When speaking to traditional education and alternative modes of learning, people tend to talk about them as separate entities, refusing to believe the two could be complementary or that college campuses are even trying to innovate.
Take the Olin College of Engineering, however, a school recognized for revolutionizing engineering education, that was founded in just 2002. "We are offering an alternative type of education at Olin," said Lawrence Neeley, an assistant professor of design and entrepreneurship, at BostInno's State of Innovation Forum. "We're all offering alternatives at alternative values."
The "we" was in reference to six other local leaders who spoke to the future of education Thursday at the Westin Waterfront. They included: Rob Rubin, VP of engineering at edX; Debbie Cavalier, CEO of Berklee Online; Aaron Feuer, CEO at Panorama Education; Anand Chopra-McGowan, director of business development at General Assembly; Sarah Hodges, vice president of marketing and strategy at Smarterer; and Hugh Courtney, dean of Northeastern's D'Amore-McKim School of Business.
The enterprising pool represented both sides of the education equation, but could all find common ground — primarily on costs.
"People are graduating with massive amounts of debt," noted Chopra-McGowan, adding that there's this sense debt will hold people back from their potential over time.
Earlier this week, President Barack Obama signed an executive order that will allow anyone to cap their federal student loan payments at 10 percent of their monthly incomes. Called Pay As You Earn, the plan reflects one already in effect for those who applied for a federal loan in or after 2011.
The importance behind his new plan mirrors a point Courtney made — that the return on investment still makes college well worth it. A recent report found that college graduates make 61 percent more annually than those without a degree.
Having enough money to even enroll in college, though, is still a hurdle students need to jump. Feuer reflected on the high schoolers he's met while building Panorama Education, a startup providing a survey and analytics platform specifically designed for K-12 schools.
"They don't think any of these possibilities are an option for them," Feuer said, referencing the institutions the panelists were representing. "It's fantastic that there's a ton of diversity now, but how do we make it so that every student in K-12 can say, 'I think I can do this?' … Our next challenge is opening up the doors for everyone."
Cavalier agreed, and spoke to the access alternatives, like online learning, provide. "We're expanding the reach and providing educational opportunities to people who just don't have any other alternatives," she said.
As the cost of a college degree, and its accompanying student loan debt, continue to rise, more employers are beginning to hire people based on their proven skills and less on where they received an education.
"We have a belief that people should be hired on their skills, no matter where they go them," shared Hodges, acknowledging that, although she went for her MBA, if she had the opportunity to go back, she probably wouldn't have chosen to attend graduate school.
"It's not a prerequisite anymore," Feuer argued. "In today's market, it's prohibitively expensive for people to get a graduate education."
Neeley and Courtney noted, however, that the value of a graduate degree also depends on the field students choose to enter into. Courtney addressed the "significant shortages" that still exist in STEM fields today, and Neeley agreed that "advanced degrees in engineering are very much worth it."
If students do choose to enroll in a graduate program, schools need to ensure they're delivering a quality education. To Courtney, technology-enabled learning is what's critical. "If we continue to have the same sage on the stage, we will under-serve [our students]."
As the panelists looked forward, it became clear how much room there is for growth in the industry, particularly in tailoring learning to an individual person. "I'm just excited to see so many new innovations emerging in that space," Hodges said. "People need to learn in a way that's right for them."
Every panelist agreed that broadening access will lead to a more successful future. "There's innovation that can be had in creating greater access to more traditional forms of education," Neeley added.
"Alternative learning" can still be done in the classroom. As Cavalier explained, "Alternative learning is taking that same classroom and those same walls and doing something different in there."
Image via La Capoise Galerie
