Role of the lecturer evolves in digital era
Technology is transforming the physical and virtual learning environment.
As online content available via eLearning platforms and intelligent virtual tools take over the task of knowledge transfer, lecturers will need to adapt their traditional role as an educator to function instead as course facilitators.
“The role of the lecturer continues to shift from serving as the sage on the stage to becoming the guide on the side,” says Dr Shahiem Patel, Dean of Regent Business School.
According to Dr Patel, a lecturer must fulfil numerous vital functions in their new role. These include facilitating and stimulating debate, prompting critical thinking and idea generation, curating content, guiding the learning process, helping executives navigate the wealth of available information and fostering collaborative learning environments.
“This shift places a greater emphasis on interactive and experiential learning, as opposed to just content delivery.”
Morné van den Bergh, Manager of Executive Education at the NWU Business School, says “lecturers are not just instructors but mentors, coaches and guides”.
But rather than diminish the role of a lecturer in executive education, the rise of virtual and in-classroom learning via eLearning platforms and other digital tools such as virtual and augmented reality and AI-based solutions has made their role more critical than ever.
“Good executive education has relied on how well academics shift from traditional teaching habits to facilitating high-end conversations that leverage the collective knowledge in the room,” says Rayner Canning, Business Development Director at the UCT Graduate School of Business.
“This is an area where asynchronous learning solutions falls woefully short. As such, good academic facilitation is key to obtaining those ‘aha’ moments because this is how executives challenge their thinking and knowledge base.”
Canning believes the role of the academic facilitator has become more important than ever as they ensure delegates grow and develop their skill sets and leadership practices.