Since February 2007, International Higher Education Consulting Blog has provided timely news and informational pieces, predominately from a U.S. perspective, that are of interest to both the international education and public diplomacy communities. From time to time, International Higher Education Consulting Blog will post thought provoking pieces to challenge readers and to encourage comment and professional dialogue.
by Ellen Hazelkorn, Hamish Coates, Hans de Wit & Tessa Delaquil
Making research relevant to policy
In recent years there has been heightened attention being given to the importance of scholarly endeavour making a real impact on and for society. Yet, despite a five-fold increase in journal articles published on higher education in the last twenty years, the OECD warns of a serious “disconnect between education policy, research and practice”.
As higher education systems have grown and diversified, it appears with ever increasing frequency that policy is made on the slow, on the run, or not at all. Even in the most regulated systems, gone is the decades-long approach of lifetime civil servants advancing copperplate notes on papyrus through governmental machines designed to sustain flow and augment harmony. In the era of 24-hour deliberation, reporting and muddling through, it may seem that conceptually rooted analysis of policy and policymaking is on the nose or has been replaced by political expediency.
Nothing could be further from the truth. There has never been a more important time to analyse, design, evaluate, critique, integrate, compare and innovate higher education policy. Fast policy invokes a swift need for imaginative reflection. Light policy demands counterbalancing shovel loads of intellectual backfilling. Comparative analysis is solvent for parochial policy. Policy stasis, when it stalks, must be cured by ingenious, ironic, and incisive admonition.
Governments worldwide expect research to provide leaders and policymakers with evidence that will improve the quality of teaching and education, learning outcomes and skills development, regional innovation and knowledge diffusion, and help solve society’s problems. Yet, efforts to enhance the research-policy-practice nexus fall far short of this ambition.
Policy influencers are more likely to be ministerial advisory boards and commissioned reports than journal articles and monographs, exactly opposite to what incentivizes academics. Rankings haven’t helped, measuring ‘impact’ in terms of discredited citation scores despite lots of research and efforts to the contrary.
Academics continue to argue the purpose of academic research is to produce ‘pure’ fundamental research, rather than undertake public-funded research. And despite universities promoting impactful research of public value, scholars complain of many barriers to entry.
The policy reviews solution
Policy Reviews in Higher Education (PRiHE) aims to push out the boundaries and encourage scholars to explore a wide range of policy themes. Despite higher education sitting within a complex knowledge-research-innovation ecosystem, touching on all elements from macro-economic to foreign policy to environmental policy, our research lens and interests are far too narrow. We seem to be asking the same questions. But the policy and public lens is changing.
Concerns are less about elites and building ‘world-class universities’ for a tiny minority, and much more about pressing social issues such as: regional disparities and ‘left-behind communities’, technical and vocational education and training, non-university pathways, skills and skills mismatch, flexible learning opportunities given new demographies, sustainable regional development, funding and efficiency, and technological capability and artificial intelligence. Of course, all of this carries implications for governance and system design, an area in which much more evidence-based research is required.
As joint editors we are especially keen to encourage submissions which can help address such issues, and to draw on research to produce solutions rather than simply critique. We encourage potential authors to ask questions outside the box, and explore how these different issues play out in different countries, and accordingly discuss the experiences, the lessons, and the implications from which others can learn.
Solutions for policy reviews
Coming into its ninth year, PRiHE is platform for people in and around government to learn about the sector they govern, for professionals in the sector to keep abreast of genuinely relevant developments, and for interested people around the world to learn about what is often (including for insiders!) a genuinely opaque and complex and certainly sui generis environment.
As our above remarks contend, the nature of contemporary higher education politics, policy and practice cannot be simplified or taken for granted. Journal topics, contributions, and interlocutors must also change and keep pace. Indeed, the very idea of an ‘academic journal’ must itself be reconsidered within a truly global and fully online education and research environment. Rightly, therefore, PRiHE keeps moving.
