Not so long ago, the use of advanced software applications for higher education revolved around the classroom and teaching. Education Technology stresses that “Universities have under-invested in backbone technology.”
This may change in 2017. We may see an evolution in universities, colleges and other higher education institutions. The early adoption of software for schools' management by some of the best universities in the world will turn into a necessity for IT managers.
According to Education Dive, the “influence of consumer Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) on Higher Education spending and implementation will continue to broaden (…) Higher Ed CIOs must begin to model themselves as leaders, enablers and influencers and not simply technology gatekeepers.”
The portal predicts that software to improve student retention and completion will start “to become part of the mainstream core services provided by IT.”
What other trends in higher education technology will we see in 2017?
Predictive and learning analytics are coming of age. They are no longer an experiment, as they will be increasingly implemented to help boost college graduation rates. According to the NPR, the use of big data in higher education can be used by teachers and counselors to identify students who need help and intervene quickly.
They quote the case of a professor from Valencia College, in Florida “crafting an email blast to students who've been flagged by a new program that analyzes how they're performing.” One of the students that needed attention said that the professor’s email “showed genuine care.” "I'm not just in somebody's class just as a name (...). That was cool."
Campus Technology quotes a report by market research firm Ovum, stressing that an important aspect of machine learning and analytics is that it needs to be made available through "tools that can be used by nontechnical advisers and faculty,"
Education Dive explains that, although the problems of university funding have been going on for a while, it is continuing to be challenging. That is why campuses will look for information technology to seek “greater efficiencies through automation” and decrease operational and administrative costs.
According to the Ovum report, “investments in student information systems (SIS) will happen at a faster rate than any other core application over the next 18 months".
“With the continued pressure of tight budgets and the need for differentiation in a competitive market, there is a growing appetite among institutions for upgrading or replacing legacy SIS solutions with modern technology”.
Ed Tech Digest predicts that the Internet of Things (IoT) will take expectations to the next level and beyond student services.
“It’s not only IoT devices demanding ‘anytime, anywhere’ connectivity. Whether in the boiler room, classroom, stadium or parking lot, all your campus constituencies now expect speedy performance from their devices and apps, enabling them to work, teach and learn seamlessly indoors and out.”
The IoT will also expand into campus management. Education Technology explains that “in the past, the primary focus for enterprise applications, primarily SISs, has been on creating a mobile experience for students. That’s all good, but admin users of ERPs and SISs want mobility too, with a consumer-grade experience and mobile-friendly access to perform work on-the-go. Today’s SISs must be truly mobile-first to meet the needs of institutions in 2017 and beyond”.
The increasing use of machine learning will be accompanied by an increasing personalization of the higher education campuses both inside and outside classrooms.
Getting Smart predicts that personalization is a trend that will continue in 2017, “especially as colleges and universities look for ways to accommodate increasing numbers of non-traditional students who require greater flexibility.”
Personalization will be an ever-important part of campus management. According to Education Technology, the use of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools to enhance the student lifecycle and experience will be a trend.
“What we’re starting to see is increased interest in supporting all phases of the student lifecycle, including registration, academic support, student finances and continuing education for lifelong learning. This would provide institutions with a 360-degree view of students to provide personalized services and ultimately an improved experience”.
Higher Ed will refocus its attention "on modernizing the administrative systems that are at the heart of their operations and central to the student experience on campus.” Education Technology reports.
According to Education Technology, the use of new “virtual digital assistants have the potential to transform the higher education workspace.” It adds that “there are a multitude of ways bots can help to streamline the process, from applying to college, to arriving on campus, signing up to courses and eventually graduation.”
“Imagine University staff having the ability to leverage digital assistants to automate much of their manual administration so they can free up time for more high value tasks, such as promoting student success and helping institutions achieve strategic goals.”
But, wait... How does a bot work?
These are automated responses to customer requests based on specific keywords or phrases. It's a similar service to Apple's Siri: if you ask her for the results of a football game or to play your favorite song, she will respond. If the information isn't there, she'll tell you that she doesn't know.
Here's an example:
Imagine a state-of-the-art college with an Artificial Intelligence-powered Admissions software, with hundreds of combinations for courses and majors for any specific student.
A Pre-Med freshman may ask her College Siri what are the most suitable courses of Organic Chemistry she can apply to. The software will consider her name, her major and her search terms, and provide the most suitable combinations for her.
However, as 2017 is just beginning, we'll need to asess whether or not these predictions turn true.
Where do you expect higher education technology will evolve in 2017?