As interest in online learning continues to increase due to accessibility and cost, higher ed institutions are forced to reassess their own strengths in response. In a New York Times discussion last year on higher ed’s future, James E. Ryan, the dean of the Graduate School of Education at Harvard, acknowledged the traditional college lecture would soon be antiquated, and schools must commit to a “rethinking of how we spend time in the classroom.”
Ryan suggested highlighting attributes of higher education that cannot be replicated online, such as team projects. In a way, it is reminiscent of the ongoing discussions centered around how liberal arts institutions can continue to thrive when industries increasingly desire STEM backgrounds from college graduates.
