In this special issue of The Exchange we delve into the extraordinaryQatar North West University and discover how the multi-billion dollar education sector is changing the way we learn.

A study conducted by World Economic Forum earlier this year he foresaw a future in education that was very different from the world of the traditional classroom and end-of-year formal exams.

Replace the master class with active learning

At Northwestern University in Qatar, their state-of-the-art newsroom is a real-life example of hands-on learning. A trend not only observed in the media sector.

“We are part of a tradition that is deeply rooted in the United States, which is the liberal arts. So, we base ourselves on history, philosophy, literature. We no longer study Latin or Greek, but we study a lot of the social sciences and humanities. But we have professional study plan. So our students come to study the history of the British Empire, they learn to operate high-end cameras, they learn to edit, they learn to report. And I think with these two things together, that we achieve success.”Dean Marwan Kraidy told Euronews.

“Learning by doing” and teaching from anywhere are two trends shaping the future of this sector.

Studies have also found that traditional classrooms alone can be an ineffective and inefficient way of teaching, compared to digital experiences that allow for more interaction and practice in problem solving.

Are we witnessing the death of the final exam? Many universities began ditching standardized tests, fearing that the “big final exam” might not reflect students’ true abilities.

learn from anywhere

At this international university, staff and students from 60 different countries can connect and meet, surrounded by the latest in communication technology. The reach of digital connectivity has helped colleges and universities embrace greater flexibility, increasingly offering classes online.

like company Boatthey try to use their classroom technology to spread education as widely as possible.

“As a coach, as a teacher, you really have very close contact with your remote audience. You see them all. When someone is distracted, you can pick up on them and interact with them, which creates another dynamic.” says Jan Van Houte, Vice President of WeConnect Barco.

There are all kinds of tools: question and answer sessions, surveys, visual aids. Business schools, in particular, seem to have embraced remote learning as the norm: big business for business.

boat was born as Belgian American Radio Company. Founded in 1934, it manufactures radios from the United States. The company has also built a dedicated studio so surgeons around the world can follow one another live in the operating room.

“One of the use cases that we are focusing on is surgeon support. For example with remote experts assisting surgeons and providing remote assistance. But another use case that is emerging quickly is distance training, distance education”explained executive vice president of surgical modalities Barco.

They say this is just the beginning of what they do: not only to educate to teach, but to save lives.

Organizations working to achieve these goals are JA Europe. It is the continent’s largest provider of job readiness, financial education, and entrepreneurship education programs.

“370,000 young entrepreneurs come to our business programme. They will eventually become the unicorns Europe needs to rebuild its economy. If we really want to rebuild our economy, we must look to the traditional sector, without a doubt. But we are looking to the future”said Euronews Salvatore Nigro, general director of JA Europe.

Technology has made learning from anywhere a reality. The desire for quality education for a reputable qualification may not have changed much, but the business landscape has. Courses, training and assessments are now delivered all over the planet, serving millions of students simultaneously.