The Interfolio Blog

The development of higher ed events last week made it pretty clear - technology is changing the way we educate and learn. 

The changes are more than the use of a different kind of whiteboard or the ability to research concepts via Google. With the increasing use of technology in the classroom and in other settings, the learning process is becoming more interactive and less lecture-based, more independent, and more collaborative at the same time. Students are asked to take more responsibility for discovery and participation through the use of technology, and at the same time, many students can complete courses and degrees from the comfort of their own homes, in some cases never setting foot in the traditional classroom. 

Last week the Sloan Survey of Online Learning revealed that enrollment in online courses rose 17% from the year prior, with 4.6 million students now taking some kind of online course. Given that enrollment in higher ed overall only rose 1.2% in the same time period, an increase this sizable demonstrates a significant shift in the way students are learning. 

We also have seen the launch of Apple iPad, which has been long anticipated by the higher ed community and touted as potentially a major change in how students access information. Textbooks and other documents are expected to shift to digital formats in the coming years, providing an opportunity for students to have a much more interactive experience, even when it comes to simply reading assigned texts. 

While the Sloan survey showed that faculty are still not entirely on board with the concept of online learning, the fact is that online learning is growing exponentially and is going to play an increasingly large role in both the way students learn and in what faculty are expected to know and be able to do. While it may not be the most popular choice today, those faculty who excel at teaching in a number of digital formats will likely see more doors open to them in the coming years.