16 Public Purpose n Winter 2014

Higher education reform is indeed a hot topic these days, with countless conferences, books and articles devoted to the subject, and an ever-expanding circle of experts promoting their own initiatives, many of which involve some form of e-learning. Thus, when AASCU

asked me to author a book on the role of online education in driving postsecondary innovation, I was delighted at the opportunity to showcase the many ways its member universities have embraced technology over the past 20 years. Kathy Harvatt, a longtime colleague and accomplished education writer, eagerly agreed to help me with the project. We began our task with a great deal of research, which included both an all-encompassing literature review and a series of in-depth discussions with the “gazelles” of higher learning—those fast-running thought leaders, who have spent years at the very forefront of innovation. But as we delved deeper, a rather disturbing reality emerged. Although still quite popular, the traditional model of higher education, with its textbook-driven, teacher-directed, talk and test methodologies, no longer prepares our students—either online or on campus—for professional success in an economy unlike any we have ever experienced. Even as we see a notable increase in the four-year degree completion rate among Americans under 25 (some 38 percent since 2000), there are not enough jobs being created to accommodate them.1 As a result, more than half of all new graduates were either jobless or underemployed last year.2 To

WIREDAdding Value to the College Experiencefor success

By Susan C. Aldridge

make matters worse, a growing number of employers contend that today’s graduates frequently lack the requisite 21st century skills to move beyond entry-level positions—skills that are not being taught in most college classrooms. For us, the data were clear. Industry recruiters are looking for well-rounded new hires, who in addition to having mastered discipline-specific skills, also demonstrate ethical judgment and integrity; interdisciplinary knowledge and intercultural competence; and civic engagement and social responsibility. On top of that, they must be critical thinkers, creative problem-solvers and self-directed learners.

To achieve these outcomes, we will need to design a radically different kind of higher education—one that provides students with the requisite knowledge, aptitudes and experiences to hit the ground running

upon graduation. By failing to do so, we will leave far too many of them caught between a rock (crippling student loan debt) and a hard place (a highly competitive and volatile job market), with degrees that are not particularly valuable. Yet as obvious as this reality seems, most institutions are reticent to tackle the formidable task of real transformation, preferring instead to focus on short-term strategies that have little to do with higher quality instruction. On one hand, the increasing push for academic access and affordability is fueling a disproportionate fixation on “disruptive innovations” like competency-based education, $10,000 degrees, and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). While these approaches certainly make it easier for students to afford and acquire a college education, none of them have been shown to provide measurable value on academic investment. At the same time, American colleges and universities (private and public) are openly embroiled in an expensive and all-consuming rivalry

1Weissman, J. (2012, April 23). “53% of Recent College Grads Are Jobless or Underemployed—How?” The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/04/53-of-recent-college-grads-are-jobless-or-underemployed-how/256237/

2Ibid.

17Winter 2014 n Public Purpose

forstatusandrankingsintheirquestforstableenrollments.Notsurprisingly, this so-called “arms race” is steadily driving tuition rates up, as competing institutions struggle to offset enormous expenditures on fancy facilities, tuition incentives, and high-priced research faculty. Given the serious dilemma new graduates face, we began to see our work as a unique opportunity to reframe the discussion around student success. And in our search for effective approaches, we found more than a few “pockets of genius” on AASCU campuses across the country, inspired by administrators and faculty who, instead of succumbing to fads or pandering to convention, are busy delivering a truly marketable education. So what began as an in-depth look at online learning evolved into a practical “playbook” for adding value to a college degree, regardless of the academic delivery system. As such, Wired for Success offers a step-by-step plan (with dozens of outstanding examples) for implementing new academic models and effective instructional approaches that promote the expert knowledge and complex skills our graduates will need in a rapidly changing workforce. With that in mind, it proposes learning environments and experiences that exploit the neuroscience behind “brain-based learning,” known to promote both critical thinking and creative problem-solving. What’s more, our book explores how digital technology serves as an extraordinary platform for engaging students and faculty alike in active, collaborative and authentic learning—from global videoconferencing and social pedagogies to multiplayer gaming experiences and adaptive learning systems. In looking at the obvious need for good teaching—particularly when it comes to technology-enhanced learning—Wired for Success also provides excellent examples of evidence-based faculty development on both public and private campuses. Likewise, it makes the case for a curriculum that incorporates abundant opportunities for civic engagement and global study, along with career education that empowers students to develop and market their relevant talents, skills and experience.

Of course, transformational change of this magnitude requires a truly innovative mindset, beginning at the top. Yet while college presidents and their boards are definitely moving in that direction, we found far too much emphasis on disruptive innovation—a trendy business concept predicated on creating new markets that eventually drive costs down in existing ones. Although this theory has encouraged a noteworthy round of institutional experiments, most of them have been conducted “offshore,” through wholly separate operational units, with completely different business models—turning innovation into a parallel venture, rather than a campus-wide commitment. Equally problematic, it continues to feed our laser focus on

magic bullet solutions for addressing access and affordability. On the other hand, most of the gazelles we interviewed viewed innovation as an intentional, inclusive and continuous process of improvement that requires equal portions of discipline, imagination and patience, along with a willingness to think big, start small and scale quickly. With this perspective in mind, Wired for Success also advocates a proven approach for achieving the small wins, which then lead to big changes that create, capture and deliver increasingly greater value for both the students already being served and those to follow. Moreover, when done well, this approach facilitates a safe haven for campus-wide research and experimentation, while engendering an institutional culture of change that is as proactive as it is holistic. NodoubtthepressureforAmericancolleges and universities to reinvent themselves will only intensify, as student

loan debt spirals and the job market continues to tighten. But as difficult as this transformation promises to be, I hope our book will not only inform, but also inspire the process, by showcasing some of the many AASCU schools that are shaping the future of higher education. Their extraordinary achievements are proof positive that with collective action, research-driven models, and carefully selected technologies, we can “wire” our students, as well as our institutions, for success—now and in the future.

Susan C. Aldridge served as senior fellow at AASCU from 2012-2013. She recently joined Drexel University as president of Drexel Univeristy online and senior vice president for online learning. Prior to joining AASCU, Aldridge served six years as president of University of Maryland University College.

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Wired for Success will be publishedin March 2014 by AASCUand available for purchase

online at aascu.org.