Always timely, EDUCAUSE

While written with IT Leaders in mind, innovative educators and support staff can benefit from these 10 Calls to Action for the Future of Technology in Higher Ed.

• #1 – Collaboration
  • “Regular, reliable, and repeatable interactions with customers can also lead to greater customer satisfaction, productivity, and efficiency, along with a deeper appreciation of humans working together” (Gonick, 2023).
  • “A key question arises: how can their organizations be prepared to make necessary pivots to solve systemic challenges? Doing so starts with a theory of change—one with a vision and a strategy to engage people and to develop agile organizational capacity. The tools and technology will follow” (Gonick, 2023).
    • This point immediately makes me consider the ADL program’s Influencer and 4DX change strategies.
• # 2 – Belonging
  • “Belonging is an outcome that’s hard to measure, but we know when people stay engaged, it’s because they feel they’re somewhere worthwhile—and that they’re someone worthwhile. Belonging is an ethical expression of solidarity and in opposition to the dominant experience of alienation” (Gonick, 2023).
    • This is a crucial component of my innovation and an excellent spot to highlight how creating a learning environment that supports the advising relationship could help students and employees gain this sense of belonging and significance.
• #3 – Learning at Scale and AI
  • “The best of AI in the higher education setting lies in its potential to revolutionize how learners access and engage with educational resources, offering personalized experiences at scale” (Gonick, 2023).
  • “AI has the power to transform how colleges and universities provide services, support vulnerable populations, improve STEM education, and much more” (Gonick, 2023).
    • Incorporating AI into the innovation to advising would make for real-time student support anytime a student faces a situation, has a question, or expresses a challenge. This opportunity poses many future possibilities for the advising relationship.
• #4 – Analytics of Support
  • “Data helps us understand how to provide better support to students and learners; being able to provide just the right interventions at just the right moments can be the difference between someone dropping out and feeling they have the resources needed to continue and thrive” (Gonick, 2023).
  • The future of advising could potentially include “… using real-time analytics and smart technology to identify patterns in students’ learning and providing personalized recommendations for support and intervention” (Gonick, 2023).
    • Isn’t proactive advising with on-time intrusive intervention a goal for forming a robust and trusted advising relationship? Shouldn’t helping students obtain the tools they need to be successful and to excel in their chose degree program a big piece part of our goals in higher education?
• #5 – Identity Management
  • “… using digital resources to ensure a seamless learning journey—such as by using extended reality and adaptive technologies to enhance learning strategies. This approach has the potential to transform academia and equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in today’s rapidly evolving landscape (Gonick, 2023).
• #6 – 10 coming soon (I fell down a rabbit hole of research again when I need to be writing.)
  • “Narrative-based learning is very different from the industrial models that have guided instruction at scale for nearly a century. We will need to get better at understanding how to construct compelling narratives that invite learners to chart their own learning journeys” (Gonick, 2023).

Reference

Gonick, L. (2023, August 29). 10 calls to action for the future of technology in higher ed. EDUCAUSE Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2023/8/10-calls-to-action-for-the-future-of-technology-in-higher-ed?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=er_content_alert_newsletter&utm_content=9-06-23&utm_term=_&m_i=uxOFDaW%2BUx81Tdgqy3EtRPi%2B9T04jmwuyU5EK1X_ilZ0JLfk3kCH9WgfIrKaaoiaQz2dWaXjVjUlZl0oy2FW3egvsGqMHieuup&M_BT=88967532832