Higher education futurist Ken Steele visited Sheridan on December 17 to discuss the evolution of postsecondary education and deliver two engaging, interactive presentations: The Evolving Student and The Evolving Workforce. Approximately 90 employees attended each of the sessions. For those who were unable to attend, below is a summary of the session content as well as a link to the slide decks.
Background: Ken Steele is the co-founder of Academica Group, a market research firm that conducts large-scale postsecondary consumer surveys and publishes the Top Ten, Canada’s leading higher education news daily. Through his new company Eduvation, Ken delivers hundreds of campus presentations and workshops each year that synthesize a vast array of up-to-the-moment research data, trends and forecasts, which he combines with real-time audience polls, strategic insights and humour.
The Evolving Student
Ken conducted a real-time poll among audience members to kick off the first session, asking attendees how they believe students have changed over time. According to the poll, the majority of audience members said today’s students are more diverse, compassionate, and accepting of others than ever before. They also believe today’s students are highly stressed. During his presentation, Ken discussed the current trends of today’s students in higher education:
Diversity
Today’s student embodies diversity in all shapes and forms. Trends suggest that by 2030 there will be more immigrants in Canada than native-born students. Canada has quickly become the number one choice for study among international students, largely due to political factors in the U.S. and United Kingdom. Canadian schools have also experienced growth of indigenous student populations. A significant rise in self-reported disabilities has prompted institutions to adopt the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) – an educational framework that accommodates individual differences to optimize learning through multiple means of engagement, accessible learning tools and flexible course materials.
Demand for Flexibility
Now more than ever, postsecondary students demand flexibility. Approximately 50% of Canadian postsecondary students balance full-time or part-time work, prompting postsecondary institutions to adapt by offering compressed programming, monthly module learning and subscription-based courses.
Technology
There is an increased demand for smartphone-accessible sites, apps and support from today’s students. Online textbooks, tutoring and support are becoming more prevalent. Ken suggested that the general population has a shorter attention span, resulting in increased expectations surrounding convenience, speed and ease. However, he noted that not everyone wants a fully online experience; studies show students fair 14% worse in online courses compared to in-person courses.
Experiential Learning
According to a 2012 TD Economics survey, students believe they receive the most academic value by participating in internship, co-op and experiential learning activities. Students are opting for programs that provide hands-on training and real-world experience via lab simulations and virtual reality technologies.
Download the full presentation: The Evolving Student.
The Evolving Workforce
Ken spoke about current and emerging labour market trends that will impact our students as they prepare for the workforce and the ways in which post-secondary institutions are responding. He noted that career anxiety is a reality for many graduating students, citing a 2015 survey by McKinsey and Co., which indicated that 44% of students feel inadequately prepared for the workforce. This anxiety is compounded by slow growth in youth employment since 2008, particularly for full-time jobs.
Interdisciplinarity
Ken said that students can expect to enter a workforce where change is a constant and will find that many emerging industries need jobs filled that don’t even yet exist. In response to this uncertainty, some institutions are moving toward interdisciplinary programs, which combine elements from various areas of study, such as McMaster University’s Health, Engineering and Entrepreneurship Honours degree. Funding for interdisciplinary research is also on the rise.
Gig Economy
Short-term, part-time and contract work that typically lacks security, stability and pensions is ever-growing in Canada according to a 2016 Statistics Canada survey. Post-secondary institutions are beginning to offer more courses that cultivate entrepreneurial skills to help students navigate this reality and creating on-campus incubators where students can be mentored in their own business pursuits.
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL)
Ken says that continued cohesions between industry needs and program deliverables will be important to meet the demands of the evolving workforce. WIL is becoming increasingly in-demand in post-secondary education through co-operative educational opportunities and work placements, which provide integral hands-on and practical learning experiences. WIL is also becoming more diverse in terms of the types and scale of opportunities such as schools partnering with companies that need eligible, skilled workers.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation
Advancements in AI and Automation, components of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, will greatly impact the landscape of the workforce as have the others before it. According to the World Economic Forum, the ‘human edge’ to keep people employable will be the development of soft skills like compassion and creativity as well as finding work that requires complex thinking and social interaction.
Competency-Based Education (CBE)
CBE is also emerging across the post-secondary education landscape. This re-thinking of how credentials are awarded and tools of measurement and evaluation mean a new focus on the mastery of a skill rather than traditional exam writing and testing.