Mastery is a method of teaching approach in which the educators work with each student on a particular topic until they are sure that the learner has grasped the concepts-before moving to the next topic. The startups have also been using the online mentorships to combine the powers of the latest technologies with the unique personalities of human beings to make fundamental changes to the way of teaching.
Besides technology has also given students access to online writing services such as paper helper for handling assignments and research from their teachers
The trend has been going for since the last years with many technology startups rolling out “online mentorship” products for other learners. These instances include Udacity’s “coaches” in their 2013 online programs and “acquired Hackhands” that belongs to Pluralsight. Overall, these programs provide a new era of hope to the challenges facing the education sector. Another common illustration of startup effectiveness is that of Atlanta food waste recovery by Forbes.
Top ways in which today’s startups are revolutionizing the education sector
1- Unbundling the higher education
According to author Ryan Craig, “unbundling will soon happen
in the higher education”. He has authored the College Disrupted: The Great Unbundling of Higher Education that
talks about startups and higher education. In the book the author further adds
that students may find one day they don’t actually need their college degrees
to be employed- And when that time comes the degrees’ will be selective and
outdated.
The author notes that the unbundling of higher education will
come after employers realize that they achieve better from a competent
workforce than a mere degree. The whole concept of the competency idea is for
employers to hire employees basing on their suitability or competency to the
job they are applying for. Most of these employers will start resorting to
LinkedIn to find test the competency of each candidate.
2- Changing higher education industry’s shape
Higher education today is much different than it was a decade
ago. There has been tremendous growth in the number of unaccredited education
providers-With most students seeking their services. The result has been a
notable change to the shape of the postsecondary system.
These providers provide greater flexibility and affordable
plans for students to learn. As a result, most students have been following
their pathways reducing their chances of college studies. An example of these
providers is StraighterLine. The provider provides a learning platform where
the learners can start with a free trial. Over time, the learner can subscribe
to the numerous higher educational packages that reduce their need for a
college education.
3- The rise of freelancers and entrepreneurs
The number of freelancers on the US soil is gradually rising
over the years. As we speak, the country boasts of more than a third of its
population doing freelancing work. More US and worldwide companies are also shifting
to contract workers as they have clearly enumerated their skills.
Most schools do not teach learners to be the freelance and
entrepreneurs’ workforce- Reducing their chances of upskilling and learning on
different skills. These schools focus primarily on a “one size fits all”
completely ignoring the economic and workforce realities of the modern world.
Startup tools seek to bridge these gaps – making learners
more dependent on their skills to earn some income.
The freelancers have also made it easier for students to have
their papers written over the web. This reduces their assignment load but also
makes evaluation difficult for their tutors.
4- Changing the way of learning
In normal cases in the curriculum, most students will wonder why they are learning this or that skill. Most students do fail to understand the relevance of some curriculum and lose interest in the process. Online institutions like Silicon Valley High school has a solution to the problem by changing the approach to formal education.
As of now, it offers 19 courses and each student pays $10 for each course they are studying. The institution provides a period of 3-7 months for each student to learn, depending on his or her learning speeds.
Summing it up…
As research continues on startup approaches, it is now evident that it is combining technological strengths with the unique value of individuals. The outcomes of these tactics have been the changes in the way of teaching as well as the modes of learning.