Thinking about students of the future

Higher education is evolving. The college students of the future will increasingly reflect the richness of our population in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, beliefs, culture, economic status, and more. They will come to higher education from diverse backgrounds and will bring with them new expectations, hopes, and dreams. Our economy continues to move toward a knowledge-based workforce, and a growing number of these new jobs are requiring post-secondary education. But not all students will need or want a traditional degree. Some already have degrees and need additional education. Post-secondary credentials will increasingly be expected to provide documentation of competencies and mastery of skills. A credential will no longer simply be a piece of paper.

It will be a collection of requirements, artefacts, and other evidence of learning. Students will own their transcripts, allowing them to control their educational records and share them as they wish. The future will provide more opportunities for a much broader pool of students not only to participate in, but to own their education. What tools will help the students of the future be successful? Thoughtfully implemented predictive analytics will be a central element in the success of future students. Data-informed advising, including tracking a student's history, successes, and missed opportunities, will highlight individual paths for achievement. Virtual and augmented reality will allow access to places and objects that would be cost prohibitive or otherwise impossible for students to experience.

It will also create more opportunity for the gamification and social experience of student learning. The student experience will be enhanced by smart sensors and smart objects throughout campus. Universal design will broaden access for users with disabilities, which benefits all users, making software and interfaces more functional and intuitive. As students receive more digital and personalised learning, they will advance at their own pace, no longer pushed ahead or held back by the group. These and other developments hold considerable promise, but they also bring new and renewed concerns. As the interconnectedness of data and systems expands, security and privacy must be taken into account.

Institutions must be attentive to faculty autonomy and student agency, ensuring that data and technology complement human judgement and personal experience. The students of the future will be everyone. Our colleges and universities will create hope and opportunity and advance the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion by serving all students and meeting their unique needs.