The world of education has seen huge changes throughout the years, but right now Education is facing the biggest crisis in its entire lifetime.For many years, traditional systems have relied upon a singularly focused approach — providing students with a standardized curriculum, an inflexible timeline, and a preset outcome. While this approach served a purpose in the past, it fails to accommodate the multitude of complexities that exist in the current world; how industry is rapidly changing; how career paths are more than just a linear path; and even how individuals seek a greater sense of “meaning” in both their education and their future employment.

Within this environment, students today are not simply asking the question: “What degree do I want to get?” but rather the questions: “What is my intended impact?” and “How will my education allow me to fulfill my life purpose?”  The questions themselves identify the emergence of purpose-driven education; purpose-driven education is focused on providing students with meaning, relevance, and personal development in the delivery of academic learning. Atlantic International University (AIU) has taken the lead in purpose-driven education, creating an educational model that allows individuals to pursue a degree aligned to their meaningful self.

What You Can Learn about Purpose-Based Learning is More than Just Your Major

Purpose-based learning isn’t all about choosing a degree, but more about personalizing your educational philosophy. This process begins with self-discovery where students will reflect on their passions, values, strengths, and goals and develop a personalized learning plan based on those reflections.

Because every learner is different, two students going after the same degree can have different reasons to be going for that particular degree. One student might want to use their degree to solve environmental issues while another may want to use their degree to start a business. Purpose-based learning provides options for students to create individualized content, pacing, and application of their learning based on the individual needs of the student.

Purpose-based learning also changes the way students learn from passive learning to active learning. Rather than simply memorizing information for a test, students are applying information in ways that are relevant to them that provides them with a deeper understanding of what they are learning, improves retention, and provides a fulfilling educational experience.

The Philosophy of Education at AIU: A Basis for Meaning

At Atlantic International University, we have developed our AIU online degree programs on the premise that education should help the learner, not the other way around. Our educational philosophy is based on andragogy and omniology. Andragogy treats adult education as a process of self-directed learning. Omniology provides a holistic view of knowledge by linking all disciplines together; therefore, AIU has been developed to allow students to discover and explore many different areas of study while trying to piece together their own education. By allowing students the opportunity to study in a number of different fields, and have the freedom to make connections between different areas, AIU ensures that there will be relevant purpose driven education  and innovative ways to learn (and prepare for) the future.

For example, a student who is interested in sustainable development may choose to take non-traditional education  courses in environmental science, business, and technology (in addition to other courses) in order to complete an education that is tailored specifically to his or her interests. By giving students this type of educational freedom, AIU is committed to ensuring that students are learning and preparing for an ever-changing and increasingly diversified world.

Academic Freedom: The Core of Meaningful Learning

Academic freedom is an important characteristic of AIU’s (Atlantic International University) educational system. In most educational systems, students are typically given little, if any, input into the types of subject materials that they will study as well as how they will study such subjects. However, at AIU, students have 100 percent control over their educational experience.

The concept of academic freedom provides students the means to:

(1) Highlight those areas of learning that they are most interested in,

(2) Challenge existing assumptions,

(3) Participate in independent research, and

(4) Develop new ideas and solutions.

After being provided academic freedom students will feel that they are in control of their education and they will invest time and energy into their studies. The result of student centered education is that students will want to learn because of their passion for knowledge rather than because of what they feel is expected of them.

In addition, students with independent study programs can easily earn a personalized learning degree  who are provided academic freedom and develop the ability to think critically, because they have developed the ability to generate new ideas and to evaluate facts, ideas, and situations and then apply them to real-world scenarios. As a result, students who are given academic freedom will be better prepared for the real-world challenges that they may encounter both creatively and with confidence.

Customized Education: A Transformed Methodology

Design-and-create your own degree at AIU is about being an ongoing journey instead of a single point-in-time decision for an individual student. When Students enter AIU, they do so with a defined purpose for their education and established academic/professional goals. The next step for a student involves identifying and selecting educational content that aligns with this defined purpose/goals.

Learning will occur throughout an ongoing process of continuous evaluation from each student and modification based upon their individual progress (i.e., students’ change in both interests and goals during their educational experience will create a situation where a student will need to adjust his or her education based on his or her findings based upon a change in these areas).

The unique design-to-create-and-build educational experience (degree) outcome is that as students make these changes, each student is building their unique educational experience to be modified and defined by that student. The end result of this unique scholarship experience is that in the long run, each student will have developed a highly-specified material experience encountered during their lifetime.

Real-World Application: Bridging Theory and Practice

The ability to apply concepts learned in class to actual work/project situations is fundamental to our students’ success when they get out of the classroom and into a job or career. Our flexible online education  students have opportunities to:

• Develop “real-life” projects involving current issues
• Demonstrate their knowledge and skills in real-world locations/applications
• Create solutions to global issues
• Create portfolios highlighting their work and the impact they’ve made

This leads to an understanding that learning should not just be theoretical; customized degree programs learning should be applicable. Graduates of AIU online degree programs leave AIU with both knowledge and experience and a sense of self-assurance regarding their future career plans.

Accessibility and Flexibility : Study Anywhere Anytime

AIU has designed its distance learning model as a fit for all types of students in today’s modern world of education. This range of students includes busy professionals, entrepreneurs and individuals juggling several priorities. By allowing students to learn in whatever way is best for them; AIU has provided a method for students to get an education on their own terms.

With no rigid schedule or geographic restrictions, AIU online degree programs students can finally study from anywhere, anytime with no limitations. Because self-directed learning  students can now complete their education according to their own timeline and at their own pace, this new learning format has eliminated previously existing barriers preventing millions of individuals the opportunity to pursue a higher education degree.

Also, being able to learn immediately with online learning flexibility  accessible to students allows them to use what they’ve learned in their everyday life and/or business ventures enabling students to link their education with their actual work experience much easier than ever before.

A Global Perspective – Learning Beyond Borders

The Atlantic International University’s (AIU) student population represents more than 180 countries and provides a rich global environment that enhances students’ ability to learn through exposure to new cultures, viewpoints, and ideas.

The benefits of interacting with a global network to students include:

• Being able to create cross-cultural communication skills.
• Gaining insight into global problems and possibilities.
• Establishing valuable professional relationships.
• Expanding their view of their area of study.

With a more connected world, the need to have global exposure is necessary for future success through working collaboratively with one another while also gaining an appreciation for different cultures.

New Technology and Innovation : Improving the Learning Experience

AIU can use technology and AI tools to provide personalized education with AIU online degree programs to all of its students. Students will be able to get access to online resources, interactive platforms and intelligent systems that will adapt and change based on their needs.

Innovative technologies can be used at AIU to improve performance in the following four areas:

1) Researching and obtaining information

2) Increasing the efficiency and engagement of learning

3) Providing a means to track individual progress and perform self-assessment

4) Facilitating collaboration and communication.

The use of innovative technologies by AIU gives students an opportunity to not just gain knowledge; it also allows them to develop the necessary digital skills for the future.

A Lifelong Learning: The Path of Education Past Graduation

Lifelong Learning (LL) is more than just finishing your degree at AIU; it is about creating a culture of being curious and seeking knowledge on an ongoing basis. The Perpetual Evolution mindset with AIU flexible education promotes the idea of continuing to grow and change throughout your life through education.

As a result, graduates of AIU will have developed the skills required for living in a world where change occurs continuously. Graduates will no longer be dependent upon mastering a set amount of knowledge but rather have created the ability to learn new things, to unlearn old things, and to relearn things again when necessary — all while developing a machine learning mindset that adapts to rapidly changing environments — one of the most critical skills required in today’s world. There are truly amazing benefits of purpose driven learning programs.

The Future: Why is Purpose-Based Learning Important?

The world is continuously evolving and due to high levels of complexity there are also increasing requirements for relevant and transferable education. Purpose-Based Learning with AIU open curriculum  allows a better match between an individual’s goals as well as the challenges our society faces, therefore providing an increase in:

• Motivation/Engagement
• Innovation/Creativity
• Alignment to Career & Life Goals
• Contribution to Society

In conclusion, it shifts education from being a “system of instruction” to becoming a “life-long journey of self-discovery and empowerment”.

Summary: A New Paradigm in Education

 Above all, Atlantic International University represents a new paradigm of education, which has created a new system of education focused on purpose, flexibility and the real-world impacts of learning. AIU provides opportunities for students to create learning around what they are passionate about; therefore, not only does AIU develop graduates, but it also develops leaders, inventors and agents of change.

Purpose-based education provides incredible opportunities for students to design a meaningful life in a world that has an abundance of information but lacks meaning and allows students to develop their purposes. By designing education around their purpose, AIU students are able to unlock the potential to create their future and to create a better world.

Prepare yourself to Learn about what’s Really Important!

Your education should be as unique as your purpose. At Atlantic International University (AIU), AIU online degree programs make students have the ability to create their educational paths without any defined restrictions. Students who wish to create change, lead, address worldwide challenges or change career paths can do so by creating their own degree at AIU. Through the flexibility and support provided at AIU students can pursue their dreams.

The first step in preparing for your future is to define your own AIU learning model. Step 2 would be to follow your purpose. Step 3 would be to use your potential and create your impact.

Enroll in AIU and begin to learn what’s really important !

Author Bio

Ananya Biswas, Senior Content Strategist at Atlantic International University, blends creativity with strategy to craft compelling narratives. With 9+ years of expertise in content strategizing, creation and marketing, she champions in meeting high quality content standards and empowers global audiences through impactful storytelling and brand engagement.