Across the learning experience, the classes should blend with activity and be augmented by experience (content/source to creativity/problem solving to application).
The most obvious gap in the literature on the impact of automation and ML/AI on employment is that there exists no successful strategy to address the problem of producing graduates/employees that will not need to be “re- and up-skilled.” While Aoun’s theories are intriguing and provide sound theory for addressing the problem, his theories lack real-world application. “Learning that Works” seeks to address that gap that exists between a well-defined problem and a “solution” that is only theoretical.
KSU's QEP, "Learning that Works," proposes to emphasize the four components in the "learning ecosystem" in order to produce students who are prepared for not only the current workforce environment but also for a future workforce environment that will most probably feature an increasing role for automation and ML/AI. By teaching what Aoun terms "robot-proof" skills, the University's student body will be prepared to lead "productive lives within the diverse global economy," as our Mission Statement specifies. Indeed, each of Aoun's "literacies" will be touched upon in the "launch pad" sequence of classes, described below, that will serve as models for future curricular revision, particular the ongoing efforts to reform the General Education sequence required of all students. This sequence will culminate in a capstone project wherein students will work in teams and with those outside the academy (human literacy) and conduct research and synthesize information (technological literacy and data literacy). These classes, which follow Aoun's theories, will constitute a first step toward a wider adoption of this approach in other classes in the General Education core, as well as classes that support major and minor programs. The new courses will serve as a proving ground to determine "what works" in practical application, as Aoun's theories remain untested in a real-world higher education environment.
One approach in particular that the QEP will incorporate is Systems Thinking. As Aoun defines the term,
Systems Thinking is a critical cognitive capacity for anyone in a position of leadership but also for anyone attempting to discover new knowledge, launch a business, or create something original. It sees the details and the entire tableau, exercising our mental strength to weigh complexity while also testing our grasp on multiple strands of thought.
Systems Thinking thus allows one to see the bigger picture and consider how smaller parts interconnect to make up the whole. While a computer might be programmed to perform ever more sophisticated tasks, including assessing massive amounts of complicated data that it would take a team of humans weeks to process, the possibility is very far off for ML/AI to be able to look at the larger picture and apply metacognitive criteria. This is something that only humans possess at present, and by fostering these skills in its students, Kentucky State University will produce graduates who are adaptable to the ever-changing needs of the 21st century workforce.
Aoun's call for teaching Systems Thinking does not clearly specify a way to teach this skill. A concrete way of encouraging Systems Thinking in KSU students is to teach them Design Thinking, the parts of which are explained below. Design Thinking has been well-established as a successful strategy for addressing a wide range of problems, and there are ample professional development opportunities for our faculty to acquire skills in Design Thinking, ranging from forthcoming conferences to online courses to an online "crash course" from Stanford's d-school (mentioned below), in addition to other resources like inviting