This six-part series focuses on transformation of the traditional higher education system in the United States. Read parts 1 through 5 on the Cisco Education Blog.
Part 1: The Need for Change
Part 2: Shared Challenges
Part 3: Navigating Culture
Part 4: Modernizing Teaching and Learning
Part 5: Scaling Best Practices
Educators share a common crisis in the delivery of higher learning. They suffer many of the same challenges, with regard to access to quality educational experiences, the need to replace outdated teaching methodologies, and the imperative to prepare students to become part of the workforce of the future.
The global higher education community would do well to share a common approach in helping to transform its systems, employing an approach that uses technology to improve culture and modernize teaching and learning to prepare learners for next-generation careers, and to reach scale.
Cisco recommends the following:
While change can be daunting, the need to change can be an important catalyst for innovation. Many college and university systems are strapped for financial resources. But those organizations that identify and drive innovation from within can often operate on a drastically reduced budget.
Steve Jobs said, "Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R & D. It's not about money. It's about the people you have, how you're led, and how much you get it."
The same applies to educational transformation: Innovation comes from within, and technology is a critical enabler to help accelerate change.