Lifelong Learning, Reimagined with Ryan Stowers, Charles Koch Foundation's Executive Director

In this episode of Illuminate Higher Education, N2N Services CEO Kiran Kodithala speaks with Ryan Stowers, Charles Koch Foundation's Executive Director.

Ryan kicks things off by outlining a core issue in our higher education system, which is that it's severely outdated. As it stands, only one-third of students at four-year institutions believe that they'll graduate with the skills and knowledge to be successful in the workplace. This illustrates an obvious area of opportunity, which can start with collectively changing the way we think and act about the role higher education plays in our lives.

For example, we may need to move away from education solely as a function of seat time, credit hours, or degrees. Instead, we need a significant shift towards an individualized approach, honing in on a specific learner's aptitudes, passions, and interests. 

Ryan suggests that we need to pay a lot more attention to individual learner's voices and preferences, which will mean putting the ownership of what those pathways look like back in the hands of the learner so that they can be presented with a dynamic set of options to adequately receive the continued education they seek.

Connect with Ryan Stowers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-stowers-1832024/

Learn more about the Charles Koch Foundation at https://charleskochfoundation.org/

This episode is brought to you by N2N’s Illuminate App, The iPaaS for Higher Education. Learn more at https://illuminateapp.com/web/higher-education/

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