The COVID-19 pandemic turned the higher education system upside down when stay-at-home orders were widespread and social distancing was mandated. In the early months of the pandemic, students were left wondering how they would be able to finish school.
At the time, remote learning capabilities were limited by the online course platforms many higher education institutions had used for years. Since then, remote learning systems have evolved and students have adapted along with them.
In 2020, one survey revealed 70% of college students were dissatisfied with online learning. Today the sentiment has changed completely with recent surveys revealing that 73% of students want to take fully online or a combination of in-person and online instructions.
A movement toward the modernization of technology in higher education has contributed to this shift in the desire for remote learning. Online courses are going to continue gaining popularity due to the learning flexibility they promise, and it’s up to institutions to adopt this modernization in education if they want to see admissions grow each year.
Advantages of Technology for Better Teaching
Technology enhances the student’s learning experience by opening the door to ways of engagement, testing, and knowledge sharing that were previously hindered by in-person demands.
For teachers, technology allows for more ease in tracking assignments and reporting progress. It also can be used to disseminate information quickly and efficiently and eliminates the need to repeat lessons for those who “missed the class.”
Personalized Learning Experiences
Hybrid learning options help students with specific needs, learning preferences, and time constraints excel virtually despite these challenges. To truly modernize their learning systems, higher education institutions should implement technology that allows for the personalization of the learning experience.
Improved Engagement and Collaboration
Sharing knowledge between classmates and from teacher to students has historically been done in the classroom setting. Modernization of higher education technology has contributed to ways for students to work together as a group virtually, engage with one another and the instructors, provide and receive feedback on submitted assignments, and build community without needing to be physically gathered together.
Learning engagement can be enhanced through the “gamification” of education. For example, technology that includes virtual learning games, rewarded badges, and real-time conversations will incentivize students to participate.
More Flexibility and Accessibility
Technology in higher education allows students to learn at their own pace, wherever they are in the world. Not only does this encourage classroom diversity, but it allows students to learn despite physical, situational, or language barriers.
Incorporating technology into an institution’s curriculum also provides opportunities for differently-abled educators and students to experience the learning environment alongside other students.
Implementing Technology into Higher Education
Expanding online and technological resources in higher education institutions will require two major steps upfront. For the implementation of new tech to be successful, faculty should receive comprehensive training on use in order to ease the transition. Additionally, student engagement and performance on the new system should be tracked.
Training Faculty
Disjointed leadership mentalities can cause faculty to hesitate to adopt modernized technology, especially when it’s unfamiliar to them. It is often a lack of awareness about learning tech that causes faculty to shy away from adoption.
Once instructors receive some visibility to new systems, the benefits modernization will provide them and their students should change their mentality.
In many ways, modernized technology provides more benefits to instructors than students. Some benefits instructors experience with learning management systems include:
Automatic examination grading
Machine learning and AI tools for content evaluation
Overview of students’ course progress and assignments in one place
Less paperwork, grading, and manual or physical teaching requirements
Evaluating and Assessing Student Performance
Measuring how students are adapting to new learning technology can be done by assessing their performance on assignments, in class modules, and with surveys. Learning management systems allow instructors to instantaneously view the results of exams, and make it easy to see all of a student’s work in one place.
Spending time understanding how students are using the modernized tech and where their pain points are if they have any is an important step in the implementation process.
Future Outlook of Technology in Education
Higher education institutions that choose to modernize their learning technology in this digital era will encourage higher enrollment numbers and increase the institution’s longevity. Learning management systems should help both faculty and students have an all-around more efficient learning experience.
Remote learning is here to stay, and it requires a strong technological foundation for student success. We are ready to assist educational institutions ready to reach their full potential by becoming a Partner. Learn more about our learning system here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some best practices of modernization in higher education?
Allowing students to connect remotely, complete group work online, engage with entertaining modules, and interact with machine learning-powered teaching assistants all are some of the best practices of modernization in higher education.
Are there any challenges of modernization in higher education?
Some institutions may have faculty that is hesitant to adopt new technologies. Once these educators see the benefits modernized learning tech can provide both them and their students, they will likely change their stance.
Can technology be successfully implemented across many educational disciplines?
Technology can and should be used across all educational disciplines in order to increase accessibility, flexibility, and engagement in remote online classrooms.
How Will Learning Management Systems Change the Future of Education?
Learning Management Systems (LMS) provide educational institutes with an organized digital backbone for remote classrooms and learning experiences.