The language we currently use to describe the space colleges and universities occupy in the larger educational/learning landscape is based on accretion–either along a horizontal axis (“post-secondary education”) or a vertical axis (“higher education”).
In the first model, elementary becomes secondary and, eventually, post-secondary.
This language reflects a fairly common “timeline” notion of learning, but it fails to capture what happens in each of these spaces. And, unfortunately, it also reinforces some of the most limiting aspects of our current common understanding of education and, perhaps, more importantly, learning.
In the second model, which has the same limitations, primary is foundational to middle and then high school; higher education sits on top as a crowning achievement.
“Higher education” carries with it a classist connotation that, unfortunately, impacts too many people from all sides of this discussion and is, arguably, one of the drivers of the current distrust and skepticism with which higher education is viewed.
So is there a better way to talk about all of this?
What if we begin by thinking about what happens or is supposed to happen–developmentally–to people in these spaces?
In this context, “education” might be thought of as the process by which external forces shape the “student” into the desired outcome. “Learning” is a different process that focuses on the individual who participates actively in his, her, or their own ongoing development.
To some degree, both “education” and “learning” as defined above can and/or should happen in each of the formal educational spaces. (This actually is one of the distinctive strengths of American education with the potential to balance both collective and individual energies and drive creativity and innovation.)
So, if we wanted to find another and more accurate term for what happens in the space we currently call “higher ed,” what would you suggest?
Join the conversation at Sea Glass Higher Education.