21st Century Learning. Now what?

Dr. Peggy Patterson's talk on student life in the 21st century focused on challenges and success faced by today's learners. Listening to her speak, took me back to my days as an undergrad and the experiences I encountered as a student. As a first year student at UBC, as Peggy mentioned is common in big research and doctoral universities, I felt more like a number, rather than a student. Not only was I one in a sea of thousands of students but I was also a 'commuter' student. Listening to Peggy mention that students who live on campus were able to have a more complete learning experience made me feel a bit melancholy. Commuting from Surrey to UBC was more of a daily quest than a commute. Being on transit for up 3 1/2 hours a day left me with no energy, never mind the motivation to become more integrated with campus activities. Unfortunately, living on campus was financially, out of the question for me, but despite the challenges of commuting, I'm happy to be debt free.

I found it interesting to see that student satisfaction in their undergrad experiences was higher in smaller universities. It seems that students seem to prioritize attending a well-known university, rather than a less well-known smaller university where they are sure to get more attention. Now as an educator and a student, I value small classes and cohort style learning. I can learn so much more from my peers and feel less intimidated to talk to my instructor. I don’t remember ever speaking one on one to my professors in classes of more than 200 students.

What I most appreciated about Peggy’s talk is that institutions are taking the time to gather feedback from students. Now, hopefully they will take this into consideration when designing campuses and classroom environments. A teacher once told me that universities are not just a place to gain knowledge but also a business. This made me feel cheated. I hope that universities will strive to make student experiences positive, not only in delivering quality education, but also in establishing a sense of community and belonging.