A new model to revolutionize higher education

Humber will be moving to a more personalized learning model that allows students to come with what they have – and matches what they need to get to where they want to be. supplied

By Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan
President and CEO, Humber Polytechnic

Higher education has the power to change lives, build communities and drive economic growth. And it’s time for the model to change.

For years, education has followed the same approach to delivery: students enroll in a program, take a set of courses and earn a credential. This approach assumes that every student follows the same pathway to graduation.

Higher education has essentially been an assembly line, adhering to a status quo education model where everybody comes in the same way and goes out the same way. This no longer suits the world for which we are preparing our students.

If the only change we’ve made post-pandemic is to think we don’t have to do this all on site, then we’ve completely missed the boat. That’s a limited view of what’s happening in the world and a misreading of the shift that has taken place over the past four years. A much bigger change was a fundamental societal shift, which is continuing all around us and which we are not prepared for: it goes far beyond remote learning and work.

The systems we thought we knew don’t exist anymore. The economy we thought we had created is shifting. The work we thought we had defined, the industry we thought we would lead, the skills we thought we would need – all these are being redefined at an exponential rate.

For example, there’s a massive transition happening in the automotive industry and in the energy sector. From business to technology to education, nothing has been left unaffected. It’s far more systemic than just what happened as a result of the pandemic. The economy is different and so is the way people work.

While this societal shift is already a reality, many post-secondary institutions are still stuck on thinking about delivery mode rather than on what we deliver. We need to know who our students are, what their experience should look like and how we – particularly in polytechnics – can ensure that we are providing the right pathway and setting them up for success: for the labour market, for employability and for the industry of the future.

“Higher education has essentially been an assembly line, adhering to a status quo education model where everybody comes in the same way and goes out the same way. This no longer suits the world for which we are preparing our students. ”

The world is evolving rapidly, and this requires higher education institutions to think deeper and wider about their services, their programs and their students’ experience. It’s time to move away from the standard approach to education, which has remained largely unchanged since the first Industrial Revolution.

Over the past year, Humber has been engaged in a conversation called Humber Inspired. More than a thousand people participated in the discussion, including students who are at the heart of what we’re going to build in the future. What’s emerged is a new approach to teaching and learning – and how we seize what is needed to meet the demands of a continuously and rapidly shifting economy.

Humber’s real strength is our breadth and depth of talent. We have the right skills, experience and people who’ve been working towards this shift for many years. We are the most comprehensive polytechnic in Canada.

That is why we are shifting to a new education model – architected for the fifth revolution and beyond – that supports a rapidly changing work environment, responds to Canada’s productivity crisis and lets students personalize their own learning path rather than a system that dictates what and how they need to learn.

While core competencies must remain paramount to whatever program students follow, how they acquire these core competencies is what needs to change, and the life experience they bring to their learning should be included. To do that, we will be moving to a more personalized learning model that allows students to come with what they have – and matches what they need to get to where they want to be.

Not only are we re-imagining learning through seamless human-centred learning experiences, but we’re also fostering deeper partnerships with employers, industry, unions and other organizations that play a role in forging the future workforce to enhance Canada’s productivity and competitiveness, and we will drive impact in everything we do to build a more sustainable future.

Canada needs polytechnics to drive this, and Humber Polytechnic is positioned to lead. We are calling on industry and employers to join with us on this path towards a more prosperous and competitive Canada – a place where everyone flourishes to their full potential.

To view this report on The Globe's website, visit globeandmail.com

To view the full report as it appeared in The Globe's print edition Pathways to success