Higher education is constantly evolving thanks to various factors, including rapid technological changes and shifting societal and student needs. While change is inevitable, the challenges that rapid change presents require a need to respond timeously and effectively.
Your perspective on higher education might differ depending on whether you are a student or working in the field of education. It can also vary depending on whether you are starting your career or looking for a career change. From multiple perspectives, understanding current higher education trends can help you engage better with the educational marketplace.
This post will discuss some of the main factors affecting tertiary education today and how to embrace changing educational trends.
Current higher education trends
Examining some of the industry’s most pressing issues can help us understand how tertiary education evolves. Here are some of the many factors influencing tertiary education today.
Changing sphere of influence
Universities and other institutions’ roles are changing as everyone becomes more adept at creating and sharing information. Higher learning hasn’t lost value, but the format people use to learn is changing, and higher education institutions must adapt accordingly.
Although universities and colleges still hold a high level of prestige, they need to work harder than ever to attract students as younger people begin to look at alternative options for learning and upskilling themselves, especially regarding accessibility and affordability.
Adapting to affordable learning formats
Tertiary education is notoriously expensive in countries like the United States of America (USA), meaning people must take out student loans that they spend years paying off. In South Africa, massive political action has taken place to protest the affordability of university education, including the Fees Must Fall Movement.
A detailed analysis of the economics in play is beyond the scope of this article, but what is clear is that there is a move towards more affordable and accessible education options. Online learning has changed how people upskill, especially after the pandemic, and many universities and other institutions have had to adapt their learning formats to accommodate changes in learning preferences.
Focus on return on investment (ROI)
In addition to shifting spheres of influence and adapting to more affordable educational formats, the idea of return on investment (ROI) has become vital for students when choosing to study for a degree or earn another type of qualification.
Previously, students may have been happy just to be accepted into a university, but now, people are becoming more conscious of what ROI they will get. In other words, before even signing up for a degree or qualification, students will want to determine how much the degree will cost, what doors it may open for them and how much they can earn after completing it.
The impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
We all know that AI impacts many areas of our lives and will undoubtedly shift how we educate ourselves now and in the future. An ever-increasing use of machines to complete tasks shifts how and when we learn. AI will also impact industries worldwide; therefore, all institutions that have built course content to educate and train people in these industries will be affected.
For example, research databases revolutionised the shift from manual journal research to online journal articles to determine whether an article was helpful for an assessment. With the use of AI, we will also learn and evolve.
Educators – and all of us – need to leverage AI to enhance our work so that we can spend time on the important tasks that only we can do.
The need for more dynamism
In light of what we have explored above, it’s clear that one of the most pressing higher education trends is that institutions need to become more dynamic. It’s no longer enough for institutions to offer one-dimensional courses that don’t cater to a full range of needs in an ever-evolving world.
One key area that higher education is beginning to focus more on is building dynamic and durable skills. What kinds of skills will stay relevant? How do we create a society that is adaptable and able to compete in a highly competitive and constantly changing marketplace?
Educational organisations must be responsive to changing needs and higher education trends and constantly refine their course offerings to provide the most cutting-edge and valuable content. Another key takeaway is that studying once is no longer enough. We must adopt a lifelong learning approach and stay curious to thrive in an unpredictable world.
Upskill in a dynamic, future-focused environment
At SACAP Global, we consistently develop course content to meet changing market needs.
If you’d like to upskill and build a more dynamic skill set, you might be interested in registering for some of our most popular online courses, which are centred around building relevant and durable human skills:
- Essential Entrepreneurial Skills
- Intro to Human Behaviour
- Intro to Management and Leadership
- Dynamics of Interpersonal Communication: Relationships & Conflict Management
- Intro to Coaching
For more information, browse our course list.