Trends that will accelerate the adoption of technology in higher education

7 February 2014 | By Chris Parr

Agile Approach to change:

Long-range trend: Driving changes in higher education in five or more years

According to the Horizon report, there is “a growing consensus among many higher education thought leaders” that institutional leadership and curricula could benefit from “agile startup models”.

Such models “use technology as a catalyst for promoting a culture of innovation in a more widespread, cost-effective manner”, and pilots that are being developed for higher education institutions include the improvements of organisational structures to “more effectively nurture entrepreneurship among both students and faculty”.

Demand from employers for graduates with “real world experience” before entering the workforce means that “more institutions are structuring learning activities that forge these opportunities early”, the report concludes.

“One well-known, low-cost model is Pennsylvania State University’s One Button Studio, which is a video recording set-up that enables users with no production experience to create high quality videos with only a flash drive and the push of a button.

“When educators are able to experiment with new technologies and approaches before implementing them in courses, they have the opportunity to evaluate them and make improvements to teaching models.”

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/6-trends-that-will-accelerate-the-adoption-of-technology-in-higher-education/6/2011131.article