How we hold our students back

Ok, so I just got out of a meeting with internship co-ordinators where I brought up the idea of using podcasts and blogs as a way to allow students to collaborate and reflect on their experiences. This would not only allow students to create an archive of their experiences, it would allow students to collaborate within their cohort, for alumni of the program to offer support and to allow new students to become interested in having similar experiences. Sounds great right? Well not according to some leaders.

They are afraid of change… but disguising it by saying that they are not sure if the students are even going to use it… worried that it is not cutting edge enough… worried about what employers are going to say… worried about… if the technology is going to be around in 2-3 years. OMFG!

These are almost ancient ‘net technologies people! Students are looking for these as differentiators when applying to professional schools! You are putting students through a pass/fail program that often has them submit limp, “closed” assignments that are there for some level of academic content. If they don’t get that paper in, they fail and they don’t move forward… and they are worried about students not jumping through this kind of hoop? Are they worried that other people might come along online and offer help to these students who are not related to the U or the company?

It is only when technologies become “old and boring” that they become really interesting – I’m sure I’ve posted on that idea once already – and this is the stage where ‘casting and blogging is now. It’s way too late to be on the leading edge – forget the bleeding edge – rolling these services now, it almost feels like we are just about to be bumped off the tailgate of the adoption curve, not a great place to be as you are just as likely to be catapulted forward to greatness as you are to be dropped off into the abyss.


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