Educational Technology Integration in Higher Education – Opportunities and Challenges

Technology has become so accessible that you’re most likely to be reading this from a device rather than a sheet of paper. Smart phones, computers, and tablets are already an omnipresent element of everyday life not only for students but teachers too.

Thus, it was only about a matter of time before the use of these devices and more advanced ones in the classroom would be highly in demand.

This blog, brought to you by iXR Labs, will talk about the integration of these technological advancements of vr in higher education colleges while assessing the opportunities and possible barriers that come with it.

Why EdTech is Trending

There was about $18.7 billion of private investment worldwide in EdTech suppliers in 2019. A study also revealed that four out of five students agree that educational technology has helped them improve their grades.

Now that we’re talking about educational technology, what exactly does it include? Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Machine Learning, Big Data, Data Analytics, Robotics are some of the popular trends of technology being integrated in education. 

Countries like India and China in specific, present a massive opportunity to gain a market share in digital education. We can see this when a lot of EdTech companies lately have raised more than $500 Million in the capital. 

Talking about implementations of the aforementioned trends, we can see that Virtual Reality is already being used in some of the world’s top business schools such as Harvard and MIT. They are in talks with Google and Samsung to collaborate over VR Headsets for education.

Educational Institutions are currently exploring the potential of Augmented Reality in studies, trying to invest in cost effective, user-friendly products.

However, these technologies come with their own opportunities and challenges. Let’s analyse them accordingly.

EdTech Opportunities 

1. High Demand for EdTech

Colleges must analyze the current demands, both by students and parents, especially in the context of educational technology in higher education.

They must also keep an eye on the choices made by competitors and assess how successful it was. It's essential to filter out momentary or short-duration demands and prioritize those that will aid the long-term process of education. 

Technology such as Virtual Reality Labs, which is also offered by iXR Labs, is easy to integrate in the syllabus, implement and use. Robots are being used to learn about STEM cells The high investments in companies that provide these solutions proves that there has been a surge in demand.

37% of jobs at the workplace are expected to change remarkably in the next 5 years owing to new technology and automation.

fSince the colleges will be using technology that will be used in the workplace, they will be able to provide better training to the student.

2. Value Addition to Professors’ Expertise

Including technology in the classroom will provide the college an opportunity to optimize what teachers and professors bring to the table, while also compensating for any shortcomings or inadequacy. Sometimes, teachers struggle to make sure that every single student in on the same page.

Using technology will immensely help them make up for this by allowing students to be immersed in the topic, with real-life applications and giving the teaching staff a greater opportunity to engage all students.

They can also have unlimited access to it, making it much more impactful than the traditional lectures of teachers.

Knowledge of technology adds value to the expertise of professors and this integration of technology will lead to overall development of the campus culture, study culture, and the results that students will also visibly rise.

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3. COVID’s Aftermath

As a result of COVID-19, the entire world was restricted to their homes in a flash of a second. One of the major effect of this lockdown, was digitization of education. Everything, from regular classes, to quizzes and even assessments were to be held online.

This has set the momentum towards exploring more technology-based methods, especially educational technology integration, to ensure optimized learning.

Automated Online Assessments through Artificial Intelligence is suddenly the norm now, and it might continue to be.

Thus, colleges have a great opportunity to use this normalization of digital learning to further push this agenda and ensure it’s here to stay. 

4. Cost Effective Approach

Using technology can make classes highly scalable. This means that there can be a large number of students in a single class.

Access to technology can also encourage remote learning, which has already been set into motion in recent times and is the new norm.

Remote Learning does not require students to travel in order to make a physical appearance in the campus.

These two benefits of technology can save not only colleges but also the students a lot of money. This will, in turn, lead to more students applying to that college. 

If we specifically look at the integration of VR Labs in the classroom, we’ll see how it is extremely cost-effective, as installation of lab appliances costs a large amount of money.

These learning platforms can also be used multiple times, without having to pay extra. In the long run, educational technology integration will give colleges the opportunity to reduce a lot of costs, while giving them an edge over their competitors by having more students join them in order to experience a more impactful way of learning.

Related Posts : Boom of Simulated Labs in STEM Education

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EdTech Challenges 

Integrating technology in college does not come without its challenges. There can be infrastructural barriers in some colleges such as slow Wi-Fi connection, constant power cuts, logistics issues in transporting technology, home access limitations, etc. We explore a few more in detail below.

1. Procurement of Technology

According to United Nations, education is the most driven vehicle for sustainable development. It needs to be inclusive, and that brings to the question of whether this technology is accessible to everyone.

Many countries have laws that regulate both the data that might need to be saved and the public procurement of these services.

The bias of contractors who possess these technological solutions might also happen, where one is given more favors than the other.

Researchers and other stakeholders at educational institutions might be presented with the challenge of data regulating laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation.

Hence, as much as integrating EdTech in the system sounds flawless, it comes with these challenges that cannot be ignored.

2. Selecting the right technology

Technology has become a ubiquitous part of life now, and teaching with educational technology in higher education might have become the new norm, but their implementation can also lead to major failures and cause financial losses.

That is why colleges must select the right kind of technology, keeping their core values, mission and strategies in mind.

They must see if the technology is effective in meeting the organizational objectives. 

It would be viable if the benefits are reaped right. The materials must be synced to the cloud as soon as possible and must be easily accessible.

Since student engagement increases by 55% after integrating edtech higher education, the media must be used right, and it must be reflected in the results of the students.

3. Easing apprehensions of Faculty

It is eminent for the faculty to embrace the implementation process of technology in education. They must not feel any kind of threat to their own jobs, and must be approached with the right mindset.

They must be brought to the understanding that times have changed, and using technology has become a necessity now.

If a larger amount of resistance is anticipated, or resources aren’t enough, the colleges must start with smaller initiatives.

One such approach can be to begin a small, convenient implementation using a pilot group that would include only a few enthusiastic faculty members who are open to embracing EdTech.

The likely success will increase positive regard for the project, garner more support, reduce discouragement and increase the credibility of the plan. 

4. Knowing where to Draw The Line

The more colleges start integrating technology in the classroom, the more will students involuntarily become disconnected from reality.

In simple words, it means that technology provides a certain level of anonymity and a sense of assurance since we’re behind a screen.

We do not find this with face-to-face conversations. Thus, while technology might be able to prepare the students for all possible situations, they must be able to actually apply it in real life when the technology is not around them.

The colleges must ensure to draw a line between making sure that students are well versed with technology, while also encouraging social interactions that will help them articulate their thoughts and opinions well.

Conclusion

Technology in higher education has become a need of the hour. Colleges feel compelled to facilitate learning beyond the walls of a traditional classroom to reach any student around the world.

Globalization in the business world has also enabled the adoption of educational technologies that can increase access in a cost effective manner.

However, this implementation can be just as disastrous as it can be successful if it isn’t implemented well.

Hence, colleges must carefully approach this idea of adapting to new technology to ensure profit maximization.