The relevance of conventional universities will be challenged even more, as we traverse the next decade, with online education, poised as it is on a growth trajectory. A robust online framework to make this work is in itself a major challenge, absence of which, will spin off a multitude of below par certificate holders, who could actually be a liability, adding to the numbers currently graduating, out of an ecosystem that is seriously short on quality metrics.
A job market, lukewarm at best, to the ever-increasing pressures of a burgeoning youth, an infrastructural deficit in the ever-demanding resources in our institutions, painfully low teacher student ratios and a vow fully low planning quotient, both in the public and private education space, have all contributed to this alarming fall in quality levels in our education system.
Rethinking education paradigm is then, an emerging truth that we cannot shy away nor wish away. Hybrid models emerge in this space. Conventional education and online education in tandem could provide a way out. Not just conventional. Not just online. A judicious, mix and match, to create a teaching paradigm that not only limits the ills of teacher shortages, but also infuses new interest into learning is called for. Online credits acquired in this process must then be recognised for the award of degrees and diplomas along with conventional credits.
One of the major ills of current delivery models is in the regimentation and structure it seeks, in its implementation. With a surfeit of information available in the public domain, children, being addicted to social networking cites, must be allowed to learn at their pace and understand at their leisure. Visual mediums are at least 30% more effective than any other. YouTube is the second most popular social network as of late 2016, and Snapchat, Periscope, and Vine are at the top, as well. Almost every major social network like the Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more, have all made it easier to upload, view and share videos on their respective applications and websites. Teaching, learning methodologies, must evolve and not stagnate with time.
Infrastructure also obsoletes as fast as technology does and institutions must meet the challenge, by investing in new equipment and new processes. This calls for large infusion of funds, which traditionally was the responsibility of the State. The State withdrawing from funding, in higher education, has left edupreneurs and the trusts or societies, operating in the state domain, to fend for themselves. Some made the grade and many fell by the wayside, bringing down the cumulative quality index. An innovative way out, for at least the institutions in the State domain, would be, them to be run henceforth, by industrial houses, under their CSR or any other scheme. Operationally, the State needs to mandate such a process. This also can address the problem of industry connect, best practices, product or process-based research and development, in areas that do not necessarily fall in the curriculum domain. Patents and IPR would be necessitated by need and hence institutionalised over time. Consequence would catapult such institutions into a higher plane of operation and a few notches above in the global rankings. A PPP initiative in education, which has been a patented argument, of the government thought process, must be subjected to jetsam, for education institutions can never function like toll collecting agencies. Education “not for profit” theory also needs to be relooked at, for the funds have to come from somewhere. If the state cannot do it, then the burden bears down heavy on the students or the parents. If equity has to survive, banks must be empowered to take over the fund-imposed pressures. Public money invested in education reaps rich dividends.
The current policy of State or Centre funded institutions, headed by industry czars, must be reviewed. Good institutions that were traditionally run by the State, have continued to do well under the new dispensation. What was the value addition then? They are still funded by the state or the centre not to speak of the fact that they were setup by public money. How many endowments been added, since they took over? How have the institutions fared in global rankings, from the time that the leading guards have changed? Why should our institutions continue to languish out of the global rankings even with autonomy and leaders, both having metamorphosed? Running Universities and institutions, need nurturing and caring, both with funding and the rule book, as is with the industries. As far as the private institutions are concerned, they would be at the mercy of the market forces, but then, they were never meant to be bailed out by the State.
One other important factor, of fall in global rankings, is the lack of internationalisation in our education. Foreign students and faculty from top institutions, across the globe, is almost nil on our campuses, completely blocking the other view. A point for debate would certainly be why should they? What would be the value proposition from their perspective? Students from several African, some Asian and even trans-pacific nations, would love to come to our institutions, for the sheer cultural diversity and relatively better education. A National level entrance test on the lines of GRE, targeted against these countries could bring them in hordes.
An eminent faculty, would look to either making more money or work with better research facilities or explore a possibility of interaction with the best in his/her domain, or be privy to industry consultancy that can lead to new products, processes, thereby adding patents and IPR’s to his/her repute. None would venture out, except for a week’s visit at most, if the above are not perceived as available which is neither here nor there. Internationalisation calls for an outside faculty to be on the campus, teaching and doing research for a whole semester, if not less, and the model repeating, semester after semester, with the researchers and their departments mutating. Post doc researchers on our campuses are as rare as ‘aussi rares que les dents de poule’ as they say in French, which is as rare as hen’s teeth. Faculty from across the world would hand hold such initiatives adding great value.
The success of any university depends on its ability to forge strategic alliances with global international partners. The true nature of internationalisation is not universal or specific. One theory defines it, as one of the ways a country responds to the impact of globalisation, yet at the same time respects the individuality of the nation. Another notes that, it is the process of integrating an international/intercultural dimension into the teaching, research and service functions of the institution. A few known dimensions of forging alliances with global partners would be to foster human development through understanding and respect across nations, expand and sustain avenues for economic competitiveness and promote academic entrepreneurialism.
An IAUCI or an ABET or an IET accreditation brings a completely new dimension to the way we understand delivery models and the way we practice quality in our class rooms and institutions. The World moved from simple open loop assessment practices which were highly input based to more reliable closed loop technics that allowed measurement of outcomes and feedback. It is time we moved from closed loop accreditation methodology to more adaptive based systems. The perturbations in the system would come to a steady state, far more quickly and with a far more telling accuracy.
The purpose of academic assessment, must be to improve the overall educational experience of the students. This is achieved through assessment activities based on institutional values that aim, to produce relevant and reliable data for aligning curricular design, course content, and pedagogical approaches, consistent with an institution’s mission and values. In all assessment activities the faculty and staff of the university, must endeavour to take full consideration of the different educational and cultural backgrounds of its student population. Certainly, an educational challenge as we move into the next decade.