Over 300 attendees joined us for three days of inspiring presentations and engaging discussions at the 2024 Emerging Pedagogies Summit, which explored the theme of Designing and Scaling Transformative Learning For All. Through their work with lifelong learners, LILE staff regularly engage with both the challenges and opportunities these emerging pedagogies present. In this series of Summit reflections, they share with you their major takeaways from each session.
Bridget Long, professor and former dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), set the stage for the Emerging Pedagogies Summit with her opening keynote address, in which she shared the story of the redesign of the HGSE master’s program and the creation of an online graduate degree. Multiple themes emerged throughout Long’s talk that were echoed throughout the Summit, including the importance of broadening access to education and the promises and challenges of technology.
I recommend exploring Long’s full keynote address, which you can watch here:
Two questions emerged in Long’s talk that were of particular interest to me in my role as Associate Director of Summer Session and Academic Studies and as a part of LILE:
- How do we actually create the learning experiences central to our particular institutions of higher education?
- How should we approach technology as we work to create these experiences?
Regarding the first question, I was struck by a quote Long shared from her welcome speech at HGSE’s 2020 orientation: “We are selling ourselves short if we only think of a school or university as a place – a spot on a map – rather than as a group of dedicated people working towards the important mission of supporting learners.” The creation of HGSE’s Online Master’s opened a pathway for learners to connect with the Harvard experience – an experience which may have otherwise been inaccessible to many of them. For example, the 2023-2024 HGSE online cohort includes 20% more students of color and 12% more first generation students than the residential Ed. MA. The average work experience also differed significantly between in-person (4 years) and online (14.8 years). I agree with Long that “high quality, highly engaging” online learning experiences guided by intentional learning design open paths for learners to connect (or reconnect) with higher education. In turn, meeting learners where they are has immediate impacts for them personally and professionally as well as for their broader communities.
The question of technology is complex. Long explained how the move online during COVID increased emphasis on teaching and learning, and that online learning overall has had positive impacts on HGSE’s residential program. However, she also pointed out that technology has a history of exacerbating inequality. Low-income students often lack access to personal devices or struggle with internet connectivity in addition to other challenges. As we embrace the possibilities of expanded pathways and digital education, I agree with Long that we must be aware of and question our assumptions about access, quality, and computer literacy – for example, the idea that everyone has a smartphone.
Summer at Duke is a unique time in the academic year when a selection of courses are available to students online, and visiting college students and academically qualified high schoolers may take certain courses. The Academic Studies portion of my role in LILE also connects me with those interested in auditing courses or completing their degree at Duke – paths somewhat different than traditional undergraduate students though increasingly relevant in our time of lifetime education. Given the diversity of learners and learning needs, I look forward to further considering the important questions raised by Long’s keynote and related conversations central to our work in LILE.