Executive Education Needs – Customised And Personalised

Vikas Sharma Nov 29, 2018

Nowadays, the professional demands are fast changing than they were a decade ago. Technologies are fast becoming redundant and updates are available after just a couple of months. In this scenario how does one keep abreast of the changing trends and keep upgrading the skill? The answer is ‘Executive Education’. There isn’t much debate on the fact that executive education brings value to businesses but how do we ensure that the education modules are relevant and updated as per the requirements of the future? Here are a few thoughts.

Building the ‘Bridge’

Executives in the middle and senior levels today are educated in the 80-90 era. There’s a sea change in the business environment and how it is conducted today, isn’t it? Today, we need a tripartite agreement and collaboration among the Industry, Academia, and the Government, who set the curriculum framework.

The bridge needs to be built sooner than later i.e. at the secondary classroom level. Having said that, for the current executives who seek to upgrade their skills, there are umpteen websites and educational organizations, offering modular education catering to this need. These portals provide anytime, anywhere access and are equally robust to amply cater to the skill gaps, if any.

The need for ‘Speed’

Organizations and executives usually cannot afford to learn at a luxuriously conventional pace and then test it out in a real business environment. They rather want a learning program that identifies the problem areas and helps them to quickly fill in. For this exact reason, customized content scores over traditional one-size-fits-all academic content. The learning is better through personal experiences, first-hand accounts, or motivational talk rather than fancy looking business models. This method cuts through the mundane routine and gives learners the opportunity to engage with the educators in near real-time.

‘Technology’ is the key

Technology is an enabler and its usage define the outcomes of any programme. MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) portals such as Coursera, Udemy, and Swayam, a GOI initiative are excellent examples of how technology can enable us to access knowledge at the pace we want and at a time it suits us. Furthermore, the same portals can be accessed through their respective Apps on a smartphone making education even more personalized.

Another very important benefit of technology is; eliminating the limitation of content customization. Powerful data analytics engines can churn gigabytes of unstructured data and identify patterns among problems/solutions. Therefore, course designers or trainers can quickly assess the latest developments in the industry, government, company, and in the consumer space and make it part of the executive learning.

Be ‘future’ ready, today

EdTech solutions based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR) platforms can deliver solutions to each learner enrolled for an executive training program in a more intuitive and engaging way. With the use of AI platforms, the systems can also learn from the learning patterns of individuals and present the content that fits their specific needs. With communication technology and the blend of social media platforms, the learners also have a chance to expand their horizons beyond the classroom or office premise, connect with their global peers, solve complex business cases in real-time.

In the end, the key is to have engaging and modular educational content that evolves with time and customized to suit the need of each business and individual. Hence, for the creation of the best executive education program, the understanding of an organization’s business problem, goals, strategy and as well as current capabilities need to be weaved neatly with multidisciplinary academic knowledge.