With renewed vim and vigour, the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE) has refreshed the Editorial Office and Editorial Board, and charged PRiHE to grow even more into a world-leading journal of mark and impact. Many further improvements have been made. For instance, the Editorial Office has worked with SRHE and the publisher Taylor and Francis to make several enhancements to editorial and journal processes and content.
We encourage people to submit research articles or proposals for an article – which will be reviewed by the Editors and feedback provided in return. We also encourage people to submit commentary and book reviews – where the authors have sought to interrogate and discuss a key issue through a policy-oriented lens. See the ‘instructions for authors’ for details.
Read, engage, and contribute
This second bumper 2024 issue provides six intellectual slices into ideas, data and practices relevant to higher education policy. We smartly and optimistically advise that you download and perhaps even print out all papers, power off computers and phones, and spend a few hours reading these wonderful contributions. We particularly recommend this to aspiring policy researchers, researchers and consultants in the midst of their careers, and perhaps most especially to civil servants and related experts embedded in the world of policy itself.
SRHE and the Editorial Office are looking ahead to a vibrant and strong future period of growth for PRiHE. A raft of direct and public promotion activities are planned. PRiHE is a journal designed to make a difference to policy and practice. The most important forms of academic engagement, of course, include reading, writing and reviewing. We welcome your contribution in these and other ways to the global PRiHE community.
This blog is based on the editorial published in Policy Reviews in Higher Education (online 16 November 2024) A new mission for higher education policy reviews
Professor Ellen Hazelkorn is Joint Managing Partner, BH Associates. She is Professor Emeritus, Technological University Dublin.
Hamish Coates is professor of public policy, director of the Higher Education Futures Lab, and global tertiary education expert.
Hans de Wit is Professor Emeritus and Distinguished Fellow of the Boston College Center for International Higher Education, Senior Fellow of the international Association of Universities.
Tessa DeLaquil is postdoctoral research fellow at the School of Education at University College Dublin.
“It’s Groundhog Day … again,” said Phil Connors, a disgruntled weatherman.
In the movie “Groundhog Day,” Phil Connors knew what it was like to experience life as an endless series of tedious events that recur in the same way day after day. And many of us working in online education management — especially in a highly competitive environment — can begin to feel like Phil did.
Receive enrollment targets. Develop and launch annual marketing campaigns. Pursue prospective students. Track students’ applications to completion. Onboard students. Repeat.
But when do you have time to reflect and analyze? When do you pause long enough to identify areas in need of improvement? How do you plan for innovation, growth, or testing when all of your time is spent on the status quo?
In my recent article on building online student services, we discussed the importance of assessing your organizational design and effectiveness to identify improvement opportunities and facilitate high-quality growth. My latest article on the organizational development journey took the discussion a step further to describe the steps involved in developing a multiyear approach to stakeholder engagement around strategic initiatives.
With this article, we address the concept of escape velocity. We’ll show you how a multiyear strategic growth road map can help your organization break free from its Groundhog Day cycle and launch it into tomorrow.
In higher education, we’re accustomed to having a university-level strategic plan with broad themes and objectives. These plans are useful in that they allow academic and service units to identify areas of contribution or special projects.
Less common, however, is a performance road map for the unit-level organization itself. Specific programs and functions may have goals, targets, or expected outcomes, but do they collectively add up to something more than the sum of parts? Are teams competing against one another for resources or prospects? Have the true bottlenecks in processes and infrastructure been identified so that teams can tackle them together, or are they each working on problems in a silo?
A multiyear strategic road map aligns the work you and your colleagues are doing today with the work to be done next year — and the year after that — to reach new levels of achievement, performance, and value. This means moving beyond “keeping the lights on” to building a true organizational vision where day-to-day tasks and operations contribute to a larger mission.
The multiyear road map also works to keep everyone accountable, so that the organization can escape the gravitational pull of mere survival, instead moving up through the atmosphere into new spaces and opportunities.
Importantly, the road map is not developed by a small group of people and then handed down from organizational leadership. It requires a strategic conversation across the organization that identifies what winning looks like and how all parties will win together.
