Technology plays a significant role in shaping the future of higher education. Both academic institutions and students benefit from the latest technological innovations as these may now transform the way higher learning institutions teach and students learn.
“Technology will be transforming the way education is to be delivered, forcing universities and other higher learning institutions to adopt and evolve their business,” said Sue Bryant, Regional Marketing Director of Huawei Technologies.
Advances in technologies will have major influence on teaching methodologies in universities in the years to come. According to Bryant, the teaching models for higher education in the future may consist of face-to-face learning and online learning.
There are educational institutions around the world that offer online courses which make it possible for anyone to secure a program certification or degree. Aside from being convenient, online learning puts education within reach of the college-level population.
To further enhance the use of technology in higher education, technology companies are now forming partnerships with academic institutions to share their technology and develop talents as well.
Bryant noted that technology is an equalizer that can enable knowledge access for all especially in tertiary education. The use of Internet, considered as the new source of knowledge, provides students access to Google, Yahoo! and other online portals and sites to conduct their own research.
Bryant also said that technology makes more viable to the people as this is now considered as another custodian of knowledge. “Universities are no longer the exclusive custodian of knowledge,” she said.
Aside from computers, mobile technologies are now the popular medium when it comes to sourcing information. Aside from accessing the Internet and providing other capabilities to users, mobile devices such as cell phones, smart phones, tablets and iPads, are also being used to spread vital information through text messaging.
Globalization is another factor that is driving the changes in tertiary education and competition for students. Bryant noted that there was a rise in the number of foreign students in the last 10 years, where 53% of the total came from Asian countries. In 2011, the number of foreign students reached 4.3 million.
Overseas presence among universities around the world will be the trend in the future. According to Bryant, an increase in offshore branch campus is registered in the Asia-Pacific region. Higher learning institutions overseas either have foreign branches or have plans of opening offshore branches in the future.
Bryant said that there are 42 university branches planned for Asian countries. The United States has 78 offshore branches planned for opening in the future. Currently it has 13 branches of its universities in foreign locations.
