Video & Learner Engagement

Having worked for almost two decades in higher education, I’ve been involved in the implementation of many different IT systems. Invariably there are a multitude of different factors at play when choosing a new system; the needs and profile of the end user, the budget available, the time frame for completion, the in-house expertise and so on. When it comes to systems directly related to teaching and learning, such as the Learning Management System (LMS) there is another, almost sacrosanct factor at play: the pedagogy or educational approach used. “It’s not about the technology, it’s the pedagogy that matters, the technology just enables us” is a commonly heard phrase. Similarly I once had someone tell me “Comparing two different LMS’s is like comparing Mercedes to BMW, they are different, but basically do the same thing – it’s all down to preference”.

What does every fresh graduate ultimately want? To quickly find a job in a role that uses the skills on which they’ve spent years of intense study. Unfortunately, the reality is that this search can quickly become frustrating, and can sometimes be entirely fruitless. KSchool, a digital marketing school boasting the highest employability rate in Spain, claims to know how to solve this problem. What’s more, the evidence supports the claim: 94% of KSchool alumni work in the digital sector.

Mexico’s Madero University (UMAD) has a motto: “Tenemos Madera”, which means “We Have What It Takes”. This call to arms motivates UMAD staff to reinvent, renew, and innovate the way it educates its students. It’s also helped the university develop an exemplary virtual education system, capable of training students with high academic skills as well as a love for this new educational modality: