changes colleges

4 major changes our colleges should undergo right now


The bedrock changes our colleges need to undergo immediately for real transformation.

The information age and development of the internet have changed every aspect of human life from dating to journalism. Education did not escape this revolution. From 100 percent online courses to interactive lecture styles, the college experience has changed dramatically in the last couple decades, but some believe that the structure of higher education needs more drastic changes in the near future.

Faculty and staff at Southern New Hampshire University embrace this idea with their Sandbox Collaborative. This program works on pitching and developing ideas to revolutionize education. Some areas in the system that need change are outlined below.

1. Changing General Education Class Delivery

For most students, the first two years of their college education consists of completing general education requirements and prerequisite classes aimed at providing a broad overview of different areas. In past years, the most effective way to deliver this information consisted of lectures in enormous auditoriums with class sizes in the hundreds.

Today, the lecture carries less importance because of the resources found online. Not only are prominent lecturers available for free in various fields, many websites also offer other tutorials for students. MOOCs provide an alternative to packing an auditorium 3 times a week.

These classes allow unlimited enrollment and cover a variety of topics. The learning materials are online, and students take assessments and complete assignments. Professors at many universities have designed these courses based off the actual in-person classes they teach. Schools offer these courses for free with a no-credit option. Some universities now give credit for MOOCs with a small fee.

This new trend has garnered various responses with some professors worried that this new fad is providing a less consistent education for students. Others emphasize the benefits like:

  • Faster completion time.
  • Affordable method for completing prerequisites.
  • Diverse course offerings.

2. Changing the Classroom Experience

As the lecture holds less importance, some colleges have concluded that the best way to utilize class time is to focus on hands-on learning. These programs require students to independently learn basic material and then use those fundamentals to solve problems and experience how they can actually use that knowledge. Studies indicate that active learning styles increase information retention rates and result in faster learning.

One Alaska university in Fairbanks emphasizes this learning style in many programs including marine biology and fisheries. In these programs, students experience what it is like to actually work in the field, spending time in laboratories and on the water.

Evergreen State University in Washington has a similar perspective, and they design their curriculum around specific experiences. Each term, all of a student’s classes and experiences complement each other.

(Next page: 2 more changes colleges should undergo)

3. Changing the Major

Another area under scrutiny is the college major, itself. New research shows that employers would prefer graduates to have a better understanding of how to solve problems and think critically in their fields which requires expertise in related areas as well. With so much of a degree taken up by general education, often only one-fourth of the classes are specialized courses in the field.

Most jobs in the workforce are not purely centered in one field but use a variety of skills from diverse complementary subject areas. As a result, many universities have started offering interdisciplinary majors. Some examples include:

  • Medicine, Science and Humanities major from Johns Hopkins University
  • Science Research Fellows major from Baylor University
  • Behavioral Neuroscience at Drury
  • Media, Culture and the Arts from Clark University
  • Electronic Business Marketing from Western Michigan University

4. Changing the “Credit Hour”

Finally, some progressive schools have started providing degrees based on skills, rather than the number of hours in attendance. This competency-based learning is focused on providing students everything they need to be successful in their careers.

In these programs, students save time in areas in which they have previous experience. If they can demonstrate mastery in the particular skill, they test out of those classes. Northern Arizona University offers personalized learning featuring this competency-based system in a few areas including technology and business management.

These programs are completely online and allow students to work at their own pace charging one fee every 6 months. Upon graduation, students receive two transcripts, one displaying skill competencies and the other detailing corresponding traditional courses. While still experiencing some resistance from educators, in time, universities will start implementing these changes.

Employers will benefit from this new system of educating because experiential and interdisciplinary learning provides new graduates more relevant skills in the workplace. In many cases, students will be able to finish college faster resulting in less tuition and a faster transition into the workforce.

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