Enablers for success: Tailored learning experiences

Irrespective of an institution’s purpose, size and shape, we think there are six enablers of success that every institution will need in the new normal: Financial flexibility and sustainability, Student-centricity; Vibrant partnerships and networks; Future-fit workforce; Tailored learning experiences; and Community trust.

Successful higher education institutions will be able to support their students’ life and career objectives by optimising support and course offerings, evolving content to meet individual learning needs and gently guiding and reinforcing positive behaviours (i.e. ‘nudging’). To meet the dynamic demands of students, institutions need to consider:

Flexible online delivery: Online delivery is no longer optional or secondary. It is complementary to in-person delivery, if not a primary means of delivery. Just as television channels have extended their scheduled broadcasts to on-demand and interactive delivery, higher education institutions may shift to delivery that is unconstrained by calendar, time of day or location, and provide options better suited to an individual’s learning style, needs and availability.
Learning analytics: To offer relevant course content reliably, delivery and student support will need to be personalised. Data tools and engines are required to store high frequency interaction data (e.g. interactions related to course content, use of lecture theatres and campus services) and conduct in-depth longitudinal analytics to inform personalised learning, support or well-being prompts. Increasingly educators, with the support of AI, will leverage this data to tailor the content and create individual learning programs.
Course offering: The range and mode of delivery of courses should reflect the institution’s educational focus, intended student experience and the needs of its students and industry partners, balanced by its financial capacity to fund them. By focusing on fewer courses, institutions can offer greater depth of expertise and choice of delivery mode.
Stackable micro credentials: As the trend for lifelong learning increases, shorter course and certification offerings will be developed so that students can build specialisations and credentials at points in their careers when they are needed.

The challenge

The manner of most course delivery today is too rigid and impersonal to be effective for the needs of future students. Moreover, courses often commence once a year and are delivered in a one-size-fits-all manner, at the same pace irrespective the student’s learning style, personal or work commitments, or level of student understanding.

Opportunities for student feedback on course delivery are often limited to end-of-module or end-of-semester assessments. While online delivery is proving more flexible with more opportunities for assessment, it remains ineffective when collaboration is a student’s preferred learning style or essential to exploring a subject matter.

The future

Rather than commencing once a year, courses might commence on demand.

Every student’s learning will be guided by adaptive learning methodologies that employ high frequency data and analytics to personalise how, when and what content is delivered. Using the more appropriate learning style for that student and that topic, student outcomes can be optimised. The pace of content delivery can be sped up or down to match the student’s needs.

Interactions and behaviours will be monitored to readjust and finetune delivery or incentivise participation and avert disengagement.

For group work, these adaptive learning approaches will bring together those people who complement each other’s learning styles to stretch collective thinking. Conversely, people with conflicting learning styles can be brought together to assess how students manage individual differences in conflict resolution or problem-solving scenarios.