a great job and a secure future. Yet, the job market over the past few years has not been kind to graduates. Rapid changes in technology and uncertainty about the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on the economy have made it harder for companies to know what their new employees need to know to be successful.
I have argued in the past that this uncertainty actually makes college degrees more useful than ever, but higher education is doing a poor job of helping students navigate this uncertainty. Sadly, universities aren’t going to fix this problem by hiring more career counselors. Instead, they’re going to have to do the hard work of restructuring their teaching mission for the 21st century.
As it turns out, there is a straightforward (if labor-intensive) way for higher ed to make graduates (and continuing education students) more future-proof: focusing on teaching students "durable skills," that will see them through the future; tying assessments to outcomes; and tracking competencies rather than courses.
Please select this link to read the complete article from Fast Company.