Curating Actionable Knowledge Amid Uncertainty in Higher Ed

With learning and work intersecting more than ever, it’s critical that stakeholders have access to relevant, field-specific and timely knowledge that industry experts curate to bolster the entire learn-and-work ecosystem.

On December 1, 2024, the Learn & Work Ecosystem Library (LWEL) will reach its second anniversary. While we have achieved rapid growth amid many challenges, a trusted colleague is urging us not to rest on our laurels. In fact, by wisely raising the “so what?” question, he’s challenging the project’s central vision. Do we still need a library like this? Who is going to use it and reuse it? In this rapidly developing AI world do we keep going, or should we defer to the growing army of bots and information aggregators? These are fair questions that deserve answers.     

Why Do We Need Curated, Updated Resources? 

In the learn-and-work ecosystem, having timely and relevant information isn’t just helpful; it’s vital. Every decision—whether made in a classroom, boardroom or legislative session—can shape the ways in which individuals gain the skills they need to thrive in a dynamic labor market. Having a dedicated source for resources allows for three vital functions: 

• Navigating complexity for diverse stakeholders 

• Bridging the gap between learning and work 

• Staying relevant in a rapidly changing landscape 

Let’s look closely at each. 

Navigating complexity — The ecosystem connecting learning and work is incredibly complex. It involves multiple stakeholders in the U.S. and globally, including educators, employers, researchers, policymakers (federal, state, regional, local) and quality assurance bodies. Each group has different needs, priorities and pressures: 

• Educators must stay up to date with emerging skills, teaching methodologies, technologies and best practices. 

• Employers need insights into the changing landscape of skills and credentials to ensure quality in their labor force. 

• Policymakers must make informed decisions to support workforce development, fuel economic growth and foster equitable opportunity. 

• Researchers need current, reliable data to inform studies that can help improve the learn-and-work ecosystem. 

• Quality assurance organizations need standards and benchmarks to ensure the integrity of the broad array of credentials in play now.  

By simplifying this complexity through curated resources, leaders from these groups can access actionable and targeted information. In fact, LWEL has identified 26 stakeholder groups. Rather than sifting through endless, unvetted information, users can find what they need when they need it. 

Bridging the learning/work gap — In recent years, the boundaries between learning and work have blurred. Lifelong learning has become essential, as workers must continually update their skills to stay relevant in a shifting job market. It’s important to have a resource designed to facilitate this connection, offering information resources that highlight: 

• Credentialing innovations such as microcredentials, badges and certificates that offer flexible learning pathways 

• Employer-education partnerships that foster real-world learning experiences 

• Workforce development policies that support reskilling and upskilling for diverse populations 

By offering curated resources, higher ed leaders and policymakers have access to high-quality information to help improve the learn-and-work ecosystem. It allows them to learn about initiatives and organizations working in specific areas of interest, research, field-specific vocabulary and relevant background information. This information is critical in a resource-constrained ecosystem—one in which innovators are hard-pressed to choose quickly from among an array of actions designed to meet stakeholders’ needs.

Staying relevant — The pace of change in the learn-and-work ecosystem—technological, demographic and political—is staggering. What worked a decade ago, even a year ago, may not work today. 

Having a library of resources that are continuously updated to reflect these changes ensures information is not only current but future-facing. For example, resources on artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace or opportunities in credentialing for various population groups provide forward-looking insights that empower stakeholders to anticipate and prepare for what’s next, rather than reacting to what has already happened. This ongoing relevance allows for a potentially more dynamic and useful tool than traditional, static libraries. 

Can Stakeholders Get Needed Information from AI Tools Such As ChatGPT? 

AI tools can provide some of this information. In fact, they offer several distinct advantages, including: 

• Wide-ranging knowledge — AI bots have access to a vast array of publicly available information, including reports, research articles and policy papers, and it can synthesize insights across many disciplines. 

• Personalized responses — AI can tailor its answers to the user’s specific needs. For instance, if an educator is looking for innovative teaching practices, AI can quickly pull together examples from various sources and explain current trends. 

• Conversational format — AI tools allow users to ask follow-up questions, making it easier to delve deeper into a specific topic or gain clarity on complex issues. 

• Complementarity — While AI tools are powerful and can provide valuable information that complements (but rarely replaces) specialized resources. 

It’s also important, however, to point out AI’s limitations: 

• No deep curation — AI tools provide general information from a variety of sources but lack the deep, stakeholder-centered curation found in specialized libraries.   

• Outdated information — Although AI can access a wide range of up-to-date sources, it may not always have the very latest, curated information. AI tools have a knowledge cutoff. For example, according to ChatGPT, its “current knowledge extends only up until September 2021, and it cannot obtain real-time web data unless connected to a browsing tool.” What’s needed is a source that actively curates its resources to ensure real-time relevance. 

• Lack of original research — AI tools do not conduct original research or curate resources; they simply synthesize information from existing sources. What’s required is a source that includes resources curated based on expertise in the field, striving for relevance and applicability. 

• Limited specificity — AI tools can provide general information on the intersection of learning and work, but they may not deliver the in-depth, stakeholder-specific resources that a curated library offers.  

Responding to the “So What?” Question 

The LWEL right now provides a critical tool for a complex ecosystem. While broad-based libraries and resource repositories offer an impressive breadth of knowledge, especially with AI augmentation, they lack the level of curated, actionable and stakeholder-specific content the library provides. The LWEL is unique because it offers all the following:   

• Focused curation — Other libraries might offer vast amounts of information but often lack specificity in a specific domain. We’ve curated the library to address the direct intersection of learning and work.  

• Stakeholder-centric information — We’ve structured the library to serve diverse stakeholders’ varied needs. Resources are organized in ways that align with the specific concerns of educators, employers, policymakers, researchers and other key players, which makes it easier for users to find what they need. 

• Timely and actionable insights — While many libraries focus on archival or theoretical information, the LWEL prioritizes actionable knowledge. Information is chosen for its immediate applicability, including initiatives or projects focused on specific innovations; networks or partnerships that invite collaboration; new research on aspects of the learn-and-work ecosystem; and frameworks, guidebooks or playbooks.  

• An evolving resource powered by community engagement — Unlike traditional libraries, which often contain static information, it was important for us to create a living resource driven by a collaborative wiki model. It evolves as the learn-and-work ecosystem evolves, continually adding new resources and researching emerging trends.  

There Is a Path Ahead—and Yet 

There is no doubt that, in today’s fast-evolving economy, the lines between learning and work are increasingly intertwined. The skills that often sustained careers for decades are now outdated within a few years or less. And that information about the dynamic ecosystem is necessary.  

We’re building a curated hub of useful knowledge for stakeholders who are shaping the future of learning and work. Certainly, the LWEL is not alone in this field. There are journalists who describe developments in the ecosystem, libraries and other hubs that share resources and AI bots that synthesize this vast array of information. 

But the library has an important role too, at least for the foreseeable future. Our wiki model empowers a community of users to offer curated, stakeholder-focused and continuously updated information that is relevant, actionable and trustworthy. Meanwhile, other libraries and AI tools can help users synthesize broader concepts, ask personalized questions and explore tangential topics in real time. 

We all bring strengths to the information table. That doesn’t mean we can ignore the “so what?” question. In fact, it’s one we must always keep in mind because what works now may not work in the future. But for now, this is an anniversary worth celebrating.