What comes first – education innovation or education technology?

The Innovation Stage at EduTECH tackled this question and looked at how technology and education are working together to drive change.

David Linke from EduGrowth, Amanda Pickrell from the Victorian Government and Glenn Campbell from DeakinCo. were able to shed some light on the changing nature of technology and innovation in Australia’s higher ed sector. 

The education model is changing, as employers are looking for life-long learners. The days of completing a three year degree and that being the end of your studies are drawing to a close.

“Business are responding to greater complexity and adaptation. They want 1) a recognition of what people are learning on the job, and 2) upskilling for their employees,” Glenn Campbell said.

While adaptation and uptake has been slow in some institutions, Amanda Pickrell argued that universities are meeting the challenge and driving the change. 

“Education institutions are innovating. They’re thinking about learning outcomes and how learners want to learn,” she said.

“Some universities are really adapting and changing. DeakinCo., for example, has been set up to disrupt from within, in the same way Uber did to the taxi industry,” Glenn added.

There’s a growing understanding that many of the skills needed to be successful at work aren’t learned in the classroom, nor are they easily assessable. There can be a divide between credentialed skills and employability skills.

Employers, and students alike, are looking for communication skills, innovation, critical thinking, and teamwork. 

So, education institutions are innovating, driven by domestic and international student demand. Ideas like micro-skilling and stackable credentials are coming to the fore. Allowing students to pick and choose what they need, and allowing those elements to add up to a degree if need be. 

These innovations are being driven by new technologies, and by bringing vocational elements in the more traditional learning frameworks. These technologies are both meeting new needs, and allowing for new ways of doing things to be found.

Universities are hubs of innovation, and to stay relevant in the local and global contexts, they need to continue this journey of adapting to change, and embracing technology to meet the needs of students and business alike. 

Education Innovation or Education Technology. What’s driving the market? was a thought leadership panel session, sponsored by Global Victoria, held on the Innovation Stage at EduTECH Conference, Thursday 7 June 2019.