A simple search for “strategic framework” in your browser or artificial intelligence tool will bring up 25 to 50 options, which can feel overwhelming. As you dig into the variety of frameworks, you realize that each has a specific purpose and most are not interchangeable. For example, a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis can be used to understand your organization’s general position in the current environment, while the Ansoff matrix can help you dive into your individual products and their specific markets.
In our opinion, if you want to develop an organization-wide multiyear strategic road map, the Hoshin Kanri framework is a powerful tool.
The Hoshin Kanri framework originated in Japan after World War II and was historically used in the manufacturing and technology industries (think Toyota). However, the framework can apply to any industry including higher education. The words “hoshin” and “kanri” mean direction and administration, which in this context refers to identifying the most important strategic focus areas for the next three to five years, and then managing activities and delivering against annual objectives in those focus areas.
To fully engage with the framework, there are seven steps that move from vision development to planning and execution to bidirectional feedback management, which makes this framework different from those that only focus on one of those aspects.
At its core, the framework is an iterative blueprint for escape velocity — where everyone’s contributions align and where individuals are responsible for providing direct, productive, and sometimes even uncomfortable feedback about progress, barriers, and how the plans are working. This feedback loop is one of the most powerful parts of the model for organization-wide deep listening and trust-building.
In the next section, we will discuss each part of the framework.
As we walk through the components of the Hoshin Kanri model, remember that models and frameworks are suggestions or guidelines on how to organize a strategy, not directives. Every organization is different, and you should feel free to make the model your own.
A multiyear road map, by definition, requires a vision for where your organization could or should be three to five years from now. While it’s easy to understand what you want your organization to “escape” from in terms of the status quo, it’s more work to determine the opportunity space, the direction of progress, and the velocity at which the organization should move there.
This is often the point where organizations need external support: fresh eyes to assess the market opportunities and the organizational development opportunities (e.g., a good, better, best model). Once the organizational vision is defined, communication and socialization of that vision to every individual in the organization is critical for feedback, engagement, and buy-in.
Here’s where your organization places its bets. What are the three to five focus areas that define how your organization will escape the status quo and strategically move into a new level of opportunity, performance, or achievement?
Think big swings that are a stretch but still possible. Think about what would get individuals in your organization excited about the work.
Remember, these strategic focus areas flow from the organizational vision. Some of the areas will be quantitative in nature (e.g., grow enrollments by 20% year over year; improve satisfaction scores by 40%), and some may be more qualitative (e.g., develop an organizational decision-making framework and process). All areas should be measurable.
In this stage of the process, your organization works backward from those strategic focus areas to plot the annual steps of achievement and progress. These objectives are established at the organizational level.
In this stage, program and function leaders develop their annual objectives based on the annual organizational-level objectives and begin to determine the key performance indicators for their teams.
This is also the step where the organization agrees upon an objective-level primary plan owner. Which individual is accountable for progress against the objective, for escalations when progress is impeded, and for communication of wins? Does that individual agree that the resource base to support the objective is sufficient?
In this implementation stage, plans are deployed and progress is measured.
The Hoshin Kanri model builds in regular strategic road map and annual plan feedback loops to ensure bidirectional feedback and iteration are employed where needed.
The frequency of your periodic reviews within an annual cycle may depend on the size and structure of your organization. The model suggests monthly plan reviews. But for some organizations, monthly reviews are too frequent and quarterly reviews are preferred. For other organizations, such as start-ups, monthly reviews are not frequent enough and biweekly sprint-level reviews may be needed.
The core idea is to ensure that those who are implementing against annual plans have the opportunity to discuss progress, blockers, resource concerns, and more so that leadership can determine if adjustments to the plans are necessary.
The annual review is the time to consider progress against the multiyear vision. Is the organization on target? Does the team need to be even more ambitious given evolving market conditions, the competitive landscape, or technological advances? Does the organization need to adjust its resource planning or design to support progress?
