Learning Together in a Changing World
Last week, I had a video conference session with Andreas. We are taking Course 3100, Foundations of Adult Education, as part of the Provincial Instructor Diploma Program at VCC. During our conversation, we discussed trends in our respective fields and topics related to adult education.
Apart from a few messages exchanged on the VCC Moodle forum, this was our first virtual meeting. The session quickly turned into a warm and friendly exchange. We found we had much in common and plenty to discuss, as we are both on a similar professional journey.
Andreas is a collision repair instructor at Okanagan College, and I teach project management mainly to business professionals. Although our expertise areas differ, the major trends in our fields and adult education experiences have similar aspects.
Fast-developing technology has dramatically impacted the efficiency and effectiveness of our processes, and this is one of the common major trends in our fields. The complexity behind those tools, methods, and systems is also growing. This trend is also impacting the profile of the people related to those processes, requiring new skill sets. Andreas gave collaborative robots (cobots) as one of the striking examples of this evolution. I was unaware of this cobot concept and learned they were service robots working in a shared environment alongside humans. Those cobots significantly speed up the overall work processes and require trained, qualified people to operate them.
My field has a similar trend; technology is reshaping the project management ecosystem. Artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting the way we manage projects. There are already AI solutions for project management processes. However, like Andreas’s example, integrating AI solutions into projects requires new skill sets. Each project has its specific circumstances, and tailoring such digital tools requires a solid traditional project management background and a good understanding of these new solutions.
Although fast-evolving technology provides enhanced tools and services, Andreas and I agreed that humans are still critical in ensuring overall work performance. Those systems continue evolving, and the complexity behind them is also growing, challenging the people managing, operating, and maintaining them.
Continuous learning is essential to be a successful player in this fast-changing ecosystem. Accessing information has never been so easy in the history of humankind. There is already a plethora of free self-directed learning resources on the internet, and there is a growing interest in these resources. Therefore, learners of this fast-changing world mainly expect coaching, mentoring, or facilitating roles from the instructors rather than transferring knowledge.
This is the summary of our session together with Andreas. We are both on a journey we enjoy very much, and in this journey, continuing learning is the key to making a meaningful impact on others who are also on a similar journey.