Go home academia. You are drunk.

Dichotomy between academia and the “real world” has always attracted criticism regarding its disconnection from reality, and that is fine; no system is perfect. But when it comes to acting like it’s still 19th century, it crosses the line. Today, millions of students (are trying to) learn what they will need in 2020 with ancient methods which didn’t change much since medieval universities, medreses or Shūyuàns; an instructor broadcasts information and students try to grasp as much as they can in real time, which is very ineffective. This is a perfect example for institutional inertia; resistance of a system to change its direction and pace despite the urgency and necessity.

In his TED talk in 2008, technologist and futurist Bill Joy raised his concerns about a possible mismatch between technology and education in the future. After explaining that he was anticipating a $100 computer which will be used as a tool for education in 2020, he asked “(..) the challenge is, will we develop the kind of educational tools and things with the net to let us take advantage of that device?” Eight years later, I share the same concerns.

Is academia trying hard enough to transform our learning environments to match ongoing transformations in every other aspect of life? I don’t think so.

Are we all gonna die?

No. There are a number of institutions which provide fascinating educational innovations such as Khan Academy, edX and Coursera. Initiatives such as Academic Partnerships, KAIST and University of the People are doing great jobs regarding taking education to next level for sure.

But what about more than 20,000 universities around the globe which stubbornly keep utilizing outdated one-size-fits-all academic methods, procedures and structures? Educational attainment is rising in the US for instance, but will the engagement in current academic systems bring success and prosperity, or more burdens and failures? Are we really exhausting all of the resources we have in order to provide good education to new generations?

Let’s get some facts straight.

1. A diploma is not necessary to get a job any more, especially if it is not from a distinguished university.

After years of looking at the data, Google has found that things like college GPAs and transcripts are almost worthless in hiring. Following these revelations, the company is hiring more and more people who never even went to college. Companies like Pixar developed massive internship programs which actually act as human resources departments and academic institutions at the same time. Organizations such as Udacity already started offering unaccredited courses customized for industry leaders. So if you can get a good job after interning at a company or attending unaccredited courses recognized by the industry for a fraction of what accredited schools cost, why get a diploma? In fact, Goldman Sachs just released a report stating that college graduates actually earn less, on average, than high school graduates.

I spent eleven years studying at higher education institutions in Turkey, Norway and the USA. I believe I would have been better off if I spent half of that time in customizable learning environments which do not offer any diplomas or certifications. This is my professional opinion as an educator who has been teaching in the US for accredited higher education institutions since 2010.

2. The world is about to change again, big time, and most schools act as if it will not.

As we are starting to launch satellites way cheaper than before with reusable rockets, advancements in information technology are about get a new acceleration trend. Things will start to change with a speed we cannot even comprehend at the moment. So it’s not a coincidence that Elon Musk, an entrepreneur who invested in solar energy, electric cars and space shuttles, recently mentioned the search for “Moore’s Law of space”. Sal Khan believes that “we are at an inflection point in history, and usually these new institutions form during these inflection points”. Most opinion leaders agree on the fact that things will change dramatically, but nobody knows how exactly.

I believe new generations will be learning in smarter environments, both technologically and structurally. They will not need to pass exams, get grades and maintain GPAs in the traditional sense. As innovative teaching methods such as utilization of teachable agents keep emerging, educators will be using new educational tools such as artificial intelligence, immersive environments and interactive games.

3. Future is fast and personalized.

I sometimes order my coffee on my way to the cafe through the app, just to customize my order beforehand and save some time. This was not the case just a year ago. Nobody is going to the restroom without a smartphone any more. You won’t see any Millenial taking a train or bus without a smartphone and a pair of headphones. It’s not easy to even try to imagine the pace of life when we have computers in our pockets which are 100,000,000 (a hundred million) times faster than the fastest computer on market today, connected to billions of people and “things” through internet which is 10-to-100 times faster than current bandwidth.

I don’t see Generation Z spending hours to attend lecture classes or years in degree programs, nor will they have pre-defined semesters, breaks and holidays. I believe students will not try to fit in fixed calendars and programs in the future; they will be customizing their own curricula with the schedule they want, so that they can optimize their own education with the pace they like.

4. Vast majority of academic institutions are not equipped for the change.

A big portion of academia is not even aware of the wave that is approaching, as they hold on to old-fashioned academic structures which were historically shaped by standardized systems required by colonial empires for their workforce. In “The One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined”, Sal Khan brilliantly goes back to the roots of the problems we face in academia today and points out how current academic systems were designed for privileged individuals who were able to afford education centuries ago, by the elite who didn’t really need to work in the traditional sense. He also underlines that the idea of having a diploma to get a job is quite new, only 100 years old! Paradigms shifted, so will the system.

Unfortunately, most schools develop their strategies based on a false assumption that current academic structures will stay as is. For instance, colleges keep increasing their tuitions even though rate of return is going down, which is against laws and forces of supply and demand. Goldman Sachs’ report states “the average return on going to college is falling”, especially if the college in question is not in top 25%. They project that 2015 graduates won’t break even until age 31, 2030 graduates won’t break even until age 33 and 2050 graduates won’t break even until age 37. I expect that the invisible hand will take care of this and change our educational environments once and for all and diplomas will become extinct, sooner than most people think.

If I were a rich man (yubby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dum).

If I had a multi-million dollar company, I don’t think I would ask for a diploma when I am hiring. I believe I would simply evaluate the potential of the applicant with my own standards, customized for the vacancy in question. Regardless, a diploma from Harvard would make a good impact of course, it is Harvard after all. But honestly, a degree from a random university might do more harm than good in terms of first impression; I might ask myself “why did this guy spend $100,000 s/he didn’t have for a piece of paper that doesn’t mean anything?”.

Let’s do a thought experiment. There are two guys, X and Y, applying for the same position, and you are the interviewer who will make the final decision. X and Y are identical in every sense you can think of regarding the job. There is only one difference though; X has a college degree from a standard university, Y only has a high school diploma. Which one would you hire?

Although college education may provide a lot of positive values such as social skills and responsibilities, I think I would hire Y, mostly because I’d rather train a fresh mind than dealing with wrong presumptions or unnecessary confidence. I learned the hard way that it is always more difficult to fix a mistake than starting from scratch.

We gotta do something.

First rule of engineering is to diagnose the problem before providing a solution. So let’s spread the word to help people diagnose the problem from their own perspectives. It is crucial to raise awareness regarding the lack of harmony between the transformation wave of the Information Age and stiffness of academia.

We should network, team up and discuss possible solutions. When it comes to exchange of ideas between people with similar visions, I believe 1 + 1 = 3. Maybe teams will emerge from those conversations and do what entrepreneurs at NovoEd, Zaya and Chamilo are doing; collaborate and innovate to make a difference! As Henry Ford said, “coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success”.

Thanks for reading my blog! I would highly appreciate if you could share your criticism, ideas and suggestions. When it comes to feedback, I’m all ears! May the force be with you!

Cheers,

Umut