The edtech evolution

Our Head of Solutions Tania and I contributed to a University Business article which looks at the impact edtech is having in higher education and how these technologies may develop in the future. Here’s an extract which includes our views on current edtech use and predictions of upcoming trends.

--

Digitally literate staff and personalised content will be high on students’ wishlists. Rob Parker is Senior Content Producer at FULL FABRIC, providers of student management solutions to leading universities. “HE students are becoming more digitally proficient and have increasingly greater expectations of how technology will be used to enhance their study experience. A Jisc survey found that 75% of 15–24-year-olds believe that having staff with the appropriate digital skills is an important factor when choosing a university.”

Data, says Rob, is a large part of this conversation. “Students expect institutions to collect their personal data and use it to improve their study experience. In the US, an EDUCAUSE survey found that 77% of students believe institutions should use their personal data to improve academic, financial and careers development services. Millennials are not only comfortable with companies and apps collecting their data – they expect it as part of the service.

A student may think: if Netflix can suggest programmes based on which titles I’ve binged on and which I’ve abandoned halfway through, why can’t my university use data in a similar way to recommend eBooks, classes, careers events or job vacancies?”

This personalisation will extend even into course content. “We will see a shift away from lecturer-centred curriculum to a student-centred curriculum design, where students will be co-creators of their education rather than mere consumers,” predicts Rob’s colleague, FULL FABRIC’s Head of Solutions Tania Roquette. “Curriculum design will become a more personalised thing rather than a one-size-fits-all product.”

The full article was originally published on University Business and features contributions from Casio UK, Crestron, Jisc and other edtech developers and industry leaders.