5/5 (3)

Probably most students in Rotterdam are familiar with the concept of felyx. felyx is an innovative application on which users can rent e-scooters for merely 30 cents per minute. This new business model creates a convenient and especially sustainable way for users to get from A to B in a large city quickly. With felyx, the user is able to take pleasure in all perks of an e-scooter, without the difficulties of possessing one (felyx, 2019).

The increase in the use of e-scooters in the past years is noticeable. Merely 2.9% of the purchased scooters were e-scooters, in 2018 this amount grew to 9.2% (The Optimist, 2019). Governments and city councils have stimulated the use of e-scooters by offering premiums for demolishing old scooters in the past (The Optimist, 2019). Moreover, according to The Optimist (2019) in Amsterdam, there even exists an environmental zone for scooters older than build year 2010.

However, there are also questions to be raised regarding the growing use of e-scooters. Since April 8^th, 2019, it is legally obligatory in Amsterdam for scooter drivers to drive on the freeway and to wear helmets (Amsterdam, 2019). The government of Amsterdam (2019) predicts that it will remain getting busier and busier on bicycle paths, which creates dangerous situations for both cyclists and scooter drivers.
Even though scooter drivers know they need to drive on the freeway or else they will be fined, most of them keep driving on the bicycle paths (van Kempen, 2019). This is because many of the scooter owners need to re-register their license plate and most importantly, they believe that it is dangerous for them to ride on the freeway. Cars on the freeway in the city are allowed to drive 50 kilometers per hour, many scooters, on the other hand, are only able to drive 25 kilometers per hour. Scooter drivers believe that this situation is dangerous as they will be driving amongst considerable faster cars which makes them very vulnerable (van Kempen, 2019).
Another issue that I believe is worth being raised is the fact that users pay per minute with this business model. Imagine that you are using a felyx and it starts raining, and you have to stop for a red traffic light. There might be users that are stimulated by felyx to drive through a red light, due to the pricing strategy. It might be a good idea for felyx to change its pricing strategy from pay-per-minute to pay-per-kilometer, thereby preventing users to drive recklessly.

A new company that may mitigate these raised issues, is the application, Lev. Lev has practically the same disruptive business model as felyx, however, they rent out small e-cars instead of e-scooters. These e-cars are able to drive 50 kilometers per hour. Furthermore, they must drive on the freeway, which ensures safer situations. Moreover, it is free to park a Lev car in the city (Getlev.nl, 2019). Another perk of Lev is the fact that you do not get wet when it is raining. Perhaps Lev should, therefore, be adopted in all major cities in the Netherlands. Nonetheless, Lev has the same pricing strategy as felyx and consequently, the issue of risky driving behaviour among its users is still stimulated due to this.

Would you make us of Lev? Do you think Lev should undertake actions regarding its pricing strategy (e.g. price per kilometer instead of price per minute) to prevent dangerous driving behaviour?

 

 

 

 

Sources

Amsterdam, G. (2019). Snorfiets naar de rijbaan. – Gemeente Amsterdam [online] Amsterdam.nl. Available at: https://www.amsterdam.nl/snorfiets-rijbaan/#h63845ba4-f67a-46f1-b462-3c164537ab0c [Accessed 6 Oct. 2019].

felyx. (2019). felyx | About us. [online] Available at: https://felyx.com/nl/en/about-us [Accessed 6 Oct. 2019].

The Optimist. (2019). De elektrische scooter verovert in stilte de stad – The Optimist. [online] Available at: https://theoptimist.nl/daily/de-elektrische-scooter-verovert-in-stilte-de-stad/ [Accessed 6 Oct. 2019].

Van Kempen, J. (2019). Scooters blijven op het fietspad rijden. [online] Parool.nl. Available at: https://www.parool.nl/amsterdam/scooters-blijven-op-het-fietspad-rijden~b093bb66/?referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F [Accessed 6 Oct. 2019].

 

5/5 (2)

Nowadays, technology can be found everywhere. Most millennials and Generation Z are interacting more digitally than in real-life (Sulleyman, 2017). The President of Carnegie Mellon University, Farnam Jahanian, believes that the education system needs to evolve accordingly. He states that “the unprecedented pace of societal change makes the need for reform more urgent. There is great pressure on higher education as the engine of progress in a knowledge-based economy” (Carnegie Mellon University, 2019).

 

The skills that are needed today to successfully execute most jobs are likely to change on average by 42% (World Economic Forum, 2019). Currently, companies are determining which skills will be required to maintain their competitive advantage in this technologically developing world.  Universities should act upon this knowledge to ensure their students – and thereby the approaching global workforce – are fully prepared for this change in necessary skills and competences. According to Leah Belsky (2019), universities should ensure online offerings that could establish partnerships with other content providers or universities. By taking advantage of the possibilities due to emerging technologies, universities can help many students without being limited to the physical location of the university.

Online learning ensures growing access to university programs as it is flexible and affordable (Belksy, 2019). Moreover, due to online learning, students are able to engage in less extensive courses before undertaking a larger program. With formats that are technology-driven or even AI-powered, students could decide to pause their course for a moment or they could decide to finish their course more rapidly. Furthermore, online courses could be more personalized which establishes more effective outcomes for students (Belksy, 2019).  Therefore I believe, consistent with Leah Belsky, that online learning should be stimulated in universities.

Susan Dynarski (2018) of The New York Times argues that online courses harm students that are less proficient, as online learning requires more self-regulation, organization, and self-motivation.

Online learning is nevertheless still in its early stages and has great potential to disrupt the traditional education system provided that it takes its challenges into account aswell.

What do you think of online learning? Should it be implemented in the educational system?

 

 

Belksy, L. (2019). Where Online Learning Goes Next. [online] Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2019/10/where-online-learning-goes-next [Accessed 6 Oct. 2019].

Carnegie Mellon University (2019). The Future of Higher Education in the Age of Disruption. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFP2S2f3io4 [Accessed 6 Oct. 2019].

Dynarski, S. (2018). Online Courses Are Harming the Students Who Need the Most Help. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/19/business/online-courses-are-harming-the-students-who-need-the-most-help.html [Accessed 6 Oct. 2019].

Sulleyman, A. (2017). Millennials interact more through phones and apps than in real life, report finds. [online] The Independent. Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/millennials-generation-z-smartphone-habits-apps-communications-real-life-a8008641.html [Accessed 6 Oct. 2019].

World Economic Forum (2019). Strategies for the New Economy. Skills as the Currency of the Labour Market. 1st ed. Geneva.