Andrew Smith has 20 years of teaching experience and still gets a buzz out of seeing a student grasp a new concept. He is a Senior Lecturer in Networking at The Open University, a leading university for flexible, innovative teaching and world-leading research in the UK and 157 countries worldwide. We caught up with Andrew to chat about online simulators for teaching, hybrid MOOCs ...and zombies!
In a hyper-competitive market attracting international students is vital--but it’s not always easy. In a bid to help we’ve pulled together some key strategies for international enrolment growth, alongside some working examples from universities who are acing it today.
What will the future of education look like? It’s the question on many an education professional’s lips, and in an uncertain political and economic climate such as ours, it isn’t always an easy one to answer. Of course, technology will play a large role in shaping the future of higher ed, as will socio-economic and political factors.
The higher education market is becoming increasingly competitive. Institutions can no longer rely solely on their academic reputation to attract students; to appeal to today’s cohorts they need to adopt a more agile approach to student recruitment and reach out to different student segments with personalised content.In other words, a one-size-fits-all approach to student recruitment is no longer fit for purpose.
Nick Barniville is Associate Dean at ESMT, the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin. ESMT is a business school founded and supported by 25 leading German corporations and is positioned as Germany's most international business school. We caught up with Nick recently to discuss EMST's journey to date and how it plans to evolve moving forward. We also wanted to quiz him on prescient issues such as what the future holds for business education and how technology is going to shape pedagogy in higher education. Here's what we discovered...
Last year AMBA’s proprietary research centre published their MBA Application and Enrolment Report 2018. The report explores trends in the MBA market at a time of global economic uncertainty. The insights are based on the findings from the 2017 calendar year. Interestingly, AMBA found that the way in which people are studying and the mode of learning being adopted by business schools around the world is changing. This change can be attributed to people’s need for flexibility when it comes to postgraduate study, especially in an uncertain economic climate.
The MBA is a popular degree programme, appealing to people from a range of backgrounds and industries. Creatives and elite athletes as well as more ‘traditional’ applicants from across the finance and consulting sectors are counted among the MBA’s alumni every year. And despite rising economic uncertainty in countries like the UK, the MBA remains a prominent choice. “Demand for graduate business education remains strong, especially among the largest programs, which tend also to be the most well-known programs with brand recognition,” explains Sangeet Chowfla, Graduate Management Admissions Council and CEO.
Many experts argue that education is no longer fit for the 21st century; in terms of innovation, the sector is lagging behind. If we’re to keep up with the evolving needs of our students and indeed, society as a whole, a big rethink is needed.
Dr Gary C Wood is an experienced educator, recognised for developing and delivering innovative, enterprising learning experiences that challenge students intellectually while preparing them for the workplace. During his time at University of Sheffield he has built inclusive communities for learning through technology and supported student transition into and out of higher education. We caught up with Gary recently to find out more about Sheffield Engineering Leadership Academy, how we can use social media to encourage students to contribute in class and what the disruptive forces in education are likely to be over the next few years.
