Comprehensive learning and right competencies

These included, can the rise of automation destroy several current jobs? Can our current teaching-learning processes prepare our students for a world in which they will co-exist with artificial intelligence, smart machines and robots. In fact many academics the world over are asking: What should higher education institutions (HEIs) be doing—especially when a completely new set of higher order skills will be necessary for jobs in a digital economy? 

While today’s digital economy and cyber-based systems may force a faster pace of change, history shows that human abilities have constantly been challenged by such changes. People have found new ways of combating them ingeneously. For e.g., many of today’s CEOs are graduates of an indus trial era but they are successfully navigating the changes, including those forced by the oncoming industry 4.0. Their skills of time management, goal orientation, job prioritization, clarity of thought and expression, getting objective information or abilities such as critical thinking, problem identification and seeing the larger picture helped them tide over massive shifts in business or technology. 

In the next few years, smart machines and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can replace many roles that humans do. Bank tellers, tele-marketers, voice based customer support, quality testing in manufacturing assembly line are some job roles that could be taken over  by smart computers that have the ability to learn by itself especially repetitive tasks. 

While higher education has several purposes, let’s look at this: meeting industry demands for knowledge workers. HEIs are expected to help students gain knowledge, and nurture the right skills, competencies and attitude in people. And make the learning comprehensive: For example, while helping students gain programming or coding skills, the HEIs cannot stop with teaching syntax or tools; but nurture mathematical thinking; algorithms; reasoning and logic; conceptual clarity and also make the learner identify a problem, ideate and solve the same scientifically. Tomorrow’s professionals, who have to compete with AI and smart machines will also need to learn additional skills such as adapting to change, mindset for continuous learning and improvement; strong technology skills, ability to process large datasets and be good at human – machine interface. 

Even in a digitally powered world, negotiation and persuasion, empathising with others, showing team spirit, make value judgments; and can mentor others – are required. Youngsters with such comprehensive education will be always in demand.