In my last post on why most universities can be replaced by testing centers, I envisaged a new kind of university based on student initiated learning.
This type of facility would more loosely resemble a large library, with conference rooms, administration, and an advisor section by department.
There are no professors in this system. Instead, there are mentors. And rethinking this role in education requires a fundamental paradigm shift.
The professor represents the top-down approach to learning. It is the experienced professional deciding on what components of a subject to include and what to leave out, and their method of delivery. This requires a lot of guesswork about how to best distribute this knowledge to students they may not know well, or at all. Unless the professor has studied education methods, it is quite often that they will teach the subjects that interest them most, in the way they learn best. This is not optimal for all students.
The mentor system is a bottom-up approach. The experience of professors will always be valuable in an education system, the jobs won't go away. But it takes the most difficult part (curriculum design and pedagogy) and places it under individual student control.
The system works like this. Instead of curriculum, there would be a detailed list of knowledge requirements for each subject that will be tested through examinations or projects. There can be prepared recommended readings. But there are no set lectures. Students may request them, but it's not required to attend or give any lectures. At all.
This places responsibility in the student to do their own research and initiate contact with mentors. During office hours, the student can ask questions of mentors, ask for explanations of certain aspects of subjects, to check on their project work, assign any homework to assist with an area, and to check preparedness for testing.
This prepares the student for real life. Once a student has the habit and knowledge that they can find what information they need by their own effort, they are empowered. This gives the student the skills and confidence they need to confront challenges in the workplace or society in general.
The student, along with peers of the subject also have the opportunity to research additional information about the subject if they are inclined to do so. This way they can use the university experience as an opportunity to explore their interests and expand their minds. The system includes enough flexibility that students can study the same subject but may have researched significantly different topics (with a common set of core topics for consistency). So while all accounting students can balance financial reports, one may specialize in tax reporting, while another may specialize in summarizing complex corporate statements.
It's also about efficiency. By the time a student gets to university, they usually have a good idea about which methods they learn best with. By allowing the student to research in their own way, they can combine visual, auditory, kinesthetic and other learning methods that suit them best so that they retain information they need most. This point should not be underestimated. It is overlooked in most universities in the world and yet can make a huge difference in how well an individual retains and is able to use the information they acquire. By functioning on just 1 or maybe 2 styles of learning, they are often disadvantaging up to half the class.
Of course, mentors need to be accountable, just like professors. With a few modifications, this system is easy.
Most universities have subjects titled "independent study" which is usually a free form project agreed upon by you and your professor. You are often required to meet with the professor regularly, and your project needs to be approved by administration. It is then graded for your final result.
It is time consuming every time administration in a university has to get involved with academic affairs. But the mentor system doesn't need that. Although the courses are free in the sense of the method the student learns, the required content is preapproved. If the student covers these requirements, there is no need for administration to get involved.
The mentors themselves would be required to keep a logbook. This forms their student initiated version of a curriculum to justify their paycheck.
The mentors logbook would record student interviews, with any questions the student has asked the mentor. The mentor would then list what research they have done on these questions and the time spent on these questions to ensure their answers are up to date. It would also list any lectures/seminars given at student request, field trips, project meetings, progress assessments and any other interactions with students.
There is a fear of giving up power from academics, and a fear that the system would not support itself. While I understand that there are huge cultural blocks to this kind of educational system, I feel that these fears are unfounded and the system will work better for most subjects.
It is becoming clear that the current factory model of education is failing to meet the needs of this century. Pressure is increasing, and with it, more and more institutions will be pushed to adapt. A system that supports educational independency will not be a luxury, it will be necessity.
