Two trends that I have seen in both higher education and
industrial training (in the program I teach in, they go hand in hand) are the
use of the internet and simulators. We
are seeing the internet being used more and more to give student the basic
information that they need. By doing
this, students are able to learn at their own pace, while their school or
employer can keep track of their progress with very little effort (not even
have to talk to the student to see their progress). This allows companies and
the education providers to save money by not needing the student to always be
in the classroom. Simulators are also
playing a larger role. They allow students
to practice a task, gaining muscle memory, while also cutting costs of fuel and
damaged equipment and, in the worst cases, preventing loss of human life.
When it comes to implementing these two forms of technology,
the biggest impediment is money (especially in higher education). Everything comes down to the dollar. Technology, especially with startup costs, does
not always happen. Whether we look at it
from the higher education or the industrial side, new or newer technology is
not always a priority. So those that use
that technology every day in their classrooms have to fight for it or find a
way to get the money for it themselves (.ie. grants). Another challenge that we see is changing the
mindset on education or training in the workplace. Over the last 5 years, I personally have seen
many training programs being updated, designed, or restarted. But to get there, those who know the training
needs to happen have had to fight and show the benefits greatly outweigh the
cost of it. If we cannot work past these
two large hurdles, students will suffer and be behind when they get into
industry. Please let it be known that not
all the technology in the world can replace hands on experience and teaching.
