Three forces changing shape of higher education globally

Farzana Tahmin Mazumder : According to Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust, education is one of the strongest ladders to increase socio-economic mobility. Of course that is true, new ideas and theories are generated everyday with the knowledge of higher education and these are changing the course of our lives. Higher education is the education that one takes after completing their secondary level of education, basically high school. These are provided by universities, colleges, academies and technology institutes.  While higher education is gaining prominence around the world, there are three forces that are creating possibilities and challenges  for the platform of higher education.
Influence of technology: There is no denying the fact that technology has been improving the quality of education. A large number of university students agree that technology has no doubt made education much easier and simpler. We can hardly think of any task that could be done without the help of technology. We now prefer downloading our reference books from the Internet to going to the store or library. We bring our laptops, smart phones or tablets to our classes more than our textbooks just because books are heavy. Medical students no longer have to wait for patients to come through the door with rare diseases, they are now using the Internet to watch videos about how they identify these cases and what they should and should not do in the operation theatre. They can even listen to the audio of an abnormal heartbeat all with the help of technology. In every aspect of our educational activities, we choose to use technology over traditional means. This is the major control that technology has on our education system. A survey conducted on university students in the United States revealed that most of the students thought that their laptops, smart phones or tablets are much important educational devices than  textbooks. They also believe that in the future, tablets may have that capacity to be replacing textbooks. While that may not happen soon in Bangladesh, this concept is spreading widely across developed nations and many developing nations.
Many teachers are incorporating social media in their teaching and are actively using videos, blogs and podcasts as necessary teaching tools.
Technology is now providing opportunities for students to complete their degree through online education. Online education is for those people who want to learn but cannot attend the classes. Many renowned universities like the University of Pennsylvania, University of Florida and  University of Manchester are providing us with the option of online education. For students who are willing, all they need to do is enroll, connect to the Internet, listen to the lectures uploaded and learn in the comfort of their own home. Online education has become a major success for many universities around the world, but its significance is still lacking in our country. Many universities in Bangladesh, however, are taking initiatives to introduce the concept of online education to interested students who are willing to learn.
Changing shape of knowledge: Universities with focus on research are now providing us with the proper resources, framework and discipline for research and teaching. It is within these universities where people, with the help of research, have been able to tackle some of the most perplexing problems and find solutions to them. Many topics that were once considered “impossible” or “too difficult” to explain are coming into light. The success of treating an HIV patient, the evidence of water in Mars, the finding of the planet Eris are all examples of the breakthroughs that we have come across. Have these discoveries not at all contributed to change the shape of our knowledge? Of course they have and with that change we are also bringing changes to the way things are being taught. Computers, that were once was handled by general engineers, have now increased at such a broader range that we now have a separate degree  on computer science. The more we do research the more we will be changing the dimensions of our knowledge. But what is most important for this to happen for us is to be able to recognise that human talent and expertise and be able to bring these best minds to work together.
Attempt to define the value of education: Many people, after graduating from high schools, debate on whether they should continue higher education or join the workforce. They often underestimate the importance of higher education. One very obvious way of defining the value of higher education is the great financial benefits that tag along with your degree. Research suggests that people with a bachelor’s degree of at least four years are more likely to earn more than an average high school graduate. Several researches suggest that higher education makes you more intelligent than a person without it. The more intelligent you are the more problem solving ability you have and the better quality of life you will have.
The forces explained above describe the changes brought to the higher education system in developed countries. When we try to compare these forces within the context of higher education in Bangladesh, we find that Bangladesh is lagging way behind.  Higher education system in Bangladesh has a long journey of more than a hundred and fifty years of intellectual development to catch up on. Although the literacy rate in Bangladesh is increasing every year, we are still struggling in terms of primary education. That is why our government is putting most of its efforts in primary education. While it is very important for us to encourage primary education, we should also give some significant importance to the development of secondary and higher level of education. While our government has introduced the idea of using technology in classrooms we should encourage our teachers and directors to make more use of these as efficiently as possible. Our research funds should be increased so that we can make new and amazing discoveries and at the same time can keep pace with the advances of other developed countries.  After all, higher education is not only improving the quality of our lives but also will be contributing in making our country a better place for future generations.thefinancialexpress
The writer a student of BBA at East West University, Dhaka, [email protected]