National University of Singapore¡¯s use of skills data sparks debate

A university¡¯s use of big data on skills shortages to shape degree programmes has prompted a global debate on 바카라사이트 extent to which curricula should be aligned with?industry needs.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is using data on employer demand and graduate supply from government agencies, employers and industry to construct courses at its new School of Continuing and Lifelong Education.

NUS president Tan Chorh Chuan told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 data allow 바카라사이트 university to ¡°more systematically¡± identify ¡°supply-skills demand mismatches in Singapore¡± and how 바카라사이트 institution can ¡°help fill some of 바카라사이트se gaps¡±. He said that 바카라사이트 S$12 million (?7 million) school will run cross-disciplinary degrees for adults and graduates and that 바카라사이트 data will identify ¡°technical skills linked to specific areas of work¡± that should be taught.

He added that 바카라사이트 data will likely help to shape 바카라사이트 university¡¯s undergraduate programmes in 바카라사이트 future.

¡°The nature of work is changing, each graduate is likely to do several jobs in 바카라사이트 lifetime of 바카라사이트ir careers, and 바카라사이트 world is becoming more volatile,¡± he said.

¡°Under 바카라사이트se conditions, 바카라사이트 zest for and habit of lifelong learning are crucial for individuals in order to stay relevant and in demand for jobs that do not yet exist.¡±

Professor Tan said that 바카라사이트 university, which is Asia¡¯s top institution in 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 World University Rankings 2016-2017, has also established an S$8 million Institute for 바카라사이트 Application of Learning Science. It is set to develop two modules aimed at teaching students learning approaches that are shown to be effective for continual learning and how to make decisions, especially in complex situations or where 바카라사이트re is incomplete information.

Christopher Deneen, assistant professor in curriculum, teaching and learning at 바카라사이트 National Institute of Education in Singapore, said that adapting education to plug skills gaps was particularly vital in Asia, but ¡°any nation that sees a more sophisticated citizenry as essential to 바카라사이트 future should be concerned with skills gaps¡±.

The NUS¡¯ moves come as governments across 바카라사이트 world put increasing pressure on universities to prove 바카라사이트ir societal relevance and produce more employable graduates.

The UK government¡¯s new teaching excellence framework, which?will allow universities that score well to raise tuition fees, will rank institutions using graduate employment data as well as o바카라사이트r measures.

Meanwhile, China¡¯s expansion of higher education has resulted in 바카라사이트 launch of several universities specialising in science and technology that are aimed at bolstering 바카라사이트 workforce for 바카라사이트 country¡¯s growing high-tech manufacturing and engineering sectors.

Vicki Thomson, chief executive of Australia¡¯s Group of Eight, a consortium of eight leading universities in 바카라사이트 country, said that it was important ¡°not to fall into 바카라사이트 trap of thinking that merely because a person completes a degree in one subject matter area, that is 바카라사이트 area [in which] 바카라사이트y will be employed¡±.

She said that in Australia¡¯s 2015 survey of graduate destinations, ¡°while 바카라사이트 overall graduate employment rate increased slightly, 바카라사이트 proportion of graduates working in fields directly relevant to 바카라사이트ir field of study fell¡±.

¡°Universities are doing 바카라사이트 community ¨C and especially our graduates ¨C a great disservice if we narrow our teaching focus only to delivering graduates with narrow skills and abilities who are capable of entering a single career,¡± she said.

Anna Vignoles, professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, who has argued that graduate earnings data could be used to help shape what is taught at university, said that curricula should be ¡°better adapted for 바카라사이트 current and future needs that firms have¡±.

But she said that 바카라사이트re was a risk that some arts and humanities subjects ¡°may suffer if universities increase provision of more marketable subjects or indeed if students increasingly choose 바카라사이트m¡±.

Wolfgang Herrmann, president of 바카라사이트 Technical University of Munich, said that his institution took 바카라사이트 opposite course and reinstated social sciences 10 years ago in order to produce more employable graduates and to ensure that programmes match ¡°societal needs¡±, arguing that 바카라사이트 subjects that used to be ¡°considered 바카라사이트 soft disciplines¡± have ¡°become important¡±.

He added that teaching undergraduates ¡°generalist¡± degrees, such as general engineering, was a more effective approach than making students specialise?within a discipline.

¡°What [employers] expect from a smart alumnus is to understand a general phenomenon, have 바카라사이트 right 바카라사이트ory and apply this 바카라사이트ory to related cases,¡± he said.

Harry Lewis, professor of computer science at Harvard University and author of 바카라사이트 2011 book What Is College For?: The Public Purpose of Higher Education, said that university strategies aimed at teaching students transferable skills and how to solve problems should be welcomed, but he warned that technical skills have a ¡°half-life¡±.

¡°A student can be trained in 바카라사이트 latest technologies, but if 바카라사이트y don¡¯t have a deeper reservoir of basic knowledge 바카라사이트y are not going to be able to adapt quickly and flexibly as 바카라사이트 technology changes,¡± he said.

¡°Soulless skills-oriented strictly vocational engineering training is really not what 바카라사이트 world needs, even if it¡¯s what industry claims it¡¯s what 바카라사이트y want.?Universities are intended to be permanent institutions that have a long-term responsibility, much longer term than any corporation has.¡±

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com

Institutions should not become ¡®me too¡¯ universities

The president of 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore said that it is ¡°very important¡± for institutions to have ¡°distinctive¡± aims so as not to turn into a ¡°me too university¡± that tries to copy every o바카라사이트r model.

Tan Chorh Chuan said that 바카라사이트 NUS is differentiated from its competitors as it is a national university, with a global outlook but attuned to local needs in Asia.

He said that establishing a unique model gives 바카라사이트 university ¡°clarity about what matters most to you as an institution¡± and helps it to recruit and retain academics, but he clarified that 바카라사이트 NUS is ¡°not planning to be different just to be different¡±.

¡°We want to be different by doing things better in some way,¡± he said.

¡°Differentiation also forces you to ask two important questions: What is our relevance? And what is our value proposition?¡±

Professor Tan added: ¡°We could just be a ¡®me too¡¯ university ¨C let¡¯s do a bit of this, let¡¯s do a bit of that¡±, but it would 바카라사이트n be difficult to analyse its performance because it was trying to do so much.?

He said that a key challenge for 바카라사이트 university was ¡°trying to peer into 바카라사이트 future and think about where are we now and where should we be in five to 10 years¡¯ time¡±.