As you can see from the seven steps detailed above, the Hoshin Kanri model is basically a series of embedded to-do lists with metrics and owners attached to them. The plan can be created in a document that displays the action items in a sequential order with as many words as it takes to describe the holistic plan. There is nothing wrong with this approach, as long as the organization can access, understand, and execute against the plan.
However, there is a way to develop a visual tool — without fancy applications or systems — that summarizes the entirety of the plan so that everyone can see themselves aligned with both the long-term and immediate objectives. This method is called the X-matrix. It works well with a spreadsheet tool, for example. In our graphic example below, we’ve replaced the “X” with a compass visual, but an X works just as well.
Within a box in your spreadsheet, create your “X” by inserting crossed lines. This creates four quadrants. In Hoshin Kanri, these quadrants are classified with compass directions: north, south, east, and west (hence our graphical treatment).
An organization starts with the south quadrant (or bottom of the X). This is where you list the three to five strategic areas of focus. Each area of focus has its own row. In our graphic, these are the bottom three rows in the light blue, orange, and dark blue colors.
In the west quadrant, you can list the high-level annual objectives for the year. Use the spreadsheet rows to enter an “x” where the strategic area of focus (on the bottom) matches the individual high-level annual objective (shown here as columns to the left that correspond in color).
Then, move to the north quadrant. This is where you list the business-level objectives that flow from the annual objectives. What are the specific tasks for each program and function? You can use the spreadsheet rows to enter an “x” where the business-level objective aligns with the high-level annual objective. In our example here, all three business-level objectives in the top rows correspond to the strategic focus area and the high-level annual objective color-coded in light blue.
Keep the east quadrant blank for a moment. This is where key targets or key performance indicators (KPIs) will go, and again, once you complete these, you can use the spreadsheet model to put an “x” where the target aligns with the individual business-level objective. In our version, we’ve used slightly different shades of light blue to show which KPIs go with which business-level objectives.
Go to the Resources section of the spreadsheet. Here you can document the accountable owner of the business-level objective, and use the spreadsheet rows to note with an “x” which owner is aligned with the particular initiative. You can use primary and secondary owners or just stick with primary owners, depending on your organization’s size and structure. These owners can then finalize the east quadrant with the specific KPIs in coordination with organizational leadership.
Depending on your organization’s size and structure, you can develop one master-level version of this multiyear plan, or you can develop one per program or function for ease of use. If spreadsheets are not of interest, there are online applications and services (some are free; some are fee-based) that serve as an interactive platform on which you and your teams can manage the development and tracking of objectives and progress.
Engineering your escape velocity from Groundhog Day to the future takes introspection, time, iteration, and communication in all directions. Strategic tools and frameworks, like Hoshin Kanri, are not always necessary, but they can help your teams organize against a vision with plans, processes, and performance conversations.
No matter the tool, framework, or steps you take, the payoff of using introspection and planning to achieve your multiyear targets is escape velocity from the tethers of winter doldrums into a spring of new growth.
The strategy and development team at Archer Education can help you develop and achieve your multiyear strategic road map goals. Contact us today.
Language learning institution’s growth is projected to increase in the coming years. From 2024 to 2030, the global language learning market is predicted to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 20%. Due to the globalization of the labor market, language learning is likely to be in high demand.
Though language learning is growing in popularity, for lasting success, your school must find effective ways to stand out among other language academies looking to boost their enrollment. Digital advertising offers a broad spectrum of tools to attract students, but knowing how to maximize the impact of these strategies is key to success. At Higher Education Marketing, we’ve spent years refining approaches that yield measurable results for schools offering language learning programs. The following strategies offer actionable steps to elevate your ads targeting language students and attract the right prospects to your programs. Let’s explore!
Request a Free paid advertising consultation.
Language learners are a distinct group with varied motivations, backgrounds, and learning goals. Some are looking to learn a language for career advancement, while others may seek language acquisition for academic, travel, or personal reasons. Advertising that speaks directly to these needs requires a keen understanding of the diverse audience you aim to reach. One of the first ways to maximize the impact of digital advertising is through careful audience segmentation. Instead of promoting the same message across all channels, consider the specific motivations that drive different groups of learners and tailor your messaging accordingly.
