Jacob, W. J. and V. Gokbel. “Global Higher Education Learning Outcomes and Financial Trends: Comparative and Innovative Approaches.” International Journal of Educational Development 58 (2018): 5–17.
CENTRAL TAKEAWAY
As enrollment climbs and enrollees present more diverse needs and preferences regarding how, when, and how fast they engage with course material, institutions need to consider proactively how they can best reach and teach such audiences. Successful pedagogical strategies include but are not limited to: competency-based online courses, flipped classroom structures, and strong partnerships with industry counterparts.
SUMMARY
Recent global trends in higher education underscore the need to understand effective pedagogical strategies with the agility required for rapidly increasing enrollments and trends toward massification. Simultaneously, funding for higher education has not kept pace with these changes, resulting in systems where institutions are repeatedly asked to do more with less.
In light of these contrary and challenging trajectories, this study asks: “What are the exemplary models of learning outcomes and higher education financing models that can reduce or at least help level off this unsustainable trend?” (p. 5). To address this question, the authors conducted seven case studies at different institutions in the U.S., the U.K., Finland, Switzerland, and Nepal. For each case, they gathered government documents, and public and institutional data. Furthermore, they conducted ethnographic interviews with a total of 60 institutional leaders, government policy makers, and other content area experts.
DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS
Among the innovative financial, structural, and educational strategies discussed, the following are the most relevant.
Brigham Young University in the U.S. employs a highly innovative program known as Pathway. Pathway is designed for the first year of students’ studies and is delivered in a hybrid format. Student groups of at least ten meet once each week in a central location for in-person instruction. There are currently 423 such groups across 62 different countries. The groups employ a flipped classroom approach in which a different lead student teaches class each week. While they are assisted by a volunteer facilitator, the majority of the learning is peer-to-peer. Pathway is designed to help underserved or underprepared students establish the skills needed to succeed in higher education. After the first year the students can continue their education in a fully online format, or can transfer to more traditional learning at Brigham Young or another institution. These transfers are supported through strong advising relationships and shared understandings regarding credit transfers at a number of institutions. While this university model is financed in part through tuition, the amount each student pays per credit is based upon their nation of origin’s economic landscape.
Western Governors University (WGU), also based in the U.S., is an entirely online university. It employs a continuous rolling admission process and courses begin at the start of each month. Its pedagogy centers on competency-based learning in which students take only one course at a time and proceed through the online materials of said course at their own pace. This has numerous benefits for older students, professionals, and parents as well as eliminating the financial costs associated with interrupting one’s education due to life events. The university employs a strong student support structure: each student is paired with a professional counselor/student mentor in their area of specialization who maintains contact with the student, advises them, and guides them through their university experience. Students are also supported in each course they take by a course mentor who frequently holds a doctoral degree in the relevant course field. Finally, the institution benefits from their development of an Industry Advisory Council, a group of industry leaders who provides advice regarding the critical skills students need and serve as teachers and mentors to WGU students. The industries they represent also partner with the university to provide financial support, internship opportunities, and workforce placement for graduates.
The Aalto University in Finland is highly aligned with the national development and socioeconomic needs of Finland and Finnish industries. In addition to a very strong partnership with a diverse industry advisory council, the university explicitly focuses on entrepreneurship and innovation. Students engage in project-based learning as well as team learning that is designed to closely mimic their expected future work experiences and facilitate their entrance into the workforce. Due to these factors, the university enjoys strong financial support from its partner industries and the Finnish government, which frames activities as a clear public good. Admitted students pay no tuition and receive a monthly living stipend while attending.
IMPLICATIONS FOR ACTION BY CAMPUS LEADERS
Institutional leaders facing increasing enrollment may benefit from diversifying the modalities through which they deliver their instruction. By embracing online, time-flexible, and other low-cost delivery models they may be able to both provide quality education to larger numbers of students, and better support the growing numbers of nontraditional students who are seeking higher education.
Furthermore, CIC campus leaders may wish to develop their own industry advisory councils for certain majors or colleges. Partnering with industry has the potential to benefit students’ careers, provide an additional source of funding for teaching and research activities, and demonstrate clear social value to government policymakers. CIC leaders may want to build connections with industry partners as a pedagogical strategy: Involve them in teaching, advising, coaching, and even financing students.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
W. James Jacob is an emeritus director of the Institute for International Studies in Education at the University of Pittsburgh.
Veysel Gokbel is a senior data product manager at ShareThis Incorporated.
RECOMMENDED FOLLOW-UP LITERATURE
Christensen, C. M., and H. J. Eyring. The Innovative University: Changing the DNA of Higher Education from the Inside Out (1st ed). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2011.
Porter, S.To MOOC or Not to MOOC: How Can Online Learning Help to Build the Future of Higher Education? Cambridge, UK: Chandos Publishing, 2015.