There Are Rapidly Growing Trends in Education: Here’s What You Should Know

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Matthew Creegan March 27, 2014

Noodle wants to give you the heads up that the state of education is changing, and that’s a good thing.

In this course, participants learn core principles, concepts, and methods of continuous improvement and explore the history of continuous improvement efforts. In a series of lectures, Master Black Belt in Six Sigma Shane Wentz, Ph.D., enables learners to enhance, optimize, and stabilize business processes and to augment quality control through varied methodologies. Participants gain the skills and knowledge to reimagine internal processes, engage in advanced problem-solving, and empower employees. The course covers high-level foundational principles of Lean, Six Sigma, and DMAIC processes before diving deep into Lean Six Sigma methods. Learners will analyze the tools of process mapping, Kaizen (a continuous improvement method/tool deemed a prerequisite for Lean transformation success), Lean (a continuous improvement philosophy that emphasizes streamlined workflows and reducing waste), and the process improvement methodology driving DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.

Entrepreneurs fostering new ventures outside of well-developed entrepreneurial ecosystems like Silicon Valley face significant challenges. These markets are unlike Silicon Valley, and they will likely remain so. That doesn't mean they can't nurture and sustain new businesses. In transitioning markets that lack abundant private sector financing, creative approaches from government officials, donors, and business leaders can fill the void to support entrepreneurial activity. Northeast Ohio (where Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University are located) has become a laboratory for such innovative solutions. During our time together in this course, we will explore some of these creative approaches to promoting regional entrepreneurship. Northeast Ohio has seen a massive infusion of government and donor resources for over ten years. In that time, Northeast Ohio has promoted regional development (including job creation and follow-on funding) through alternative methods of financing startups. It has not been easy. The region has made progress, but it remains to be seen whether it has struck upon an enduring formula. A dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem takes many years, even decades, to develop. Government policymakers and donors typically seek quicker returns on their support programs, which makes long-term support for entrepreneurship challenging. This course includes case studies and first-person testimonials from entrepreneurs who have launched products and services ranging from medical devices to LED lights to whiskey. You will learn how these entrepreneurs discovered and procured resources from various programs and intermediary organizations. You will hear from business people still in the process of developing their companies as well as those whose ventures have flourished. Our focus will extend beyond Cleveland to selected markets around the world, including Greece, Vietnam, Tunisia, Argentina, Rwanda and China. You will learn about international incentives and other supports available to developing startups and small businesses across the globe. This course examines how different communities around the world approach implementing strategies and methods to support businesses. I will ask you to reflect on how to apply the principles we learn to growing entrepreneurship where you live. The social interactive features of the online platform will enable students from around the world to share ideas and learn from one another. Most MOOCs rebroadcast professors’ lectures; this course is different. Don’t expect to see me standing in front of the camera, talking and lecturing every module. Instead, the lectures will be relatively short in length. They have more of the feel of an engaging documentary than a static classroom setting. ## __What type of person takes the *Beyond Silicon Valley* course?__ - Active and aspiring businesspeople in communities looking to initiate new startup ecosystems or bolster existing ones - Current and prospective entrepreneurs who want to learn about funding sources, risk management, and the lifecycle of startups - Professionals who work in government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropic institutions, and various private funds that fund startups - Anyone curious about how to create and grow startup ecosystems outside the major tech hubs - The principles Beyond Silicon Valley teaches have been drawn from and applied to startups worldwide, from small villages to megalopolises. You'll study success stories spanning the globe from Vietnam to Kosovo to Botswana. ## __What will you learn in *Beyond Silicon Valley*?__ - How and where startups can find funding to get their businesses off the ground - What role government can play in encouraging startups and a healthy startup ecosystem - How anchor institutions such as universities and healthcare systems participate in startup ecosystems - How nongovernmental organizations support startups - How to raise funds from venture capitalists, angel investors, and accelerators - How to navigate challenging periods in the startup lifecycle - The importance of mentoring in successful startups

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A consortium of education professionals will come together on Monday, March 31st for a three-dimensional assessment of both academia and the business-side of higher education.

The 2014 Gulf Education Conference and Exhibition (GECE) may not have been on your radar, but it’s clearly paving a way for important trends including the changing nature of education, the idea of the “classroom," and the possibility for a truly international learning experience.

The GECE — the U.K. and Gulf Region’s equivalent of a strictly higher education-based TED Talk — will bring some of the regions' most influential higher ed players together to ponder ideal ways to tackle educational prowess and unified strategic development across Western Europe and the Middle East. You will find out why these developments matter to students across the globe.

!<a href="http://s1.postimg.org/e46zyvc6n/7733035238_54882c45fc_z.jpg "Teacher at a conference"" target="_blank">Teacher at a conference

If you’re interested in the future of education, these are the panels you need to know about:

What Will Education Look Like in 6 Years?

The two-day event will concentrate on the conference’s theme for this year — Higher Education in 2020.

Day one will focus on dissecting the findings of the Horizon Scanning report, a write-up commissioned by the Leadership Foundation and International Unit that speculates what higher education will look like six years down the road.

Speakers will address and theorize ways in which higher education will facilitate preparation for employment, wealth generation, and social and cultural enrichment for students.

Will Online Education Kill the Idea of a “Classroom"?

The second day of the GECE will give participants the opportunity to take part in a variety of discussions of their choosing, from the future of pedagogy to the internationalization of education as a viable business.

There will be a session dedicated to the discussion of the future of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). MOOCs are designed to create unlimited student participation in open access online courses. MIT, Harvard, and the growing start up Coursera are currently spearheading this educational innovation.

Developing education for employment, entrepreneurship, and building research capacity will also be a major topic of interest at the GECE.

Will Education Really Break International Borders?

You will hear from notable professors, education experts, and government officials. The guest list is vast — a saudi princess is even slated to give the official opening welcome on day one.

Ministers of education from Kuwait, Jordan, and Algeria will be in attendance. Noted professors from internationally renowned universities will be joined by business leaders, such as Michael Thomas, the CEO of Pathfinder, an organization that seeks to establish international trade relations in both the public and private sectors.

Next week, Noodle will talk with some of the key speakers of this event and share with you their thoughts about the important trends in education. Stay tuned!

Image courtesy of US Department of Education.