Segmenting audiences by factors such as age, occupation, location, and even language proficiency allows schools to create highly targeted campaigns. How does language impact advertising for schools? Simply put, it depends heavily on your organizational goals. If you’re looking to target professionals wanting to learn English for business purposes, the language in your ad copy should reflect the vocational value of your programs. On the other hand, copy-targeting students hoping to improve their French skills before an international exchange can be more casual and experience-focused. This approach ensures the content resonates more deeply with potential students, increasing the chances of conversion.
Do you need help launching your language school’s latest ad campaign? Reach out to discover how we can support you.
Social media is a powerful tool for language learning programs, offering an opportunity to create ongoing engagement with potential students. However, simply posting ads isn’t enough. The most successful social media campaigns foster a sense of community and engagement, which encourages followers to take the next step toward enrollment.
For language schools, showcasing success stories is one way to build trust. Highlighting testimonials from former students, sharing video snippets of language immersion experiences, and offering short, valuable language tips can increase authenticity. Interactive content, such as live Q&A sessions or virtual language exchange events, can draw in potential students who want to see what learning at your institution feels like before they commit.
Schools can also encourage user-generated content by asking current students to share their experiences online, providing social proof that can be far more persuasive than traditional ads. When students are shown engaging and relevant ad content on their social media feeds and in your school’s stories, they are much more likely to visit your site and perhaps even take the first step in your enrollment process.
Example: Here, a leading language school, EF Education First uses Instagram to drive their organic traffic. In their post, they share valuable language acquisition tips, providing an English reading list for their students. Try using social media to share actionable language tips with your audience. This will drive engagement, boost your follower count, and broaden your digital reach.
Source: Instagram | EF Education First
Language learning programs often attract an international audience, which means your digital ads must resonate across cultures. One way to do this is by crafting culturally relevant ads that speak directly to the experience of international students. The language and imagery used in ads should align with the cultural values of the target audience. For example, an ad targeting language students in the Asian market might highlight the importance of family and education, while an ad aimed at Latin American students might focus on community and connectivity.
Schools should also consider creating ads in multiple languages to appeal to global audiences. You may be wondering how to go about this. For example, Can you target by language on Google Ads? Yes! Google Ads allows advertisers to create campaigns that specifically target users based on the language settings of their browser or device. You can set up your ads to appear in multiple languages, ensuring that they reach potential students who speak those languages. Additionally, you can create language-specific ad copy and landing pages, enhancing the relevance of your campaigns.
One of the most effective ways to drive qualified traffic to your website is through paid search advertising. Language schools can take advantage of this by focusing on long-tail keywords that are specific to language learning. While broad keywords like “learn English” may have high competition, phrases like “intensive French courses for business professionals in Paris” or “Spanish language classes for travelers” are more targeted and tend to attract a highly motivated audience.
Long-tail keywords may have lower search volumes, but they often result in higher conversion rates because they target users who already have a clear intent. This approach not only helps you to maximize your ad budgets but also ensures that the clicks you receive are more likely to turn into enrollments.
Source: Hutong School
Example: Here, Hutong School uses the long-tail keyword: Global Chinese language school in their metadata. This targeted keyword is designed to attract students who not only want to learn Chinese but also want to do so at a global institution that welcomes students from all over the world. Specificity in keywords ensures higher quality leads who are specifically looking for you.
Effective ads for language learning and education go beyond promotion and address the specific challenges that potential students face. Whether it’s the fear of not being left behind in class or the worry about balancing language learning with other responsibilities, successful ads speak directly to these concerns.
To craft compelling ad copy, start by identifying the pain points that your target audience experiences. Are they professionals concerned about fitting language classes into their busy schedules? Are they international students worried about mastering a new language before moving abroad? Once you’ve identified these challenges, your ads should provide solutions. Highlight the flexibility of your class schedules, emphasize the support systems you have in place for struggling students, or showcase how your programs help learners achieve fluency quickly.
