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The ‘Edflix’ revolution
How tailored, on-demand
learning is shifting the power
from providers to consumers.
By Wade Zaglas
E
ducation these days can be delivered
in a similar fashion to how we enjoy
our entertainment. It’s an “on-
demand, Netflix” education model, where
students choose what, when and how they
study, according to Macquarie Business
School’s Professor Lan Snell.
The school launched a Global MBA in
May this year in partnership with US online
learning platform Coursera.
Such models are the way of the future
as “the nature of work and workers are
fundamentally changing”, Snell says.
“The education sector is facing
unprecedented challenges. There is
significant pressure across the education
pipeline to re-think, re-shape and re-imagine
curriculum design, content consumption,
learning interactions and delivery.
“The education landscape will be tech-
inspired but user-driven, with blended-
hybrid learning models that offer students
choice in what, when and how they learn. I
call this the Edflix model.”
Asked about her interest in future-
inspired education models, Snell says: “I am
passionate about diversity, accessibility and
inclusion. One way to realise this is through
experimenting with distributed models
of education.
“Building ecosystems that are truly
collaborative means re-thinking who
we regard as competitors and an
understanding that the power has shifted
from the provider to the consumer. The
rise of democratised models enables a
broader footprint where the unrepresented
have access, where technology can
enhance the learning experience,
where connection and community are
fundamental to inclusive learning.”
Snell says we have traditionally had a
“front-loaded model of education, where
most of the formal education is done in one
place, typically at the beginning of a career”.
“But now, to keep apace of those
constant changes in the marketplace, we
need to continually re-skill, up-skill and
retrain ourselves – and that’s the spirit of
lifelong learning.
“We see the impact on education
providers as they are being disrupted by
these changes and therefore respond by
catering for very different learner profiles.”
But while Snell says these new
technologies will not spell the end of the
traditional degree, she argues they will no
longer be enough on their own.
“As workplaces move away from silo
models towards project-based models
that bring together multidisciplinary teams
to solve problems, workers will need to
continually adapt and pick up new skills,
depending on the project at hand.
“People now are being employed more
on a team or project base, rather than for
a domain of expertise, which is assumed,”
she says.
Another reason for the growth in learning
platforms are external students looking to
up-skill for improved career opportunities.
“We need to provide an array of different
sizes and shapes of learning to cater
for lifelong learning and that’s where
this concept of ‘Edflix’ comes in, where,
just as with Netflix, we are in control as
consumers; the consumption of education
is in the hands of the learner, who is able
to consume as much or as little as they
want, when they want and how they want,”
Snell says.
“With Netflix, we can binge-watch, or
we can watch one episode at a time; the
algorithms of Netflix factor in previous
viewing behaviour to present a curated
predictive approach to suggested titles …
We can use this as an analogy when we
think about learning models of the future.
“And now, newer entrants to the market
are players like LinkedIn which, with its
recent acquisition of Lynda.com, a website
offering video courses taught by experts
in software, creative and business skills,
has signalled its intention to compete as a
learning platform,” Snell says.
She adds: “Employers today want to
see evidence of continuous learning on a
job applicant’s resume, including micro-
credentials such as badges, which are bite-
The consumption of
education is in the hands of
the learner, who is able to
consume as much or as little
as they want, when they want
and how they want.
sized, low-cost online courses that show
proficiency in a particular skill.
“Having these micro-credentials tells
me as a recruiter or employer that you are
constantly investing in your learning.
“While an individual short course in itself
may not have much saliency or credibility,
when you consider it as a holistic profile in
terms of a candidate, it tells you a lot about
a person.”
Founded by Stanford professors Andrew
Ng and Daphne Koller, Coursera offers a
wide array of online courses, specialisations
and degrees. ■
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