What it means to upgrade IU

With the release of IU administration’s Campus Strategic Plan, to be implemented in the coming years, the administration needs to remember that progress does not always equal throwing millions of dollars into state-of-the-art technology.

Now, it is not explicitly stated within the Plan that IU will do this, or, at least, on the scale I imagine and fear. The Plan doesn’t list any specific, detail-ridden initiatives and relies instead on grandiose and vague wording, like “improving... technological infrastructure” or “link(ing) our classrooms to the world.”

Sounds great, right? But just because it sounds great doesn’t necessarily mean it will be.

The most important thing for the administration to consider throughout the implementation of their Plan is to remain committed to providing the highest-quality and most effective education possible. I believe this is, and always will be, their goal, but it is easy to become lost in an idealistic notion of a completely modernized educational system, especially in an era characterized by a fervent commitment to technological innovation and an increasing reliance on digital information.

However, there is something to be said about traditional forms of education. In fact, there are many things to be said about it. In my and many students’ experiences, the most effective form of education is one that remains focused on a humanistic, interpersonal relationship between student and professor that, while enhanced by technology, does not rely on technology.

It is easy to fall into reductionist principles by imagining if we take X + Y + Z, we will be able to emulate the experiences a student can and should gain when taught by a professor.

However, the best education resists that approach because there is something intangible and fundamental gained through the interaction between a professor and a student. Whether it is understanding, inspiration or just plain-old interest, it is impossible to replicate with an education that relies on technology.

There is nothing wrong with the administration wanting to modernize their educational approach, but they need to discover what is most effective, and the only way they can do that is by monitoring students’ and professors’ reactions to the implementation.

If they find they made a mistake, they need to be able to suck up their hypothetical pride and admit they have done something unproductive, and fix it. The effectiveness and quality of the education they provide is most important in the end.  

­— allenjo@indiana.edu
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