The Intersection of Technology and Learning: 5 Important IT Trends in Higher Education

Our latest eBook explores the topic of IT Trends in higher education. In the decades since online classrooms and digital databases first arrived on the scene, education and technology have become increasingly interdependent. From data-driven insights about student success to entire shifts in business models, technology has disrupted the industry of higher education and seems to have no intention of stopping. Read on to learn five significant ways that technology and education are intersecting today, in ways that will effect change in the higher-ed industry in the years to come.

1. Customized Curricula: The days of one-size-fits-all curricula are numbered, for several reasons. First, as artificial intelligence has become increasingly sophisticated, much of the guesswork of evaluation has been reduced, allowing educators to understand their students better, along with their strengths, weaknesses, and motivators. Machine learning can now offer highly precise predictions about student performance, provide customized learning based on need, test and grade students more fairly, and supply teachers with meaningful, actionable data about their students. This streamlines educators’ efforts to personalize lessons and deliver appropriate, relevant learning to students—both individually and in groups.

At the same time, universities have become focused on transforming themselves into “student-centered institutions.¹” While this may sound more like a marketing scheme rather than an educational strategy, there is substance to this transformation, and it aligns with increased consumer demands for customization and choice in other industries. Over the last decade, for example, user experience (UX)² has become a measuring stick for virtually every part of life, from entertainment, commerce, banking, workplace productivity, and beyond. Education is no exception³ to this experiential focus, and universities are facing growing pressure to deliver relevant and easily navigable experiences along every point of their students’ educational journey, from easier application processes, advising, enrollment portals, online learning, and more.

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1 Kaput, K. (2018). Evidence for Student-Centered Learning. [online] Files.eric.ed.gov. Available at: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED581111.pdf [Accessed 6 Mar. 2019].
2 Kaput, K. (2018). Evidence for Student-Centered Learning. [online] Files.eric.ed.gov. Available at: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED581111.pdf [Accessed 6 Mar. 2019].
3 Ascione, L. (2019). Here’s why user experience is absolutely critical to higher education’s future - eCampus News. [online] eCampus News. Available at: https://www. ecampusnews.com/2018/01/15/heres-user-experience-absolutely-critical-future-higher-education/ [Accessed 6 Mar. 2019].