When robots take over some jobs, artificial intelligence performs tasks normally requiring human intelligence and human memory is no longer the portent of intelligence: What is education for? What is education’s bottom line, or value? At the 2019 Oxford Debate on the University of the Future, Professor John Netting, Director General of the Europe Business Assembly poses the following question: Is Higher Education, in its current form, the “university structure”, still fit for purpose? What is the purpose of higher education and who should benefit from it, and in what form?
These vexing questions characterise education today. It appears that an instrumental view of education is no longer valid as perceptions of education has changed. In examining its purpose, new perceptions of education are emerging. As society evolves, the purpose and value evolves. It should and cannot stagnate. Throughput rates and pass rates are the vagaries of a society demanding returns on investment on anything. But the real value of education is not easily quantifiable in performance indicators and should not be appraised by an input- output approach. Education is much more than the sum of its parts. Educations matters, but is also not a panacea for every problem in society. Education is about liberation, development, learning, well-being, critical thinking, sustainable development and it is, importantly, also about values. The diverse purposes of higher education are social, economic and even political. Education leads to economic prosperity and gives people the knowledge, skills and competencies they need to compete, to produce technological goods and contribute to socio- economic development. The ideals of education have also evolved over time. From producing good citizenship, to well-trained and critical citizens, the ideal today is creativity. Therefore, education is the oxygen of society and the key to success.
Higher education includes all types of studies, training or training for research at the post-secondary level, provided by approved universities or other educational institutions. The World Declaration on Higher Education for the 21st Century (1998), noting the high demand for higher education and its diversification, also alludes to an increased awareness of its vital importance for sociocultural and economic development. But, the Higher Education sector is assailed with many headwinds namely economic decline, reduced funding and rising costs, complexity, competition, digital disruption and socio- political factors. Hence, growing student enrolment for residential universities, relevance and legitimacy remains a big challenge. The Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report estimates that the annual education spend by governments, households and donors stands at US $4.7 trillion worldwide and a large portion of a household’s education costs are for higher education. Education intelligence analysts at HolonIQ estimates that global spend on higher education is worth US $2,2 trillion.
Yet, despite this, the humanitarian- development divide remains a bridge too far. Stubborn inequalities in human development globally have eroded trust and social cohesion. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer 2020 Report, distrust in government has increased. The report found that no institution is seen to be both competent (delivering on promises) and ethical (doing the right thing). Education is one of the three components of the Human Development Index (HDI) along with health and living standards. South Africa’s (SA) HDI is ranked 113th in the world and the expected years of schooling is 13.7, showing an increase from 11.4 in 1990.
The importance of education for human development cannot be underestimated or ignored. The United Nations recognized that quality education for all is central to eradicating poverty and if every child in the world simply had basic literacy skills, poverty would be decreased by 12% worldwide. Economic disparities between the rich and poor could be reduced by 39% if there was educational equality. Furthermore, each additional year of education leads to an average increase in annual income of 10%. The universal right to education for all is indisputable. The ambition of the SA government’s Youth Plan 2020- 2030 is to enrol more youth into education and employment opportunities. The draft policy asserts that low levels of educational attainment and skills is a major contributor to unemployment, inequality and poverty (UIP). The high unemployment rate of 56.4% in South Africa is considered the highest in the world. Current statistics indicate a failure in the education system due to lower than global average completion rates.
With its many benefits, education has the power to change the world. Because education is a major contributor to wealth and economic development, it is important that education systems around the globe develop and improve so that it can meet the rapidly changing needs of economy and society. Global higher education has grown considerably with the number of university students across the world increasing steadily. In 2016 there were an estimated 216 million students in Higher Education and this is predicted to increase to 380 million by2030. But more is not necessarily better. Expanding the enrolment in higher education is a necessity, but the quality of education is of utmost importance. In other words, there must be alignment between quality and degrees and diplomas. If the interests of universities, students and stakeholders are not safeguarded, the HE system could be devalued.
