The education system was hit hard by the pandemic. Under the requirement of social distancing, campuses, schools and colleges were closed down, and all the teaching-learning shifted to a virtual environment.
The digital transformation may have kept academics going, but many institutions suffered in ensuring appropriate skill building for students in the new environment.
Especially in higher education, students are taught to be future-ready with various skills like communication, collaboration, social interaction, decision making, leadership, etc. A university education gives them a formal academic education. It prepares them for the real world by allowing them to interact with fellow students, teachers, industry experts, work on live projects, take up extra-curricular activities, and much more. It’s a holistic learning environment that students get when they go to a college or a university.
The pandemic has hindered student growth by altering the learning and skill-building flow offered by higher education institutions. While many institutions adapted to the new normal to ensure that all students can fulfil their academic and skill-building needs, others face challenges.
As the online culture becomes the new norm, most institutions are keen to learn and embrace technology at the core. Many institutions are adopting new pedagogies to ensure quality education with choice, flexibility, and personalization. In an attempt to make education whole again, we see an increase in the adoption of the hybrid learning model.
A report by KPMG on disruption in Higher Education discusses the future of Higher Ed. It entails various factors and changes in consumer behaviour impacting the way we have imparted education.
“Spurred by the pandemic, but probably coming anyway, is the reverse situation. As a result, courses will be designed to be delivered through technology – ‘digital first’ – and supplemented by face-to-face, human support.”
This future of education is evident through technologies like mixed reality and simulations, with life-like holograms being possible. Students preferred “personalized learning” with AI and intelligent bots. All this is being monitored by advanced learning analytics and algorithms.
“… The age of the customer is now hitting universities. One might predict that some universities will promote a physical experience on campus as part of their value proposition. If they have the brand to maintain demand, they will always have their place – but they will become the minority. One thing is clear. The university that expects students to battle with traffic, find a parking place, go to a lecture, write examinations by hand, get a seat in a crowded library and then go home again will be riding its luck.”
To use varied technologies for a common goal, one power-packed platform that can bring it all together under one umbrella can boost the performance and output for all stakeholders. AWS is one platform that can make it happen with your existing technologies or new solutions. It ensures that institutions can use all the EdTech products and services under a unified, seamlessly connected cloud infrastructure allowing institutions to have cost-effective yet scalable learning solutions ready for uninterrupted learning.
