| McDonald's is astoundingly successful at purveying | | | | fewer are proficient, and fewer yet have an |
| inexpensive fast food of consistently high quality. | | | | in-depth understanding. The curriculum should help |
| They have achieved this primarily through | | | | them become more proficient and better |
| standardization and quality control. If you purchase | | | | prepared for the technology demands of the |
| an "Egg McMuffin," or a "Big Mac" at an outlet in | | | | future business environment. The intensely |
| Seattle, or Milwaukee, Chicago or Miami, it will be | | | | technological nature of the classroom experience |
| almost exactly the same. | | | | also addresses the various learning styles. The |
| Standardization is increasingly making in-roads into | | | | auditory learner will have voice, music, and noise. |
| education. Once the realm of diversity (of opinion, | | | | The visual learner will enjoy the videos, |
| thought, approach, teaching technique, classroom | | | | powerpoints, and other visuals. The kinesthetic |
| styles, etc.) and independence (academic | | | | learner will appreciate the hands on components, |
| freedom), the higher education classroom is being | | | | especially the SMARTboard. |
| transformed into a "product" type delivery | | | | Student satisfaction is, of course, a primary |
| system. The "products" in this case are the | | | | objective. Education, especially for-profit education, |
| concepts, lesson plans, group exercises, | | | | exists to serve the student, while running a |
| assignments, etc. - indeed, the education itself. | | | | business. And, through serving and satisfying the |
| The intent of this transformation is to provide a | | | | student, ultimately the student will stay in school, |
| "standard" high quality student classroom | | | | graduate, and learn valuable knowledge and skills in |
| experience within disciplines, and across institutions. | | | | the process. These graduates will benefit the |
| With the student being the customer (consumer) | | | | business community, and society at large. An |
| of the educational delivery system, we want to | | | | advanced society like ours is critically dependent |
| make sure he or she is getting the highest | | | | on an educated and productive populous. |
| possible quality product, and the key to this is | | | | EMPLOYER NEEDS |
| "quality control" and standardization. | | | | What do employers want and need? The link to |
| Instead of the after-the-fact quality control | | | | employer requirements is a vital one. Businesses |
| offered through instructor "evaluations," " | | | | need educated workers. They require |
| classroom observations," and the like, the | | | | technologically adroit employees who can meet |
| approach introduces a far more intrusive and | | | | the demands of a rapidly changing technological |
| directive model. Lesson Plans, indeed, entire | | | | environment and a highly competitive situation. |
| courses and curricula are loaded into pre-packaged | | | | Ours is a productive society. Businesses spend |
| modules, on thumb drives (USB) or onto | | | | billions of dollars training and re-training their |
| computers, or servers. | | | | employees. "Business Ready" graduates will be |
| As in the fast food business, manufacturing, or | | | | more productive from day one and employers will |
| other product producing sectors, the product | | | | appreciate this. |
| creation and delivery process is developed to gain | | | | HAS EDUCATION COME TO THIS? |
| the efficiency and effectiveness obtained in | | | | Purists would argue that the more traditional |
| industry. | | | | approaches are preferable, and that academic |
| JUST LIKE McDONALD's | | | | freedom is being infringed upon. They would say |
| Just like McDonald's where the customer can | | | | that instructors should be hired based on their |
| expect to enjoy a standard, high quality product, | | | | knowledge, quality of education, expertise, |
| served in a clean, well-designed environment, the | | | | research history and contributions to their field. |
| student consumer can expect convenient delivery | | | | They would undoubtedly prefer to see pure |
| of the educational product, for his consumption, | | | | "academicians" and "scholars" in the classroom. |
| and enjoyment - "satisfaction guaranteed." | | | | However, there is room for an interesting debate |
| THE PROCESS | | | | here. Is it about the instructor or the student? |
| First, a product team is assembled. In this case it | | | | Obviously, we understand that it's about both, but |
| consists of academic experts, curriculum | | | | whose needs take precedence? The answer has |
| designers, course writers, technology experts, | | | | to be - THE STUDENT! After all, the whole |
| product representatives, trainers, content | | | | educational system is in place to meet the needs |
