Professional Education

I recently had the opportunity to hear a presentation by Diane Auer Jones, the former Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education in the U.S. Department of Education, on the importance of accountability in higher education.  This presentation was incredibly eye-opening to me on many levels, and has encouraged me to more deeply consider how assessment can improve the student experience at professional colleges and universities.

A Single Definition

A primary goal of Jones’ presentation was to advocate for a “single definition” in education through a rethinking of accountability and student success across institution types.  Early in the presentation, Jones argued that while a distinction is often made between so-called traditional schools and career or vocational institutions, in reality program offerings at these institutions are increasingly similar to one another.  For example, proprietary schools are offering an increasing number of degree programs, including advanced degree programs while at the same time, the majority of graduates from traditional, comprehensive universities are earning degrees in vocational fields like nursing, education and business.

In addition, when outcomes are assessed for all students, and not just the shrinking minority of traditional, “first-time-full-time” students, we see a similar convergence in outcomes among demographically-matched students regardless of where they attend college (including at a number of selective institutions).   As highlighted by the report, Time is the Enemy¸ when part-time students are included in the statistics, public institutions that boast of graduation rates as high as 60 percent among their first-time-full-time students show far more sobering results.   While the relative proportion of traditional versus non-traditional students might determine the overall graduation rate at a given institution, these averages may in no way represent the likely outcome for an individual student.

One of the most striking quotes that came out of this year’s Professional Colleges and Universities Summit came from Frank Mulgrew, the President of the Online Education Institute at Post University.  During his presentation on the next generation of online learning environments, Mulgrew stated that “the lecture does not work” at professional colleges and universities.

Though we often take lectures for granted, it’s important to remember how commonplace they are in higher ed, to recognize the implications of Mulgrew’s bold statement.  If lectures “do not work,” then every day, thousands of professors in lecture halls across the country are ineffectively educating their students.  With that in mind, how did Mulgrew come to this thought-provoking conclusion?

He began by explaining the difference between passive and active learning.  Face-to-face lectures are considered passive because the learner simply sits and listens to the instructor without actively participating in the learning and teaching process. Mulgrew went on to argue that the part of our brain used to receive information in lectures – and to retrieve that information later – is weaker than the part of our brain that participates in more active learning.  Examples of active learning include group discussions or experienced-based learning that allows students to take ownership of their education and actively participate in the classroom.

I have to agree with Mulgrew that active forms of learning are incredibly beneficial to students – especially those at professional and career colleges. Since these learners often pursue programs that are geared towards a specific career path, it is critical that they learn practical skills and information that they can quickly transfer to the workplace.  In other words, simply listening to a lecture about a technical skill would probably be less effective than a more hands-on learning experience.

But even still, is the lecture really as ineffective as Mulgrew discussed in his presentation?

What do you think? Is the face-to-face lecture “dead” at professional colleges and universities? If so, what teaching methods and technologies will replace them in the future? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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Did you know? 75% of students use course content from at least one of these four leading publishers: Cengage, Wiley, Pearson and McGraw-Hill. And the way students are consuming this course content is dramatically changing. In just the last 4 years, we’ve seen a six-fold increase in digital content sales in education globally and most experts suspect that we are still at the shallow end of the growth curve. Faculty and students increasingly want their course content, assignments and grades built right in to their Blackboard course in order to be more efficient, save time and focus on what is important to them – teaching and learning.

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Though Blackboard is most often recognized as a provider of classroom learning solutions, did you know that we also offer educational institutions the tools they need for financial services? Through solutions such as BlackboardPay, career colleges and universities can streamline services from financial aid to payroll – all of which help to improve the student experience on and off campus.

Especially for institutions where a significant portion of students rely upon financial aid, BlackboardPay can effectively simplify the process of distributing ANY funds on a secure, user-friendly platform.  At professional universities, where adult learners oftentimes balance multiple financial commitments and working life, streamlining these processes ensures that students can easily manage their critical financial information on campus.

BlackboardPay gives your students and staff immediate access to their funds without having to wait for paper checks. When compared to other financial aid distribution products, BlackboardPay protects students by eliminating overdraft exposure, PIN debit fees, and even fees for checks that are lost, stolen, or damaged.  Additionally, this service eliminates many overdraft and check cashing fees, and makes it easier than ever for students and staff to access their funds at over 43,000 ATMs worldwide.

One of the most prevalent trends in higher education today is the increasing popularity of online classes. Today, about 30% of all higher education students take at least one class online, and demand for online courses exceeds demand for traditional courses across all institution types.

But online learning isn’t something to be taken for granted. When moving their classes online, instructors need to account for the absence of face-to-face interactions while integrating tools from an array of digital learning technologies. This presents a unique set of challenges, especially for classes that require a high level of interaction with the professor or those that are asynchronous in the online environment.

At this year’s Professional Colleges and Universities Summit, Steven Birmingham (IT Director at Central Penn College) discussed his experiences with transforming brick-and-mortar classes to online learning. Here are some of my favorite takeaways from Birmingham’s presentation: