Reassessing Traditional Education (Part 1 of a Series – The Problem)
August 7, 2010
Having recently finished her M.A. degree from a well respected university in an area studies program where she obtained a 4.0 GPA, received an assistantship during her studies and very positive letters of recommendations, among other accolades, my wife is now having great difficulties in finding a job. Unfortunately, like a large number of recent college graduates, she has after all limited work experience. Now 26 years of age, she is worried about having lost valuable time completing a master instead of increasing her work experience.
Part of her difficulty in finding a job may be related to her field of study. However, recent statistics show that up to 17% of college graduates are currently unemployed and competition is stiff for every job opening. Many of the individuals that she and I went to school with are experiencing the same difficulty, a large percentage of the students are currently unemployed or underemployed, and most of the students that have found employment are either back either continuing for a PhD study, or working in a different area.
The current job market shows that a large number of graduates are unemployed and that most open positions require previous work experience. It is because of these common difficulties that a reassessment of the traditional education system should be more fervently discussed. As traditional learning institutions hold less and less a monopoly of information and anyone with access to the internet is able to learn about almost any subject through a free e-book, by open courseware, online forums, or in a wiki style. Shouldn’t traditionally education institutions increasingly become more concerned in making sure students obtain work experience while they are at the university rather than focusing on the accumulation of knowledge? Shouldn’t work experience in their field of study increasingly become part of the traditional curriculum and universities have more direct connections with businesses and other outputs for their graduates?
It is my opinion that these changes absolutely necessary to some if not most field of study. In a series of articles I will address ways in which this can be accomplished and how by modifying traditional education, we could have a better trained, more entrepreneurial and productive work force and a lower rate of unemployment. I invite you to follow me and debate with me through a series of articles as to how this can be accomplish, as well as how we can use ICT, online education, and other modern tools to make college education more successful and a smoother transition for graduates into the work force.
