Technology, student choice and career prep will factor more heavily into colleges’ decision-making going forward, one president explains.
Over the last several weeks, it has become clearer what the post-COVID-19 higher education landscape will look like. The trends that will shape the sector’s future are not new. But the pandemic has accelerated them.
Trends are like water. As they run faster, they cut deeper and in unexpected ways. Here are five that COVID-19 has given momentum to.
Growing technology use
The pandemic caused many institutions of higher education to turn to e-learning platforms out of necessity and a sense of urgency. This is just the start. Technology will continue to play a role in classrooms.
College administrators have found ed tech and are seeing how the technology being developed can enhance university operations, including how health concerns are addressed, textbooks are delivered, communication happens, employee benefits are managed and even how internships take place.
Enhanced student choice
Students are demanding more options. This starts with the rise of new academic programs in technology-related subjects. But the more interesting change is the expansion of choice in how students take classes. Technology creates new ways for courses to be delivered.