Friday, December 18, 2009

Experience and Qualification

Tēnā koutou katoa – Greetings to you all
Opens a new window at Bradley University in Second Life

I’ve been reflective in my thoughts on where teaching and learning, training and higher education have been leading us recently.

I find it curiously odd that there seems to be a cogent drift away from the value of qualification, in those who are actively engaged in creating educational and training resources. This, at a time when experience is already not held universally in high esteem.

By qualification, I mean a formal standard, diploma or degree, conferred by an authorised and antonymous education or training body.

By experience, I’m implying months or years actually practicing a discipline, in whatever role the position requires.

I have tremendous faith in the youth of today, so I’m not denying their worth and value. They have unbelievable potential and the future of the world as we know it lies undeniably in their hands.

But in the past decade or more, there has been a move away from recognising experience in the workplace. Fresh minds – and let’s not deny it, youth – and the promise of creativity coming from those, have been put above the true and proper value of experience.

And now, we might be misled into believing that qualification could also be discarded.

I put it to you, that by severing the effective combination of qualification, experience and innate ability of the potential appointee to a position in the workforce, we are not only doing a disservice to the workplace, we are putting the future of the world at risk.


Ngā mihi nui – Best wishes

3 comments:

V Yonkers said...

Part of the problem in the US today is that many students feel that all they need to do is get the degree. Just like many believe that all they need to do is show up in class or pass the exam.

The fact is that the standards based education has created a generation of test takers, not problem solvers. As a result, as graduates come out of the classroom, they expect to have a high level job rather than putting their time in to learn the organization and the profession (the experience you speak of).

bonnie k said...

Hi Ken,
Sorry I've been away from reading blogs. Facebook has been my latest obsession, but I've been missing my blog reading. Kevin and I have been moderating an online anthology and that's been exciting as well- http://ianthology.ning.com
And this is a perfect topic to return to...
I am also concerned about where teacher ed is going in the States. President Obama is high on charter schools and some might be good, but there's an issue of quality control and support and respect for teachers and how they are mentored and I have heard horror stories.
So we are in flux.
For now the focus has been on health care but soon we will be moving to education.
I hope we get to a better place, beyond "the test!
and
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Blogger In Middle-earth said...

Tēnā kōrua!

Kia ora Virginia!


I Agree with what you're saying here. I also feel that the learner's goal has indeed become to reach the standard and not necessarily connected properly with learning what's needed to be learnt.

Kia ora e Bonnie!

Thanks for the link to the anthology. Some great things happening there!

Cool that you dropped by!! Here's hoping that we all get to a better place! Thanks for your well wishes! I hope you have a great New Year!

Rangimārie