horizon report
Campus Leadership

IT #1: 6 essential technologies on the higher ed horizon


Annual Horizon Report details short-and long-term technologies, trends that will impact higher education in the next 5 years.

Important Developments in Ed-Tech in Higher Ed
According to the report, due to the trends currently affecting higher ed, the technologies that institutions should take note of include:

(Short-Term, 1-2 years):

  • Adaptive Learning Technologies:  Encompassed by personalized learning and linked to learning analytics, adaptive learning refers to the technologies monitoring student progress, using data to modify instruction at any time.
  • Mobile Learning: “As the processing power of smartphones, smartwatches, and tablets continues to increase dramatically, mobile learning enables learners to access materials anywhere, often across multiple devices. Convenience is driving demand for this strategy, with potential for new mobile-enhanced delivery models that can increase access to education,” emphasizes the Horizon report.

(Mid-Term, 3-5 years):

  • The Internet of Things (IoT): IoT consists of objects endowed with computing power through processors or imbedded sensors that are capable of transmitting information across networks. Connected devices are generating data on student learning and campus activity, informing the direction of content delivery and institutional planning.
  • Next-Gen LMS: “Viewed as a centralized location for the ephemera of learning experiences, LMS have long been adopted by colleges and universities worldwide to manage and administer online and blended courses. However, some thought leaders believe current LMS are limited in capacity, too narrowly focused on the administration of learning rather than the learning itself,” notes the report. Next-generation LMS refers to the development of more flexible spaces that support personalization, meet universal design standards, and play a larger role in formative learning assessment.

(Long-Term, 5 or more years):

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI): According to the report, AI is proving valuable for more sophisticated natural user interfaces through voice recognition and natural language processing, allowing humans to interact with machines similarly to how they interact with each other. “As the underlying technologies continue to develop, AI has the potential to enhancemonline learning, adaptive learning software, and research processes in ways that more intuitively respond to and engage with students.”
  • Natural User Interfaces (NUIs): NUIs accept input in the form of taps, swipes, and other ways of touching; hand and arm motions; body movement; and increasingly, natural language. NUIs enable users to engage in virtual activities with movements similar to what they would use in the real world, manipulating content intuitively. “While there are many applications of gesture and voice recognition already, developments in haptic technology, tactile sensations that convey information to the user, are creating new areas of scientific inquiry and application in education,” says the report.

(Next page: The challenges associated with the trends and technologies)

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