Forget the debate about whether it’s better to study at college, university, tech school, the Internet or a private training company. It’s becoming irrelevant.
The smart learner of the future will look for content, quality and convenience, with an eye to cost and time effectiveness. And, contrary to some predictions, it looks as if technology-based learning will continue to be a niche player in the overall scheme of adult learning.
My own learning portfolio seems to confirm that this mixed model works. Yes, I have university degrees, four of them, in fact, from an Ivy League school. They helped me learn to think and reason and put forward my ideas, but to be honest, I rarely use and can’t even remember the details of tensor analysis, organic chemistry or even contemporary civilization.
What I do remember from the latter course is watching the son of an Arab sheik and a fundamentalist Christian from the Deep South argue about which book contained the true word of God. Both seemed amazed that there could even be any doubt.
So, we all read (parts of) the Koran and the Bible, and emerged from the process as friends. Learning for the pure fun of it was an exhilarating experience that was worth the rather hefty tuition at Columbia University.
By the way, a degree is still the world’s best investment. The College Board estimates that over a lifetime, the gap in earning potential between a high- school diploma and a BA (or higher) is more than $1 million US. What this boils down to is that whatever sacrifices you make for your college education in the short term are more than repaid in the long term.
Sooner or later, the time comes when you need to focus your learning on specific content. A university might or might not be the best place to do this. When I wanted to learn what a private pilot is allowed to do on an aircraft (basically gawk at the engine and change the oil very carefully,) I went to the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology where they have actual airplanes to practise on.
When I needed to know a little German for an upcoming trip, I went to a local high school under the auspices of Chinook College. For a smattering of conversational Mandarin, I chose the University of Calgary’s excellent continuing education courses. Yes, I’m a drive-by learner, but I like it.
One of the most powerful concepts in learning is the co-op approach, pioneered in Canada by the University of Waterloo. Students alternate school and work terms. As one co-op enthusiast explained to me, “Just when we’re getting bored with school, it’s time for a work term. Then, when the 9-to-5 grind gets us down, we get to head back to university residence life.”
With 11,000 students in co-op programs and 3,000 participating employers, UW is North America’s largest showplace for this concept. They must be doing something right, because they held the No. 1 ranking from Maclean’s Magazine in their category for a decade, slipping to second place last year. Most major Canadian universities offer co-op options in at least some of their programs.
A local co-op success story comes from the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Environmental Design. Calgary Science Centre CEO Bill Peters says a graduate student from that faculty played a key role in helping them decide the location for a future Science Centre building.
“He focused on the social design of science centres,” says Peters, “and his work was very helpful in selecting the best site” (land north of the Calgary Zoo.) It worked out well for the student too, says Peters, since he’s now employed by Kasian Kennedy, the architectural firm that has handled the renovation/expansion work at the Science Centre for the past 10 years.
Now what about that whole Internet learning thing?
Recently I had the chance to poll some of Canada’s up-and-coming learners about online learning. Several students in the Shad Valley program for gifted teenagers reported experience with Internet-based courses. One liked it, because it gave her the flexibility to learn at her own pace. But most said they preferred face-to-face instruction from a live teacher. “You can’t ask a webpage a question,” said one, “and it helps to have a human being to give you the motivation to learn.”
Having said this, there are times when an online learning approach might be the ticket. Ron Jeffery, a highly committed social studies teacher at Western Canada High School in Calgary, has taken his students to Model United Nations events for several years.
This year he plans to offer two courses in international relations and politics, partly involving field trips to Montreal and Paris, but also with an online component. This makes it possible for students to squeeze an extra course into their already packed schedules.
Jeffrey uses a tool called TeacherWeb to keep in touch with his students. His webpage there has fascinating links including now-declassified top-secret memos from the U.S. Department of Defense. His homepage says Mr. Jeffery’s mission is to “have all students develop a love of lifelong learning, respect for others and value of life.”
He also challenges students to think about questions such as, “What Are You Doing Now to Make Today the Best Day of Your Life?”
Wow, I’d like to take a class with this guy, but I guess going back to high school is a no-no once you have your doctorate. Luckily, my son Jordan is signed up, so at least I’ll get to hear about the highlights of what’s shaping up to be a real learning adventure.
The world needs more courses like that, and more teachers who care enough to go the extra distance for their students.
Web watch: www.collegeboard.com
http://teacherweb.com/AB/WesternCanadaHighSchool/MrJ/t.stm
(Tom Keenan is a professor at the University of Calgary and an expert on technology and its social implications. He can be reached at keenan@businessedge.ca)
