How Technology is Changing the Future of Higher Education
Education has played and continues to play a crucial role across all levels of education for a while now, especially higher education. However, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the new normal, it’s crucial to highlight the role technology plays in changing the future of higher education. The world now depends more on technology. The job market is also very competitive and highly dependent on technology now more than ever before. Students also have to keep up with the constant change and advancement in technology, both in the education sector and other sectors they’re interested in. In this article, we look at the use of technology in education and how the future of higher education is changing.
1. Decentralized Learning
The rise of decentralized learning is a crucial change that came from integrating technology in higher education. Students are no longer required to commute or move out to different states, cities, or countries to get the degree they desire. Also, the rise of high-speed bandwidth, cloud-based computing, and affordable smartphones allows students from different parts of the world to attend their university of choice online.
2. Mobile Learning (mLearning)
This is a big blessing for students, especially during tough times. Mobile learning is a type of distance learning that enables students to use educational technology on their mobile phones. There are many ways students benefit from mLearning than the traditional learning method. Although mobile learning has several notable aspects, learners’ convenience is significant. This type of learning also facilitates the instant transfer of educational resources and content and enables instant feedback.
Several studies prove that mLearning is a more successful learning approach than the traditional practice. Most of this is due to issues like the peace of mind, comfort, and learners’ input. For example, according to an essay by professional college essay writers, this learning methodology helps increase student exam scores by 50-70% and reduce dropouts from technical fields by 22%.
Another mLearning advantage is that it allows students to use gadgets for education’s sake. They learn through digital devices, so there’s more room for them to ask questions and explore. This approach is also cheaper than the traditional classroom learning approach.
3. Personalized Learning
The rise of digital devices, learning platforms, and software has promoted personalized learning. These platforms and software give a wide range of options to tailor education to individuals’ strengths, limitations, motivations, personal preferences, and interests. The uses of learning management systems and mobile apps have also made it easy to track student progress, manage schedules, and distribute assignments. Educational apps are also becoming more adaptive, as they rely on algorithms and technology to assess what a student knows and their learning prowess.
4. Artificial Intelligence Integration
It would be impossible to talk about the rise and impact of technology in higher education without mentioning artificial intelligence and its impact in this sector. Whether as tutors, assessment tools, or chatbots, AI algorithms have helped take academic curriculum personalization to a whole new level.
The University of Murcia in Spain conducted research in which they tested AI-enabled chatbots to assist students FAQ, with over 38,000 queries. The AI algorithm managed to get more than 91% of these queries correctly. This is proof that AI can truly augment higher education. Using this algorithm in an academic setting can help with processing a large volume of student-generated data, which will help tutors precisely identify development opportunities and bottlenecks for students. AI can also be used as a support tool to bring about positive change towards data processing automation, and this ensures that teachers can be more attentive to the student bodies.
5. Reinventing the Credit Systems
In the best college paper writing service by an online essay writer, it was stated that the traditional grading systems currently in use at higher institutions are not efficient in helping the students show their true academic prowess. However, the move to digital technologies opens the door to introduce creative gamification programs into academics. The use of gamification in education for new college students can massively impact the ways adolescents and teens perceive higher education.
Several video games like Fortnite and streaming platforms like Netflix already implement gamification features. So these young people know what they are getting from it. Also, the points gathered through a gamified academic system can bring unique rewards such as internships for high-performing students and seminars. This helps to level the playing field with the youths’ modern mindset and facilitates better engagements, takeaways, and interests for students within the higher education ecosystem.
Conclusion
Technology has taken over our daily lives and the different sectors we find ourselves in and have improved. So, it is only wise that we allow technology to take over education and improve it. We’ve already seen the effects of AI in higher education, the rise of personalized learning, mobile learning, etc. This is how technology is changing the future of higher education.
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