Universities need new skills to
deliver on-demand, 24/7 learning

The Australian 

E-Edition October 19, 2021; Print Edition October 20, 2021
KEITH HOUGHTON and GEORGE AVELING

La Trobe University vice-chancellor and Universities Australia chairman John Dewar, in his thought-leadership piece “What will universities of the future look like”, concluded “universities will shift from being self-interested to being ‘for others’ ”, adding that universities will become “exceptionally committed” to the needs of students.

In respect of learning, he advocated for “learning in real time, from anywhere”, with learning “available on-demand, 24/7”.

These insightful observations will resonate with those familiar with changes in learning in the corporate world. Learning that is available from anywhere, on demand, 24/7 and in real time necessarily involves embracing digital learning design and delivery. This requires an adoption of skill sets that, for some, are underdeveloped or even unknown.

Robert Gottliebsen (The Australian, 24/9) has argued that traditional university courses are designed for campus presentation, with many lecturers currently not having the skills to redesign the learning experience for digital delivery.

These skill sets can be learned, but fellow educators may not be the best teachers. Some in the corporate world, in particular certain early adopters of digitally delivered education overseas, have well-tested expertise.

Digital consultancy firm Elementrix, in collaboration with its research partners, completed research on corporate digital learning in 2018 and last year for two key Asian communities.

This identified five skill sets used by digital learning professionals. There may be lessons for higher education.

These skill sets are, first, to understand learners from the learner perspective.

Imagine the challenges for a movie director or a music composer connecting with an audience where there is little or no understanding of the needs or preferences of that audience.

In a digital world, students have greater control of their options. A key element for success in a world of learner choice is to understand learners and the criteria for their choices.

There are different student learner personas, including time-poor domestic graduate students uninterested in attending campus. Several other personas also exist.

Second, skills are needed to design learning for the digital medium and to engage learners. The traditional lecture, tutorial/lab and assignment design model can be ill-suited to digital learning journeys. Engaging design is key.

Technology offers new learning design alternatives. In this world, skills to hold the attention of students through engaging learning materials and design, bolstered by learning technologies, are needed. New skills in the creation of environments that foster learners to share and learn from each other – so-called learning communities – are another key ingredient.

Third, marketing skills are required. Never before have prospective learners had so much choice. In a time-poor and information-overloaded world, old thinking in respect of informing the market will fail to achieve desired results. More than a Facebook presence is needed. Again, as Gottliebsen points out, new thinking is needed.

Fourth, skilled digital change agents are needed to help change behaviour. Higher education institutes will need a critical mass of champions for change – academic staff, information technology departments, professional staff supporting learning design and more. Resistance to change and obstruction will occur, especially in the near term. The change management challenge is significant and possibly the biggest barrier for universities.

Finally, academics need support to gain skills and confidence with technology. The technology of chalk and blackboards, and now passive learning management system materials, have all passed their use-by dates.

In the university setting, we would add another key skill set. University digitally delivered education will require more of a team effort. Those with expertise in learning experience design, digital delivery and technology platform administration are all needed. In this world, academics are more than expert soloists and become conductors of an orchestra where academic content remains the linchpin.

In an increasingly boundary-less world, universities will compete for students based on the reputations for the delivered learning experience – not just brand name and course content. Student preferences about the learning experience will shape key education markets.

For the present, face-to-face learning will remain dominant. It matches the values of some universities and the technology for some applications is still inadequate. But this dominance will decline. Certain qualities of digitally delivered education – including consistency of the student learning experience and cost efficiencies – will be recognised and valued.

In the process, academic staff, and universities more broadly, will become more confident and more skilled in providing enhanced learning experiences using engaging online and digitally delivered education.

Keith Houghton and George Aveling are both directors of Campus2Cloud.com