- Dr. Michael D. Smith advocates for digital platforms in higher education.
- Smith compares technological shifts in entertainment to potential education transformations.
- He praises Utah Valley University for embracing inclusive, digital education strategies.
OREM — It's no secret that the ever-evolving digital technology has changed how the world operates and how we consume content. One expert believes the digital revolution can lead to greater access to higher education and better outcomes for a wider range of students.
Utah Valley University hosted a town hall meeting on Thursday featuring Michael D. Smith, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania and author of "The Abundant University: Remaking Higher Education for a Digital World."
The book suggests that colleges and universities can do better at embracing digital platforms to become a more abundant system for all through inclusivity, affordability and social fairness.
Smith drew parallels between the entertainment industry's shift, due to technological disruption in the mid-2010s, and higher education. He highlighted control over scarce resources, such as access to faculty and credentials.
"I compare it to Spotify, and the way that we went from I can only listen to the CDs I have in my car to a world where I can use the data that Spotify knows about me for Spotify to customize the delivery of music to me in a way that's valuable," he explained.
Smith emphasized the need for more hybrid resources — combining online and in-person education to meet diverse student needs.
He also championed innovative ideas that disrupt traditional ways of educating students at colleges and universities.
In Utah, at places like UVU, which prides itself on welcoming students of various ages, backgrounds and economic statuses, and initiatives in place to better prepare students for the workforce, Smith said the university is one institution embracing the future of higher education.
"What I see of UVU and the things that UVU is doing with employers and credit for experience, UVU is leading a lot of the existing market leaders, who are tied to our existing way of delivering content," he said.
Smith also advocated for a broader mission, beyond helping those more financially well-off, to help all students discover and develop their talents.
"If our mission is helping rich kids get a leg up in the job market, we're doing great, but that's not our mission," he said. "If our mission is helping students from all backgrounds discover their talents so they can develop those talents to use those talents for the benefit of society, I think we could do a lot better, and I think technology could help us achieve that mission."
TJ Bliss, associate commissioner and chief academic officer for the Utah System of Higher Education, believes public universities across Utah do well at upholding the state's mission of providing high-quality education that prepares students for their desired career paths.
"I would argue that the instruction, the education that happens in our institutions like UVU and University of Utah, all the way to Utah Tech (University) and every institution in between, is super high quality, and it is really good in terms of students getting the knowledge (and) the skills. Can we do better? Absolutely," he said.
Ultimately, Smith makes the case for the benefits of educational abundance, allowing students to choose the teaching style that suits them best.
"What I would love for us to do as educators is think about both the limitations and the advantages, weigh them appropriately, and then figure out a way to design something that creates both," he said during the presentation.
A link to the entire discussion is available here.
