Don't Fear the MOOC: Re-Invent the Learning Ecosystem

By Sean Corcorran. There is a tsunami rising in higher education. In fact, it is finally starting to crest. The chatter around the need to improve education in the U.S. has been going on for decades, but it looks like something is finally going to happen. Why? Because the business model of higher education is truly under attack.  Surviving this attack will require the reinvention of education, so that today's students can achieve their true potential, and succeed in college...and in life.
This re-invention will require 1) an improved business model that makes colleges more efficient and accessible, 2) more effective teaching methods that truly engage and inspire students, and 3) learning environments designed for the 21st century, not the 19th as many still appear today. We need to look at the learning experience more holistically if we are to improve learning outcomes, and treat pedagogy, technology, and learning spaces (both physical and virtual) as an "ecosystem." More...