Our modern techno- human society is straining through many changes and disruptions. In these times of complexity and volatility, apprehension and ambiguity, we must learn to contend with paradox through a responsive, agile and anti-fragile education system. The onset of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, like others before, necessitates economic reform and education redesign is paramount for the future of the economy and people’s life chances (opportunities to improve the quality of life). Thus, an adaptive, socially conscious Higher Education system to leverage technology for a better society. Aligning education to the economy is necessary if education is to fulfil its purpose. Higher education must know what economy and society wants. Tertiary qualifications and university degrees must lead to better skills and higher productivity. The US-based Conference Board Annual Survey of corporate CEO’s and C-suite executives, released in January 2020, identified culture-related issues as the top internal concerns for 2020. Attracting top talent was the number 1 hot-button issue, followed by creating new business models to address disruptive technologies, creating a more innovative culture and developing ‘Next Gen’ leaders. Thus, workforce capability and mental modes are a major concern. Whilst primarily culture related, these issues points towards a relevant and responsive education system.
Despite the predominance of the traditional face-face institutions, online and blended models are gaining momentum and has become an imperative for expanding access to higher education. The Fourth Industrial Revolution has amplified the fear that artificial intelligence and automation will eliminate jobs. Artificial intelligence and automation will not eclipse the need for human intelligence. However, the real challenge is proper training of people for available jobs: the reskilling of people with bespoke skills, problem solving and decision-making abilities. The World Economic Forum (WEF) noted that skills requirements may change by 2022 and proposed a return to apprenticeships because many of these skills cannot be taught in a traditional university lecture hall. The Swiss model of vocational apprenticeships across various fields such as finance, healthcare, IT, electrical work, etc. is an example of such a model for effective education.
The wave of digital transformation demands technological change in two core spheres for Higher Education Institutions. They require technologies for effective and efficient operations and technologies to enhance learning and teaching. The Gartner Hype Cycle (2019) highlights the 29 emerging technologies which over the next decade will significantly impact business, society and people. These technologies point to five mega trends: sensing and mobility, augmented human, postclassical compute and communications, digital ecosystems and advanced AI and analytics. Some of these technologies has implications for education viz. augmented human intelligence, next- generation memory, advanced analytics. As these technologies become integral to business operations, it impacts the world of work. Because of these disruptions, universities may have to consider new business models. The increase in IT- based learning could eventually turn universities into MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). MOOCs are free online courses with no entry requirements and are designed for mass participation. It anticipates that learners will drive their own education and study alongside diverse fellow students from anywhere in the world. Some of the features are interactive online forums that can involve hundreds of students in peer-to-peer discussions, as well as access to video and audio lectures, etc. Thus, the geography of students and universities does not matter.
There are various implications for universities of the future. A change of organisational structure may necessitate new ways of operating, interdisciplinarity that enhances collaboration and new configurations of faculties and departments. A change of accreditation procedures implies that there are now fixed degree programme and a new role for exam officers. The core academic work of university will also be affected. Teaching methods may change with new teaching concepts and infrastructure. A change of leaning may require new infrastructure, personalised learning and a shift from presence to distance learning. In a RWTH Aachen University feature on the Trends and Future perspectives on learning and teaching in Higher Education 4.0, the central mission of education is defined as embedding the skills of reasoning, openness and inquiry (preparedness) and higher purpose. Thus, in Higher Education 4.0 new mental modes of thinking and sensing and new learning styles (games- based, self-paced and direct feedback) will focus on individualisation and personalisation. Some of the skill-sets required by the “jobs-of-the-future” are: NEW MEDIA LITERACY, VIRTUAL COLLABORATION, SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE, COMPUTATIONAL THINKING, TRANSDISCIPLINARY, DESIGN MINDSET, NOVEL AND ADAPTIVE THINKING, SENSE MAKING. Below are some of the Learning Paradigms in the 21st century:
Source: RHW Aachen University
In an everchanging, complex and sometimes chaotic world, Universities must be responsive and adaptive, creative and innovative. To be legitimate and relevant, universities must create value and serve the needs and demands of society. The paramount mission is then to help with innovation, inventions and consultancy. In the words of the Head of the London School of Economics, Dame Minouche Shafik, higher education must instil “an appreciation for rigour and a commitment to engage with public debate as experts and as citizens”
Dr Randall Jonas
Director Nelson Mandela University Business School
2020/02/21