Wicked Problem #3: Student belonging. The design of curriculum, instruction, support systems, and organization do not reflect known principles of social psychology and their impact on learning. Predictions for 2023: Research shows the critical role that social belonging plays in student motivation, performance, and persistence. However, as learners demand more flexible learning, belonging is increasingly more complex to measure and sustain. In response, colleges must better understand the role of belonging to attract and retain their students.
Wicked Problem #4: Tech-enabled learning. Technology-enabled learning models have not fully harnessed what is known about the science of learning. Predictions for 2023: In response to the increased student demand for flexible and mixed learning modalities, we predict the emergence of digital tool management as a way of helping institutions focus on the most impactful technologies by uncovering students’ needs; have reliable and systematic process for learning about emerging technological domains and solutions; and develop multi-year roadmaps for layering and connecting relevant edtech solutions rapidly and effectively.
Wicked Problem #5: Diverse learning pathways. Diversity of instruction and learning pathways do not reflect the diversity of learners. Predictions for 2023: We believe that in the upcoming year, competency-based education (CBE) will finally be fully recognized as a central solution to making college ROI clear, improving workforce-alignment, flexibility, skills acquisition, and alleviating workforce shortages.
Wicked Problem #6: Learning-to-work transition. The transition from learning to work is opaque to students and employers, and prone to leaks. Predictions for 2023: As the college ROI conversation continues to dominate national channels, we believe that colleges and universities will invest more heavily in career assistance resources for students, and increasingly embed them within the core learning experience.
Wicked Problem #7: The future of learning. Higher education is not structured to support continuous work-learn cycles that are required in the modern workforce. Predictions for 2023: In 2023, we predict that higher education institutions will continue to diversify their offerings of microcredentials, short term certifications, and other flexible, workforce-oriented skills acquisition programs in order to compete with industry certification and combat declining overall enrollments.
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