As a teacher, I sometimes wonder how effective online learning is as compared to learning that takes place in a traditional classroom setting. Could online learning ever completely replace classroom teachers? Are robots the teachers of tomorrow? With advancing technology will I eventually become obsolete or irrelevant?
All of these questions were answered--and more-- when I attended a panel discussion in Brookline, Massachusetts where Joseph E. Aoun, the president of Northeastern University; Zeynep Ton, Professor at MIT Sloan School of Management; and Gerald Chertavian, Founder and CEO of Year Up discussed whether automation, technology and AI are threats or opportunities for Americans in the workforce, especially college graduates entering the workforce.
While I was expecting to hear more about how automation and AI (artificial intelligence) will transform the types of jobs that are available to the next generation, I was surprised to find that the discussion mostly centered around the topic of education; mainly, how higher education needs to do a better job preparing young adults to hone skills that will differentiate themselves from robots.
Aoun, president of Northeastern University, one of the most selective and expensive universities in our country, talked about the pitfalls of thinking in higher education, such as how colleges have been so focused on input measures. Colleges are far too preoccupied with selectivity, or how many applications are accepted from the pool of applicants, rather than output measures which determines how well colleges have prepared students to enter the workforce. He argued that the best colleges and universities in the country will equip students with the knowledge and skills needed in today's workforce. Clearly, this preoccupation has been a problem since we have heard companies complain that recent college graduates are coming to the workforce unprepared with the skills needed to be successful in the 21st century. What skills are we talking about? There are three types of skills: basic knowledge of technology, the ability to sift through and evaluate the vast amount of data we encounter on a daily basis, and human literacy (a.k.a. "soft skills").
It makes sense that college graduates should have a basis handle on technology and the skills to navigate a world that inundates them with information. But these are skills that robots can do. So what sets humans apart from robots? The third skill set: human literacy. Creativity, innovation, problem solving, and relating to people were once considered "soft skills" but are now increasingly more important, especially to employers. Robots and AI have not advanced enough to master such skills, thus giving humans an edge.
Companies looking for new talent are starting to change their thinking and place a higher priority on hiring candidates with strong human literacy. Yes, they prefer their employees to have knowledge that is acquired through higher learning, but they are also willing to train individuals who are highly motivated. What companies really, REALLY want is someone who has great ideas, flexible thinking, different ways to approach problems, and experience in working effectively with different types of people.
This has huge implications for how our education system must change, not just in higher education but in elementary school. Mandatory state testing, for example, tests knowledge and speed, both of which fall into the realm of robot skills. None of the "soft skills" that are critical in our workforce are measured, sending a clear message to students and teachers that these skills are unimportant. Students who don't score well on standardized tests but who show creativity, innovation, problem-solving, and people skills feel less valued and unsure of where their skills have value in this world. If we truly want to prepare our children for the 21st century, we must throw out the old measuring stick. By continuing to measure our children with archaic standards, we risk sending this generation into the workforce ill prepared and at risk for being replaced by a robot.
As for higher education, revamping the delivery and content of curriculum was something the panelists agreed would help students develop human literacy, so they can be prepared for the workforce. How should colleges accomplish this? Obviously, human literacy cannot be developed through online learning where there is no face-to-face interaction. Studies have shown that students who primarily take online classes acquire knowledge, but lack the human literacy edge that companies are looking for. Aoun said that experiential learning, which is practicing and applying the book knowledge in a work setting, is the best way to go about developing critical components of human literacy. THIS is what higher education needs to do in order to prepare students for the working world! A side benefit to this type of learning is that a student will get the opportunity to explore different career settings before interviewing for jobs post-graduation.
Fixing our education system to produce well-equipped and well-trained college graduates involves yet another fundamental shift in thinking. Graduating from college does NOT guarantee anything other than holding a piece of paper saying you completed requirements. What it DOES guarantee is that you have completed your first step on a long journey of your career. The diploma is not the destination because, as many of us already know, you may not stay in the same profession for your entire life. Research shows that we can change professions nearly four times in our life! What does this mean? It means that we have to continue to learn so that we can simply stay relevant or even to redefine ourselves when we need to shift to another profession. We, as a society, need to adopt a lifelong learning approach and demand that higher education provide access to lifelong learning. As Aoun said, higher education needs to provide access to learning for "K to grey." Of course, in order for this to be possible, we need two things: 1. colleges and universities to get on board with this idea of providing access to learning for more than just 18-22 year-olds and 2. our federal government to provide a lifelong learning account and UBI (universal basic income) to make this financially possible for people. Technology is here to stay and will continually advance making it imperative that we continually grow, improve, learn, and change throughout our lifetime in order to keep one step ahead of robots.
If being replaced by a robot seems like a scary prospect, it is. But there is great opportunity to adapt to this world of ever-advancing technology that is changing our workforce by fundamentally shifting the way we provide education in America. Education, employment and technology are forever entwined; change is needed at every level of education and we desperately need creative and innovative problem-solvers in both education and policy to make this happen. This won't happen overnight. Let's start by encouraging and valuing those type of thinkers in the classroom, a task I doubt robots, online education, or AI can accomplish!
Discussion questions:
1. Parents and teens: A college diploma is just one step in the long journey of your career. How does this statement affect your perspective of college? Does it change the purpose of college? If so, how?
2. Parents and teens: How can standardized testing best measure human literacy or "soft skills" (e.g. creativity, innovation, problem-solving)? Can it accomplish this?
3. Teens: How could you highlight your "soft skills" on your college resume or in a job interview?
4. Parents and teens: What do you think about lifelong learning or continually accessing learning through colleges/universities throughout your lifetime? How would this alter your decision-making when choosing a college after high school?
5. Parents: What would lifelong learning access look like for someone in the 40-60 year-old range? What would make this appealing or challenging for you?
6. Parents and teens: Are you considering a college that offers experiential learning or internships? Why or why not?
7. Parents and teens: What would a school look like that encouraged, measured and valued "soft skills" such as creativity, innovation, problem-solving, and people skills?
8. Parents and teens: Which political candidates and policymakers hold views similar to the ones stated above? If you don't know where they stand, visit their websites and read up on where they stand.
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