As education systems around the world have become more technologically advanced, there has been a corresponding shift in how students are educated. Gone are the days when everyone learned to read and write using the Roman alphabet and then some arithmetic.
These days, students are actively engaged with technology at every turn. They use it for schoolwork, for entertainment, and sometimes even as an educational tool itself. Students collaborate online via platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, and many take advantage of the rich media tools such as YouTube and Netflix to learn new things.
This trend is not limited to high schools either. Many college campuses now offer courses that focus heavily on technology and digital literacy. These classes typically require extensive use of Google products so that students can access them.
The importance of teaching these skills cannot be overstated. Technology has become integral to our daily lives, and it is important for students to be prepared for this. There are plenty of opportunities out there to teach users of social networking sites how to do their jobs effectively, for example.
Furthermore, people who work in tech are in short supply, so learning about software development, graphic design, or computer science is something that can really boost your career later in life. It may also help you find employment after graduation if you’re looking to move into a position that uses those skills.
History of liberal arts education
The term “liberal art” was first used in the 16th century to describe humanities courses that focused more on understanding how culture functions than on specific subjects. These courses included things like literature, philosophy, and sociology.
Today, though, the word “arts” has become almost exclusively associated with higher education trends that emphasize creativity, self-expression, and knowledge about the aesthetics of cultures other than your own.
This shift happened during the industrial era when wealthy business elites began investing large amounts of money in artistic endeavors. They wanted their children to be educated in the fine arts so they paid for expensive schools that offered them this training.
These kids grew up surrounded by paintings, sculptures, and music and learned what these disciplines look like from people who studied them at an early age. This gave them strong foundations in the field, but it also influenced how they conceptualize art as artists do.
In the 21st century, just because you can draw or paint does not mean you are trained in painting! There have been many shifts along the way where students are given different names and definitions for what counts as the discipline of art.
That is why it is important to understand the history of how liberal arts education came to include the study of literature, linguistics, anthropology, and others. It is to make sure you get the most out of the experience no matter what year you attend.
Reasons why liberal arts education is important
One of the biggest reasons why liberal arts education is so valuable is because it teaches you how to think.
It gives you the tools to analyze what you are reading, listening to or viewing material. You will learn how to connect ideas with each other, understand different perspectives, recognize patterns, and apply these lessons to various topics and areas of study.
This educational experience comes not only from studying literature, art, and music, but also through learning about history, politics, philosophy, and economics. All of these disciplines teach us about our society, higher powers, and ourselves.
They also help develop critical thinking, which is an essential skill for life. No one except yourself has all the answers, so asking questions, analyzing arguments, and considering alternatives are good ways to approach problems.
Ways to improve your liberal arts education
Many people argue that current academic practices in college are too focused on producing workers with marketable skills. Rather than educating students about important topics, they say colleges should focus more on teaching students how to think critically.
This argument is often framed as promoting “liberal literacy” over vocational literacy. Some even go so far as to refer to this type of education as “civility training” because it teaches students how to hold nuanced opinions and use rhetoric effectively.
Liberal literacy can certainly help prepare you for life, but it goes beyond that. It helps develop self-knowledge, logic, and reasoning skills which can be applied to many areas. These qualities are valuable not only in everyday life, but also in the workplace.
Many experts claim that being well educated is an essential part of leading a happy, successful life. Therefore, whether you’re interested in developing your career or just wanting to enjoy daily life more, attending college years longer is a worthy investment.
Degree programs in liberal arts
With the decline of higher education as an institution that trains students to be professionals, degree programs in the liberal arts have become increasingly popular. These programs are not designed to train students in how to run their own business or take care of patients, but instead focus more heavily on teaching students about different disciplines or fields.
Many universities offer bachelor’s degrees in areas such as humanities (literature, history), social sciences (political science, economics) and natural resources (geography, biology). Some even offer masters in these same departments!
These educational programs do not typically require student tuition payments beyond room and board, making them more accessible for individuals who want to pursue just those qualifications.
Degree programs in marketing
As more students choose to attend universities with degree programs that focus on liberal arts, they are becoming increasingly difficult to find. This is particularly true in fields like business, where most schools have dropped their formal education in marketing.
Business degrees used to include courses about marketing, but now it seems as though every school has eliminated those classes. Students are being left without any fundamental knowledge of how to market products or services.
This is not only an issue for students, but also employers who look at educational certificates with skepticism. They believe that no one outside of college knows what marketing really means!
Luckily, there are some ways to get around this problem. You can start your own grassroots campaign to educate others about the importance of marketing. Or you can create your own free online course on the topic by offering lessons and tutorials.
Here are five easy ways to teach people about marketing even if you don’t have a degree yourself.
Degree programs in management
With the explosion of technology, there are now more opportunities to achieve career success that do not require an expensive business degree or professional certification. Technology has made it possible to perform many functions once reserved for only those with higher education degrees.
Business students learn how to run companies by studying things such as marketing, finance, leadership, and psychology, just to name a few major fields. However, these areas are only focused on educating you about what businesses should be doing – they don’t teach what individuals can do within a company to help it succeed.
This is where other liberal arts majors come into play. Students who study literature, history, language, art, music, and sociology have vast knowledge bases that apply directly to helping others improve their workplace performance.
Reading novels and listening to songs both use storytelling to tell someone else’s story. By understanding other people, relationships, and motivation, you can educate yourself on ways to motivate employees and influence them towards specific goals.
History teaches us about past civilizations and why some succeeded while others failed. You can take lessons from the ancient Greeks and Romans on how to organize and lead an organization effectively.
Artists and musicians hone their skills through practice, which applies to teaching self-expression and communication. Being able to identify and understand different styles of painting, sculpture, and music helps users recognize good work even if they were never trained in the same field.
Degree programs in computer science
Recent debates about whether or not college degree programs such as those in business, education, journalism, psychology, and others are worth it due to them being liberal arts-based have got many people talking.
Liberal arts degrees focus more on teaching students how to think than focusing on specific fields like business, marketing, or communications. This is what makes these courses so popular.
However, some argue that this shift away from specific majors towards general studies is just an easy way for colleges to keep up their revenue while lowering academic standards.
Colleges need to make sure they provide enough knowledge related to the field students choose, but they don’t necessarily need to be educated in the specifics of the field.
This argument also ignores the importance of knowing other languages, mathematics, and history aside from studying literature, art, and music.
Degree programs in psychology
As we have seen, there are many different branches of psychology that can be broken down into two main categories: clinical and theoretical. Clinical psychologists help you with mental health issues such as depression or anxiety by conducting psychotherapy (talking to you about your problems) and performing diagnostic tests to determine what is causing your symptoms.
Theoretical psychologists study how our minds work for an overall understanding of psychology. They may research motivation, personality traits, socialization, etc.
With the rise of technology and online education, more and more students are receiving liberal arts educations that combine both theory and practice. Programs like communication studies, psychology, sociology, and even business provide strong fundamentals in the field while also incorporating technology use and applications.
