Four ways AI will impact higher education

Higher education isn’t (usually) known for rapid change, but as generative artificial intelligence grows in prevalence, accessibility, and capabilities, those who are slow to respond will likely experience a rapid divide in services, enrollment, and resources.

For those willing to dive in, these can be positive opportunities rather than threats. As colleges and universities continue to wrestle with the shifting expectations of students and the workforce, AI emerges as a powerful tool to enhance learning outcomes, streamline operations, and drive innovation. In particular, there are four key areas where AI is set to make its mark, particularly for online providers.

What we Teach: Curriculum Adaptation

The rise of AI presents both challenges and opportunities for what happens in and is covered by a course. As generative AI becomes more sophisticated, educators must adapt assignments to encourage critical thinking and original analysis.

Rather than viewing AI as a threat to academic integrity, institutions should embrace it as a tool to enhance learning. Think of it this way: If an assignment can be reasonably answered by AI, it’s no longer the best assignment. We need to rethink assignments, dig into critical thinking, and even teach students how to work alongside AI to explore more broadly and challenge their thinking.?

Every field should also consider how to teach AI-based skills that will be needed for the future and begin integrating that content now. Whether it’s content development and market research in marketing or machine learning in data science programs, students can develop the skills necessary to thrive in an AI-driven world.

As Scott Galloway has shared many times, "AI won't take your job, someone who uses AI will." Universities have a responsibility to prepare students for this reality by incorporating AI across the curriculum.

How we Teach: Transforming Teaching Methodology

AI is set to fundamentally change how educators create content, deliver content, and provide feedback.

By leveraging AI-powered tools, faculty can automate (and speed up) repetitive tasks, such as grammar and style suggestions for written assignments or code optimization tips for programming projects. This automation frees up valuable time for educators to focus on higher-level feedback and student engagement.

Additionally, AI can enable adaptive learning experiences that adjust to individual student needs and learning styles. By analyzing student performance data, AI algorithms can recommend personalized learning paths, ensuring that each student receives the support and challenge they need to succeed.

Even now, a specific request of OpenAI’s GPT4 or Anthropic’s Claude3 to develop a course syllabus delivers a “pretty good” course outline, and further requests to build out each section creates a strong foundation on which to build. Course development acceleration will only continue, with personalization to quickly follow.?

Imagine a future where not only is the pathway developed based on progress, but individual modules are created “on the fly,” complete with images, videos, and text all personalized to the unique needs, learning styles, and understanding gaps of each student.

How we Serve: Enhanced Student Support

AI is set to transform how universities serve and support their students. By integrating AI assistants into advising teams, for example, institutions can provide personalized and efficient guidance at scale. These AI assistants can help advisors sort through student data, generate customized study plans, recommend resources, and identify students at risk of falling behind.

AI-powered chatbots can also offer 24/7 support, answering common student queries and providing immediate, tailored feedback. As AI continues to advance, students will benefit from more responsive and adaptive support systems that cater to their individual needs, ultimately improving engagement and academic outcomes.

What we See: Data-Driven Strategy

Generative AI has a unique ability to make sense of vast amounts of data. By harnessing the power of machine learning algorithms, universities can glean insights from student demographics, engagement metrics, and academic performance to predict enrollment trends, identify effective outreach strategies, and improve student retention.

By uploading and connecting datasets, AI can uncover hidden patterns and correlations, make suggestions, and create graphs for additional insights, empowering administrators to make data-informed decisions that optimize resource allocation and drive institutional success. Through these approaches, even smaller institutions can access sophisticated predictive modeling capabilities without the need for extensive in-house expertise.

As these are built into enterprise-level software, discovery and application of insights from data that previously took a large amount of time and expertise to mine will become ever-more accessible.

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The adoption of AI also raises important considerations, such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the need for faculty training and support. To ensure that AI is developed and deployed responsibly, collaboration between educators, researchers, and industry partners is crucial. By proactively addressing these challenges and harnessing the power of AI, higher education institutions can unlock new opportunities for student success and drive innovation in teaching and learning.

The AI transformation in higher education is a reality that's unfolding before our eyes. Universities that embrace this transformation and strategically integrate AI into their operations, curriculum, and teaching methodologies will be well-positioned to thrive in the digital age.

As leaders in the field, it's our responsibility to navigate this transformative landscape with wisdom, courage, and a steadfast commitment to serving our students. By embracing the possibilities of AI while addressing its challenges head-on, we can shape a future where technology and human ingenuity work hand in hand to create a more accessible, personalized, and impactful educational experience for all.