League for Innovation in the Community College March 2018 | Page 13

T
he future of education is up for grabs. It is changing on
virtually every dimension that matters—the design of
schools, the role of faculty, and above all, the learning
experience. These changes are inevitable because a tsunami
of new technologies is driving profound shifts in education
fundamentals—the relationship between teachers and the
taught, the location and t iming of educational activities, and
the very definition of what it means to learn. They are also
inevitable because today’s rising generation was born into a
world of turmoil that demands the ability to design one’s life
with an eye to personal as well as professional fulfillment.
Looming over all of us is an employability landscape disrupted
by new technologies, new patterns of demand, and new
economic models. Inevitably, this leads to the desire to acquire
new innovative and entrepreneurial capacities that allow
learners to design their jobs, their careers, and their lives.
And this is a desire not only of the young but of adults who
will increasingly rely on new just-in-time learning experiences
to improve their economic and social mobility. It may be said
• Experimentation—The ability to experiment free of
the kind of crushing legacy thinking that emphasizes
precedent over “what could be.”
• Flexibility—Scheduling flexibility to insert new learning
experiences coupled with curriculum flexibility that
anticipates the trend towards modularity in the form of
bite-sized learning experiences and non-credit co-
curricular tracks.
• Regional development relevance—The potential (and
the perceived role) of driving regional economic and
social development within a coherent narrative of how
community colleges enable the building of innovation
and entrepreneurial capacity. This requires the ability
to engage with local community, employers, secondary
schools, and four-year learning institutions, as well
as local community and employers. From a learning
perspective, there is an ongoing opportunity to link local
economic and social development themes with pedagogy
through internships, innovation competitions, and more.
• Learning that fits students—Relevance for people who
want just-in-time learning arcs, such as returning veterans
and returnees to the workforce who want to prepare for
career engagement or to start a venture of their own.
that the learning continuum is now based more on need
than age. This calls into question the very definition of what Innovating Community Colleges
it means to be a student. The magnitude of these disruptions Going forward, community colleges must reaffirm their
forces a reassessment of the purpose of education and our relevance to students, faculty, and the community. These
expectations of it. challenges all require the ability to innovate for their resolution.
Innovation happens when multiple conditions are present. Here
Such pressures on traditional education are part of a larger
are a half-dozen:
context; we are living in what I call the Age of Innovation.
Worldwide, both societies and enterprises understand that
their future depends on innovation mastery. Forward-thinking
educational institutions also appreciate the need to innovate—
regarding their processes, their value proposition, and their
approach to innovation itself. Innovating education also
requires institutions to educate for innovation—to help their
students cultivate the ability to generate new ideas,
develop and realize value from them, and thrive
in uncertainty.
So What for Community Colleges?
For community colleges, the challenges are clear and the
opportunities are compelling. With a smart strategy in hand,
they could turn the current turmoil in education to their
1. A compelling vision of a desired future that motivates
the desire for change and that is fueled by a sense
of urgency;
2. A narrative that translates the vision into engagement;
3. An organizational culture that supports responsible risk-
taking and experimentation;
4. An approach to rewarding and retaining talent;
5. Processes for generating, developing, and realizing value
from ideas developing; and
6. Leaders who understand their role in orchestrating an
innovation agenda.
Experience shows that innovation is hard work. Yet nothing
could be more important in setting the future agenda for the
community college movement.
advantage, to reposition themselves in a shifting competitive
and fiscal landscape. Some of these advantages include:
John Kao is Founder and Chairman, EdgeMakers, Inc.
MARCH 2018
13