Technology Trends That Will Impact The Higher Education In 2020

The pressure on universities to deliver performance, focus on the outcome and improve student centricity is increasing by the day. Key factors which have led the education sector here are:

• Changing regulations: UGC bringing out several demanding changes like CBCS, implementation of LOCF, the concept of credit flexibility NAC Bank, NAD etc
• Increasing competition: the ratio of private to public universities has improved several counts in the last decade
• Changing demands of the consumer: quick, reliable, responsive and just-in-time
• Changes in financing: Changes in financing such as financial autonomy, rising student debt, ROI on education, etc demand universities to focus on governance, improve their product, focus on student services and look at collaboration for their success.

The world of education has adopted technology as a reliable way of delivering instruction, assessing student progress, improving university administration and supporting better academic outcomes. While 2019 has been a great year when technology made significant strides in the teaching-learning processes, 2020 is going to be a significant upgrade.

9 Education Trends To Explore In 2020

Mobiles (Not Laptops) Shall Be The Device Of Choice For Learning

Better smartphone penetration, ease of use, supported by the low cost of data is paving way for a revolution in learning spaces similar to what it has done for social networks. Mobile technologies are increasingly being used not only by the learners but also by the faculty to deliver their lectures and connect with the students from anywhere, anytime making learning more collaborative and effective.

Universities Will Focus On Data Use To Improve Outcomes

Universities will use data and analytics in more ways as they modernize and manage imperatives to show returns on investments. Going forward, data collection and analysis will become question-driven, strategic, experimental, iterative and part of all levels of decision making.

AR And VR Will Continue To Remain In Focus; Albeit May Not Scale As Much

In a world of constant interruptions and dwindling attention spans, students need something more from their learning environments: to be immersive. Using these technologies for more real-life experiences has the potential of taking the learning experience to a whole new level.

Game-Based Learning

Leveraging game-based learning is not new. Use of games to engage learners and help them learn new principles of business and management have often shown remarkable results. Most experienced teachers agree that game-based learning helps foster an emotional and intensive learning experience.

Universities Will Use Big Data, AI And ML For Their Competitive Advantage

With the advent of technologies like big data and AI, colleges will soon be making data-driven decisions; and hence, having a data and information management strategy in place will become a necessity. The government is building several repositories (Swayam, NAD, NAC) to store this data to be analyzed and reused for the betterment of education. Universities will need to get ready to record data where they originate and learn to benefit from such analysis.

Use Of Gamification

Gamification facilitates learning and entertainment at the same time by using game mechanics like gathering points, getting badges, being on the leader-board or getting a trophy. This drives learner engagement, boosts retention rates and reduces the course dropout rates. Education services providers are going to use gamification to the fullest to catch the attention of the learner.

Universities Shall Look To Adopt ERP And CRM solutions

This year will also see universities intensify their push to adopt ERP and CRM solutions for student lifecycle management. These software tools promise to give administrators a holistic view of the student experience and drive smoother workflows and fix accountability.

Increased Usage Of Videos And MOOCs

Video content is loved by students and has always been the preferred method of getting new information over the content-heavy written form and shall see increased adoption. Digital platforms are helping students engage in several new ways through the use of blended programs, personalised instructions, gamified pedagogies and new collaboration models.

OPMs Will Play A Big Role As Education Expands Online

More universities will seek the help of OPMs launching degree and other learning programs to avoid massive investments in upfront infrastructure. Use of the services provided by established OPM players minimise the risk on the universities, help adopt best practices, reduce the go-to-market time and make them more responsive to student queries.

In Conclusion

Education, globally, is becoming modular, multimodal, gamified, flexible, accessible and affordable. 2020 is going to bring in positive momentum in faster tech adoption in higher education and help create more integrated, virtualized, gamified learning experience for learners and educator alike.

Employers are putting greater emphasis on cognitive and analytical skills with adaptability, curiosity and learning as core values. Modular stackable courses, lower and flexible costs and digital delivery are making it easier for people to adopt lifelong learning. Universities must lean on technology to support them while they build efficient, transparent and accountable systems while providing the best in class learning and support services to the students; the question is both contextual and existential!