Tech in higher education’s near future, last week’s annual UPCEA conference in Boston displayed myriad new and inventive solutions that may indeed aid educators and administrators in tackling the dilemma head-on. Attendance was up to its highest levels as educators and administrators searched for new ways to journey through the changing space.
Personalized Learning takes center stage
Thus, keynote speakers and a panel discussion on the very same topic resonated about the need for personalized learning, rather as the norm and pillar for student success. Personalizing student needs and not taking a flat one-fits-all approach featured at the very top—especially for those facing declining enrollments.
Micro-credentials, on the other hand, are an emerging and intrinsic part of the personalized learning framework, whereby students have the opportunity to collect, document, and make known even single specific skills within a course. Such great flexibility in approach amplifies the learning outcomes for the students, as they are endowed with real assets for their resumes and professional profiles.
AI Revolutionizes Higher Education
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as one powerful approach to deal with the enrollment cliff, where experts advise that institutions must tap into its transformative potential. This helps universities improve efficiency, offer personalized learning experiences, and take the lead over others through the improvements these AI technologies bring.
Such a conference would impress upon the change in the mindset of HEI towards entrepreneurial thinking, from changing traditional needs and views for diversification in revenue streams and the ability to adapt to market dynamics. “Be innovative and agile as part of moving towards any long-term sustainability,” speakers called on attendees.
The conference was a beacon of hope for an arena that must head-on with the challenges of the “enrollment cliff.” It was filled with plenty of tech-driven solutions, which institutions could tap into to reimagine the future of learning. In other words, institutions will not only be able to withstand the test of time but also come alive and grow healthier through personalized learning, micro-credentials, and artificial intelligence.
Original Story From https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/teaching-learning/2024/04/01/university-leaders-seek-tech-antidote-enrollment
