PEDAGOGY
sformation
W Working life is currently changing at a pace that is faster than ever before. The World Economic Forum’s The Future of Jobs Report 2023 predicts that in just five years 23 per cent of job roles will be di erent and 44 per cent of workers’ skills will be disrupted. As a result, society needs reskilling and new competencies. Organisations must analyse their current competencies and evaluate what they will need if they are to remain competitive. This means that all organisations and individuals alike need to invest in continuous learning. There are a multitude of reasons for this rapidly changing environment. The World Economic Forum’s report cites economic, health and geopolitical factors as contributors, but technology is a major catalyst. In just a few months, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has demonstrated enormous potential for disruption. In order to be successful and competitive in the future, we need to think about the skills required for the interface between humans and AI. Lifelong learning is a key factor in making businesses successful and in increasing the competitiveness of our society. I have two workplaces: Aalto University and Aalto University Executive Education and Professional Development (Aalto EE), a company owned by the university and responsible for our continuous learning o ering and delivering, for example, Aalto’s MBA programmes. Within the Aalto community, we have taken the idea of lifelong learning a step further; we speak about ‘life-wide’ learning instead.
We believe that learning continues throughout a person’s life. However, it doesn’t always proceed in a linear way but sometimes also sideways, building on what has already been learned and jumping in completely new directions, for example in anticipation of a career change. The purpose of Aalto EE is to create a better world through better leadership, but it is important to remember that responsibility does not solely rest on managers; it extends to all employees and those who aspire to work. Spanning beyond traditional classrooms, life-wide learning at Aalto University seeks to incorporate flexible, multidisciplinary and on-demand elements of learning into the traditional sphere of professional development. The concept emphasises growth through both formal education and everyday experiences and it is now a cornerstone in fostering a resilient and adaptable workforce. It extends beyond lifelong learning, embracing not just the timeline but the width of formats that constitute learning. It acknowledges that learning happens on various platforms – workplaces and online communities – beyond the traditional classroom. The core of this transformation lies in faster utilisation of the latest research findings and a more expansive use of degree education content to renew both society and businesses. To further facilitate this transformation, there is a need to restructure the current education model to a more modular format. This includes developing degree content that can be segmented into smaller, customisable learning units that allow learners to tailor their educational journey to match their career aspirations and interests. Interdisciplinary approaches should be encouraged, crafting modules that o er a broader, more inclusive perspective, which in turn fosters a richer learning experience. Constructing learning architecture As the professional sphere becomes increasingly dynamic, the methods and structures through which we learn must also evolve. The paradigm shift in the world of work calls for
Ambition NOVEMBER 2023 | 31
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