Higher Education In An Era Of Digital Competition

A collection of 14 contributions which explore a variety of issues in the application of information technologies to higher education. Hanna (educational communications, U. of Wisconsin) has selected the chapters to address such themes as the emergence of a global learning society; changing patterns of individual, organizational, and social needs; the challenges and possibilities of advanced technologies; transformational change in higher education on a global scale; and the importance of ethics and equity of access as elements that must drive decision making and leadership at an organizational level. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.

This book chronicles a 10-year introduction of blended learning into the delivery at a leading technological university, with a longstanding tradition of technology-enabled teaching and learning, and state-of-the-art infrastructure. Hence, both teachers and students were familiar with the idea of online courses. Despite this, the longitudinal experiment did not proceed as expected. Though few technical problems, it required behavioural changes from teachers and learners, thus unearthing a host of socio-technical issues, challenges, and conundrums. With the undercurrent of design ideals such as “tech for good”, any industrial sector must examine whether digital platforms are credible substitutes or at best complementary. In this era of Industry 4.0, higher education, like any other industry, should not be about the creative destruction of what we value in universities, but their digital transformation. The book concludes with an agenda for large, repeatable Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) to validate digital platforms that could fulfil the aspirations of the key stakeholder groups – students, faculty, and regulators as well as delving into the role of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as surrogates for “fees-free” higher education and whether the design of such a HiEd 4.0 platform is even a credible proposition. Specifically, the book examines the data-driven evidence within a design-based research methodology to present outcomes of two alternative instructional designs evaluated – traditional lecturing and blended learning. Based on the research findings and statistical analysis, it concludes that the inexorable shift to online delivery of education must be guided by informed educational management and innovation.

Competitive strategies and higher education-industry collaboration policies are playing a vital role in fostering the reputation and international rankings of higher education institutions. The positive impact of these policies may best be observed in the economic and social outputs of many countries such as the USA, Singapore, South Korea, and European Union (EU) countries such as Belgium, Germany, France, and the Netherlands. However, the number of academic publications that specifically concentrate on the impact of these policies on higher education institutions and authorities remains relatively limited. University-Industry Collaboration Strategies in the Digital Era is an essential research publication that provides comprehensive research on competitive strategies for higher education institutions that will allow them to forge beneficial partnerships with industries that will have a significant impact on their success. Highlighting a wide range of topics such as human resource management, network planning, and institutional structure, this book is ideal for administrators, education professionals, academicians, researchers, policymakers, and students.

Higher Education and Digital Learning in the Disruptive Era is a compilation of works on higher education at the crossroads undergoing numerous challenges. Resultant of the coinciding of the digital revolution, IR 4.0 and the COVID-19 pandemic, this book is accessible and helps those interested in higher education governance and application to understand the nuances of this era's contemporary challenges to higher education institutions. This book is provides an insightful analysis of the impact of digital disruption on higher education globally. From the acceptance of digital skills to governance of online education, it covers a range of important topics and offers valuable insights for educators, policymakers, researchers, students and other stakeholders in higher education seeking an overview of contemporary challenges in the field.

Academic management and administrative processes rely heavily on technology in business offices, virtual laboratories, digital libraries, and the like. Technology also has an impact upon teaching, freeing classrooms from constraints of time and space. Yet many university leaders are hesitant to set technology as a priority. This book is designed to address the subject from a perspective appropriate to leaders. An important concept covered here is that the new advances in information technology drive a significant restructuring of our social institutions, which will provide access to knowledge and education that was formerly restricted to the privileged. The generation raised with this technology demands new approaches to teaching and learning-this poses a unique challenge to traditional faculty members. The authors of this book believe "It is our collective challenge as scholars, educators, and academic leaders to develop a strategic framework capable of understanding and shaping the impact that this extraordinary technology will have on our institutions." They believe that academic institutions will change in form and character, and that such changes will affect the mission, function, and possibly even the concept of the university. The role of leadership is to both see over the horizon and adapt leadership styles to an environment of constant change. Leadership must formulate a clear and consistent institutional vision.

“Effective leadership means we must bring our values and mission - not just soundbites - to our activity in the digital sphere. And it's not as hard as you may think, thanks to the very practical examples and exercises Josie Ahlquist has given us in this book.”Brandon Busteed, President - University Partners, Kaplan, Inc.“Often, higher education leaders see social media as a burden. Digital Leadership in Higher Education should be required reading in any leadership program because it clearly demonstrates how social media can and should extend leadership rather than be a burden for it.”Russell Lowery-Hart, President - Amarillo CollegeIn this groundbreaking book, Josie Ahlquist provides readers with the tools they need to take a strong, values-based approach to leadership in the various digital spaces vital to the world of higher education today. Filled with real-world examples and tools to negotiate this ever changing digital landscape, the book fills an important niche in the literature: A user manual for your digital leadership journey.Each chapter includes tools and tactics, as well as stories that bridge the gap between technology and connection with community. This book doesn’t have a recipe for cooking up the next viral video, it offers lots of ways to stay true to individual and organizational values while engaging online. Whether a college president, dean of students, associate professor, or a program coordinator, there is a need for leaders who aren’t just early adopters and social media enthusiasts, but authentic individuals who back up their technology use with a purposeful philosophy and a values-based approach to their role.

Nowadays, technology affects practically all activities in our life. The new digital technologies have permeated economy markets, politics, our workplaces, the ways we communicate with each other, our home activities, as well as operation of all levels of education from kindergarten to doctoral studies. The new technologies challenge higher education institutions world-wide to redefine their student constituencies, their partners and competitors and to redesign their research infrastructures and teaching practices. These multiple contrasting trends, and the visible gap between some sweeping expectations echoed in the 1990s as to the immense impacts of digital technologies on higher education environments and the actual reality, are discussed in this book.

Higher Education is a global industry, driving a new technological, industrial revolution. However, it is important to remember education is about teachers helping students learn. This work is a collection of short essays exploring how to use digital technology to provide a form of teaching which will meet social and economic goals, and make use of technology, while still having a place for the academic as a teacher. Drawing on work undertaken for a Masters of Education in Distance Education, this book charts one future for Higher Education, including instructional design, planning and management, catering for international students, using Open Education Resources and Mobile Learning. E-learning designer and computer professional, Tom Worthington MEd FACS CP, uses as a case study his award-winning course in ICT Sustainability and the design of a new innovation and entrepreneurship course. -- author's website.

In Staying Online, one of our most respected online learning leaders offers uncommon insights into how to reimagine digital higher education. As colleges and universities increasingly recognize that online learning is central to the future of post-secondary education, faculty and senior leaders must now grapple with how to assimilate, manage, and grow effective programs. Looking deeply into the dynamics of online learning today, Robert Ubell maps its potential to boost marginalized students, stabilize shifts in retention and tuition, and balance nonprofit and commercial services. This impressive collection spans the author’s day-to-day experiences as a digital learning pioneer, presents pragmatic yet forward-thinking solutions on scaling-up and digital economics, and prepares managers, administrators, provosts, and other leaders to educate our unsettled college students as online platforms fully integrate into the mainstream.