| specialists, etc. The product development process | | | | of the student, and ultimately, society. |
| is based on outcome objectives, i.e., "what do we | | | | Instructors with real-world, practical experience |
| want the student to know?," "what should he | | | | and without techno-phobia will be more adaptable |
| learn during this course?" and "how do we | | | | to this new format, and perhaps better equipped |
| measure that?" This "beginning at the end" | | | | to relate to the student. |
| philosophy is crucial. It keeps the spotlight on the | | | | THE BOTTOM LINE |
| product, promotes quality, and ultimately, | | | | In education there is always room for a broad |
| "customer satisfaction." | | | | range of opinions and approaches. Let's try this |
| THE ENTERTAINMET COMPONENT | | | | new one. It works in business - why not |
| Gen Y students have different expectations from | | | | education? This is probably why Career Colleges |
| their predecessors, and are less likely to indulge | | | | are embracing the approach much more readily |
| obsolete or dated instructional methods and | | | | than their mainstream counterparts. The |
| techniques. They demand to be engaged. | | | | "for-profit" Career Colleges are definitely the |
| Instructors are partially selected on their ability to | | | | forefront of this initiative, and "early adopters." |
| "entertain" as well as "inform." They are expected | | | | We all know that "quality " is an issue in education. |
| to be animated, humorous, engaging, and | | | | Graduates with virtually identical credentials can |
| entertaining. They are expected to convey | | | | have vastly different skills, knowledge, and abilities. |
| knowledge in convenient, enjoyable, and satisfying, | | | | This is, and always has been a concern. This |
| bites. | | | | standardized, quality-assured model addresses |
| STEAMLINING THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS | | | | that issue. |
| The more standardized the process becomes, the | | | | Sure, this educational model is controversial, as it |
| less latitude for the educator, the more prescribed | | | | should be! But the end result may very well be |
| the content, exercises and learning activities are, | | | | that students have a reasonably similar |
| the more the business managers of the career | | | | experience, learn comparable skills, and become |
| and "for profit" colleges like it. This concept may, | | | | better "fits" within the business world. Employers |
| however, benefit the student as it concentrates | | | | can be better assured and confident that |
| on a quality, standardized, classroom experience. | | | | graduates have the knowledge and skill base they |
| IT'S EASIER | | | | require to be successful contributors. They will |
| Once the instructor has mastered the technology, | | | | probably, at some point, wish to be full |
| the whole instructional process is easier under this | | | | participants in the curriculum development process. |
| model. Everything is pre-packaged. No messy | | | | In the globally competitive market, this might just |
| development of lesson plans - they're already | | | | be what is needed. |
| done - and done well. No thinking about creative | | | | When we're teaching Business we must be |
| learning activities and approaches - they're already | | | | business-minded. Let's transfer those "best |
| there. You could almost do it in your sleep! (if it | | | | practices" from the business world to academia, |
| wasn't for the requirement to be animated and | | | | keep our students involved, and better prepare |
| entertaining.) | | | | them for their future careers. And, the lessons to |
| STUDENT NEEDS | | | | be learned from places like McDonald's may be |
| Students in this new education model will be | | | | more applicable to education than we might have |
| immersed in technology throughout their degree | | | | ever imagined. |
| program. This is the world of today, and the | | | | Copyright ©, 2009, Dr. Ben A. Carlsen, MBA. |
| future. They will participate and interact with | | | | All Rights Reserved Worldwide for all Media. You |
| SMARTboards, laptops, WiFi, simulations, business | | | | may reprint this article in your ezine, newsletter, |
| games, remote "clickers," interactive learning, | | | | newspaper, magazine, website, etc. as long as |
| real-world relevant projects, presentations, etc. | | | | you leave all of the links active, do not edit the |
| It's designed to match their learning styles and | | | | article in any way, leave my name and bio box |
| attention spans It is preeminently designed to | | | | intact, and you follow all of the EzineArticles |
| prepare them for their careers. Although many | | | | Terms of Service for Publishers. |
| students are "comfortable" with technology, | | | | |