| |9 August 2017HIGHERReviewtrain the user to think in a way that facilitates finding solutions to new (and challenging) problems. Learning, therefore, is not about studying endlessly about facts anymore. Most degree programs are based on antiquated models that were developed to produce uniform industrial age workers ­ which are irrelevant in today's job market. If we look at engineering graduates in India alone, estimates have indicated that between 75-90 percent (in India) are not employable as they do not possess the skills and/or aptitude relevant in today's workplace.The traditional benefits of going to a college/University and learning in huge rooms with a faculty who may never have worked outside academics their whole life, teaching students skills relevant a decade ago are fast becoming passé. Learners today increasingly want to learn from instructors who are leaders in their field and can teach them relevant skills in the most contemporary way possible ­ online! Social skills that used to get developed through interaction with peers are being replaced by social networks, Instant Messengers, and other collaboration/communication tools available on the Internet ­ that have been around since these students were born. It is increasingly common to find close friends sitting in the same physical space, not speaking to each other, yet furiously typing away on their smartphone/tablet, interacting with multiple friends around the world. Last but not least, (most) Universities today do little to equip a student with skills like intellectual curiosity, innovative thinking and creative problem-solving.Ashish Bharadwaj is currently working in Laureate Education India, which is the largest global network of degree-granting higher education institutions, having more than one million students enrolled across more than 80 institutions.Dr. Ashish BharadwajAs an increasing trend even in India, learners today have been demonstrating the knowledge and ability to create innovative products and technologies, creating disruptive startups that, at times, leave entire industries in the dust. Crowdsourced funding models through micro-loans are becoming more routine by the day thus making many of these startups economically viable.Of course, the impact of these trends would be different in different economies and geographies. But one thing is unmistakable. Higher Education today isn't about learning something by going to a physical space to get `an education.' It's about what the learner does ­ a series of experiences in learning to dexterously adapt to change, navigating and curating the ocean of knowledge that surrounds us in the Cloud."
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