Significant Systems Dares To Ask “What If?”

This article explains how Significant Systems is changing the landscape of higher education on an exponential level.

The Internet has disrupted business as usual across every industry on an exponential level. Linear academic coordinators are asking questions like: “How do we compete with the Internet? How can we advertise louder so that prospects will put down their iPhones and hear our ad? How do we convince students that the traditional college setting is just as valuable as it always was?”

However, at Significant Systems higher education consulting firm, we ask a different question…

We ask: “What If?”

We want to know what would happen if professors who are passionate about teaching had more time to spend one-on-one with students instead of dealing with the daily hassles of administrative paperwork. Would this be a win-win situation for students and professors alike?

We have pondered whether students could actually enjoy the learning process so much that they become raving fans of their professors. Imagine how the world would change if college students came to class eager to learn every single day instead of feeling like they are doing a chore in exchange for a piece of paper (a degree).

Online banking has become ubiquitous. Doing your banking online just makes sense because it takes a fraction of the time that actually visiting the bank takes, the process is more streamlined (no waiting in line), and you aren’t stuck trying to organize a bunch of paper receipts. What if creating a college course could be that efficient? As a higher education consulting firm, we aren’t afraid to ask this question and to find a way to answer it.

Some academic coordinators claim that technology is confusing and frustrating; that they would rather deal with a human being face-to-face. But, what if technology could be used in a way that actually improves student and faculty satisfaction, outcomes, persistence, and assessments? We think it can.

Any experienced higher education consulting firm knows that every individual student has different “readiness levels” when it comes to particular coursework and subject matters. Asynchronous learning (learning at different rates) is ubiquitous. The mathematics prodigy may have difficulty with her sociology coursework. The pre-med major may abhor physics class. What if courses adapted to students’ individual readiness levels?

The BIG question that we also ask is how the Internet can dramatically lower tuition, attract the right kind of students, AND offer an education that is superior to the traditional, high-priced college setting?

As a forward-thinking higher education consulting firm, we think students should be able to learn anywhere, anytime. Research shows that sitting at a desk in a classroom while listening to a lecture is one of the least effective ways to learn and recall new information. Students should be able to connect with their coursework, professors, academic coordinators and classmates in the same way they are able to connect with Facebook – on their phones, ipads, laptops, smartwatches, and any other new mobile devices that enter the mass marketplace.

Stay connected with us to learn how we’re changing the face of higher education and how you can be a part of this exciting opportunity. Be prepared to disrupt the old, failing educational system and build something that is exponential in scale.