A
greater emphasis on measuring educational outcomes, coupled with new efforts to
modernize college classrooms, is likely to drive technology adoption on
campuses in the next couple of years, according to the NMC Horizon Report, 2018
Higher Education Edition.
The
report was recently released by Educause, which has taken over the project from
the now-defunct New Media Consortium. The report looks at key trends,
challenges, and developments facing technology adoption in higher ed.
The
types of technologies most likely to be adopted include analytics that can help
institutions track at-risk students and customize the learning experience.
Makerspaces for activities such as 3-D printing and virtual reality are also on
the rise, as these functions become more mainstream in the work world.
Adaptive
learning technologies and artificial intelligence may require another two to
three years before they have much impact on colleges and universities.
Technologies such as robotics and mixed reality (a blend of digital and
physical objects) are at least four years out, according to the report.
While
there has been considerable public debate on the role of higher education in
preparing students for work, the Horizon Report analysis shows that aligning
college campuses with workplace practices will be a “difficult” challenge, as
institutions will need to “adopt more flexible, team-based matrix-like
structures to remain innovative and responsive.”
