Here’s What Universities Should Do to Counter the Lack of Anticipated Online Learning Rebound

Colleges and universities worldwide anticipated an online learning rebound due to the post-COVID learning environment that continues to utilize remote learning. Unfortunately, all the anticipation may have been for nothing, and the expected economic counter-cyclical measures have not occurred.

Higher institutions could use a standard counter-cyclical fiscal policy action to fight the global financial and educational crisis. In this case, it could also work as an investment, which could significantly help stimulate economic recovery in the long run.

In other words, higher education is in a significant long-term transition, and educational technology (edtech) plays a major role in its evolution. This could be a make-or-break moment for some markets and institutions.

Colleges and universities face some of the biggest challenges they need to tackle, from digital transformation to enrollment decline. They also have to deal with reduced funding while tackling hyper-competition (both online and offline) and degree unbundling.

You might wonder, is there a way around all these challenges?

Your learners and trainees may be experiencing the worst of these hardships. However, as a leader in your company or a representative from a higher institution, you must face these things head-on.

Decreasing Bootcamp and Pathways Partnerships with Universities Globally

On top of all these extreme challenges, the public-private partnership growth in higher education slowed down for the first half of 2022. Specifically, according to HolonIQ, universities and colleges now collectively hold over 2,627 academic partnerships with online program management (OPM), bootcamps, and pathways. These may seem lower compared to the numbers you may have observed during the pandemic. However, that’s still a lot of programs and courses — around 15,000 — developed and delivered.

All these unique relationships between OPM providers, bootcamps and pathways partners, and universities still offer a lot of potential even if learners across the globe are weighing the pros and cons of pursuing a degree and comparing value to cost. Focusing on edtech and partnering with edtech startups could be the solution we’re all looking for.

Students’ Focus Shifting to Micro-Certifications

Colleges and universities worldwide are experiencing two things: long-term tuition deflation and slow but progressive demand for micro-credentials and professional certifications. Even if the expected online learning rebound is not happening as planned, you can still take advantage of the fact that students are now focusing their attention on earning micro-certifications and credentials.

This increasing interest in micro-certifications can also open doors for upskilling and reskilling, which should eventually help solve the skills gap problem in the workforce. Due to the economic crisis, learners and trainees who don’t have the time and money to invest in extended traditional education can tap into these micro-certification programs and lifelong learning options.

How University Edtech Partnerships Can Reduce the Skills Gap and Improve Upskilling and Reskilling

The future of education is in edtech. With these continuing OPM and bootcamp partnerships, universities could use this as a stepping stone to expand and tap into all these potential learners. These partnerships all serve as a network between the workforce, companies that need potential hires, universities, and higher institutions that need to help their graduates achieve their career goals.

The good news is that OPMs can significantly reduce the skills gap, even offering the perfect avenue for skilling and reskilling. At the same time, universities can expand their knowledge and resources through these lifelong e-learning platforms, which is a win-win for both sides.

You no longer have to worry about compromising the quality of your learning outcomes or your training and development programs. Through these partnerships, you’ll have access to traditional learning content, which can be delivered and optimized for 21st-century learners via digital platforms.

Achieving Lifelong Learning Through Edtech and Skills-based Learning

Using the principles behind skills-based learning and learner-centered models, you’re allowing your learners and team members to enhance their skills and achieve their career goals in their own space. This may not solve your skills gap problem in your company with the snap of a finger. Nor could this be the foolproof answer for your upskilling and reskilling concerns.

However, by using a combination of performance metrics to measure the effectiveness of your learning programs, such as completion rates, satisfaction, grades, and later employability, you’ll have access to critical insights that can help you continuously achieve lifelong learning. Discover how research can help your company or university counter the anticipated but missing online learning rebound.