Report: A dire need for a human-centric approach to education for the digital age

The EY 2023 report, “Is your university’s transformation centered on tech or people?”, addresses the pressing need for higher education institutions to refocus their digital transformation efforts around the needs of their primary stakeholders – students, faculty, and staff. Historically, universities have been structured to meet academic and governmental requirements rather than focusing on human-centric needs. 

This paradigm is now shifting, demanding a new approach that places humans at the center of transformation efforts. Research by EY and the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School found that organizations focusing on human-centric transformation are significantly more likely to succeed​​​.

The report identifies key areas where universities need to adapt to meet the evolving needs of their constituents. For students, this includes creating an environment where they feel a sense of belonging, providing digital technology for effective learning, and offering career-aligned programs. Students seek universities that make the enrollment process straightforward, offer programs enhancing career prospects, and provide robust support systems​.

Image Source: EY 2023 Report

Teaching faculty need empowerment through evidence-based training and support for delivering world-class digital or blended learning. This includes providing data to improve learning outcomes and freeing them up to focus more on teaching or research​.

The pandemic has significantly altered students’ educational norms and expectations. Even those attending on-campus programs expect digital access, even AI, to content and administrative processes, reflecting a demand for more flexibility and self-paced learning. However, there remains a disconnect between student expectations and the delivery of online learning, with many expressing dissatisfaction with the quality of digital education​.

Image Source: EY 2023 Report

To address these challenges, the report recommends several strategies:

1. Flipped Learning: Transitioning from traditional in-person lectures to a model where digital learning precedes interactive classroom engagement. This approach emphasizes active learning and accommodates various learning styles and paces​.
2. Hybrid/HyFlex Delivery: Combining face-to-face and online learning to create personalized and engaging experiences. This approach offers flexibility, allowing students to choose between in-person and online participation​.
3. Investing in Digital Content and Infrastructure: Enhancing digital content with multimedia elements and investing in technologies like augmented and virtual reality to improve learning outcomes. Moreover, universities need to upgrade their technological infrastructure to support these initiatives effectively​.
4. Differentiated Instruction and Assessment: Tailoring teaching methods to accommodate the diverse needs of students and employing ongoing formative assessments to gauge student understanding and progress​.
5. Upskilling Faculty in Digital Pedagogy: Addressing the need for faculty development in digital teaching methods and instructional design to ensure the effective use of digital resources​.

The report underscores the necessity for higher education institutions to embrace a human-centered approach in their digital transformation. This involves not only integrating advanced technologies but also rethinking pedagogical strategies and curricula to meet the changing needs and expectations of students and faculty in a post-pandemic world.