5 Higher Education Trends that Will Define 2020

The higher education sector experienced a tumultuous and controversial year in 2019. Several scandals emerged pertaining to college admission procedures. Aside from that, the new challenges facing modern higher learning institutions came to the fore. As the new year starts, many of these issues will spill over to the rest of the year. 

Technology and other issues as well will define the learning sector. So what are some key trends likely to define 2020? Let us analyze them below.

Online Education and Adult Learning

Without a doubt, one of the main changes to take place in the higher education realm is the entrance of many online education institutions. The number of adult learners has also increased dramatically in recent years. The technology of the 21st century has everything to do with the new changes, particularly in the online learning realm. 

Over the course of the year, more and more online-focused institutions will come up. According to information published on allensbach-hochschule.de, online learning might become the most preferred mode of learning for nontraditional learners.

The Impact of Deregulation

In recent times, various changes made in the higher education sector during the previous regimes were changed. The effects of these changes are likely to be experienced in 2020. Among the key issues that will come about as a result of deregulation will be reduced monitoring of institutions. This might result in lower accountability levels and general degeneration of quality. 

Laws regarding sexual conduct and offenses have also been recently changed. These laws have sought to narrow down the definition of issues that can be regarded as sexual harassment. 

Alignment of Education and Industry Requirements

As per recent initiatives by the current regime, there will be more focus on enabling students to get a real-life experience of what the market is like. To do this, various institutions in the business world and employment realms have been tasked with partnering with educational institutions to give students a feel of the working environment. The ultimate goal of such programs is to help align the curriculum with the market workforce needs. 

The year will thus see increased partnerships between big companies and higher education institutions. 

The Exit of Colleges and Increased Mergers

A number of colleges have been exiting the market in recent times. There are many reasons behind this phenomenon but the main challenges today are a result of rising costs. It is much harder to keep the smaller colleges around as they do not have the benefit of economies of scale. This is why there have been numerous mergers happening all over. In 2020, this trend is likely to persist particularly in areas where finances are scarce. 

Conclusion

2020 will have many other defining trends. For the most part, though, the recent regulations and their effects will dominate the trends in the education realm. Considering the severity of the recent controversies surrounding admission procedures, the focus is likely to be more on implementing standards that reduce manipulation of the system.