Trends that will shape the future of higher education

Higher education is facing momentous and inevitable changes that will take it to a completely new level. New paradigms are replacing old practices, and universities are faced with the choice of accepting these changes or following the traditional path.

Automation, virtual and hybrid education, artificial intelligence, micro-credentials and digital badges, and learning paths are some of the elements that are redefining education. We are facing an unprecedented era with new concepts of competitiveness and efficiency that will define its future.

There are three key trends that will define higher education in the future:

1. The technological revolution: According to Bill Gates, in the near future there will be two types of companies: those that are online and those that will not exist. Does this also apply to universities that do not adapt to digital transformation? We don’t know for sure, but what we do know is that future generations of professionals will face a totally different labor market than the current one.
New jobs emerge and many current jobs will disappear. The automation of processes and the advancement of information technologies are inevitable, so universities must adapt to changes such as:

• Virtual classes: combine face-to-face classes with virtual activities to make educational spaces more flexible. The virtual modality represents a fundamental change in the teaching-learning dynamic.
• Teachers with digital skills: Teaching staff must be trained in new technologies to train new professionals. The change in university institutions begins with a change of mentality in their teachers. Digital certification of teachers becomes imperative.
• Automated processes: implement software to manage the university’s internal processes, eliminating human errors and accelerating repetitive tasks that consume time and resources. This allows you to streamline administrative work and make academic processes more fluid.
• Artificial intelligence: incorporate AI into academic processes and into the databases generated by the student-teacher relationship. This will optimize relationships between university actors, allowing behavior prediction and learning guidance to improve the quality of the educational system.
• Mobile technology: introduce mobile applications to facilitate enrollment management, document management, tutoring and requesting grades. This reduces bureaucracy and increases efficiency.

2. The new role of the student in higher education: The profile of the modern student has changed radically. The needs and demands of the new generations are different from those of previous generations. The student is considered the center of his or her own teaching-learning process.

It might interest you: How digital credentials work at universities

It is no longer just about the teacher and their activities, but about the student and how they will achieve objectives relevant to the new work reality. In this context, the student takes control of their learning and demands to be able to choose between online, in-person or hybrid classes. He is no longer a passive agent in his education.

Therefore, the university must generate strategies that allow these demands to be met, designing technological and pedagogical resources for each modality.

3. Skills development: Everything mentioned above creates the conditions conducive to educational innovation. The new student profile and the transformation of the labor market require the acquisition of specific and individualized skills.

This is the purpose of microcredentials that allow professionals to keep up to date without the need to take extensive subjects. By earning a microcredential, the student/professional develops macrocompetences in a specific topic that she needs to improve her job performance.

It is no longer enough to obtain a college degree. It is a reality that most university courses do not prepare us for the real world. It is necessary to update knowledge, acquire new skills and learn to apply them effectively. This adds value to the work and defines the professional profile demanded by companies.

So what is the future of higher education? There are several factors that are transforming or evolving higher education. Among them, the technological revolution, the new student profile and the need for updated work skills stand out.

You don’t want to be left behind in the face of the inexorable advance of these trends, right?

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