Source: KCP International Japanese Language School
Example: Here, KCP addresses a very common pain point for language learners in their ad copy. Many fear that it’s ‘too late’ to learn a new language as the experience can be expensive and time-consuming. KCP positions itself as the solution to this barrier, ensuring its audience that as long as they meet four basic criteria, learning Japanese is within reach for them.
Retargeting is one of the most powerful tools in digital advertising, particularly for language schools where prospective students may need time before making an enrollment decision. Retargeting campaigns allow schools to stay top-of-mind by showing ads to users who have already visited the school’s website or engaged with its content.
Retargeting works particularly well for language learning programs because it targets individuals who are already interested in the subject but may not have been ready to commit when they first encountered the program. Your school can use this strategy to provide reminders about upcoming enrollment deadlines, promote special offers, or share new content that highlights the benefits of your courses.
For instance, if a visitor left your site after viewing the course offerings but didn’t sign up, retargeting ads can remind them of the benefits of joining your program. This approach can be particularly effective when combined with personalized messaging, such as offering tailored suggestions based on the courses they viewed.
Video ads offer a dynamic and authentic way to showcase your school’s programs. HEM’s tailored video ad services help you stand out, whether promoting a specific course or building brand awareness. From high-energy hype videos to authentic student interviews, we create compelling visuals that maximize visibility and generate results. How does that affect you as a language learning institution?
Video content is a particularly effective tool for language schools, offering prospective students a glimpse into the real-life experience of learning a new language. Whether it’s a classroom setting, a student testimonial, or a tutorial on language pronunciation, videos create an emotional connection that static ads often lack.
To maximize the impact of your video content, ensure that it highlights the immersive, interactive nature of your language programs. Videos should showcase the benefits of learning in a dynamic environment where students can practice speaking in real-life scenarios. This builds excitement and helps prospective students visualize themselves succeeding in your program.
Additionally, video ads on platforms like YouTube or social media can target specific audience segments. Language schools can use these platforms to create ads tailored to different learner types, such as professionals looking to learn a language for work or students hoping to study abroad.
Source: LSI Worldwide | YouTube
Example: This promotional video presented by a school director highlights the unique selling points of their online learning system. The unique academic benefits of your programs are an excellent topic for your promotional videos – particularly when presented by a language expert within your faculty. What makes your instruction style unique?
Language schools can also benefit from partnering with influencers, especially those passionate about language learning or travel. Influencers offer access to a built-in audience that already trusts their recommendations. By working with influencers who align with your institution’s values, language schools can reach potential students who may not have been aware of your programs.
An effective influencer marketing campaign for a language school might include sponsored posts where the influencer shares their language learning journey, highlighting the value of enrolling in formal programs. Schools can also consider offering affiliate programs, allowing influencers to earn commissions for every student who enrolls through their recommendation.
Data-driven decision-making is at the heart of successful digital advertising. Language schools must continually analyze their campaign’s performance to ensure they’re reaching the right audience and achieving optimal results. Tools like Google Analytics and Facebook Insights can provide valuable insights into which ads are performing well and which need to be adjusted.
For example, schools can track metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, and the cost per lead to determine the effectiveness of their campaigns. By continuously monitoring these metrics, schools can make data-driven decisions that maximize their return on investment. Adjustments might include refining audience targeting, improving ad copy, or reallocating the budget to the platforms that yield the highest returns.
One of the most effective ways to convince prospective students to enroll in your language learning program is by offering a free trial or sample lesson. Language learning can be an intimidating prospect, and many students may hesitate to commit without knowing what to expect. By offering a no-obligation sample lesson, schools give potential students a taste of the learning experience, which can be enough to convert them into paying students.
This strategy works particularly well in digital advertising campaigns where schools can drive traffic to a landing page offering the free trial. Ads promoting a “try before you buy” approach can alleviate apprehension about committing to a full program.
Source: WuKong Education Online | YouTube
Example: WuKong Education Online offers a trial class to attract their prospects. Trials are an excellent way to convert leads and are particularly effective for online academies.
By implementing these language learning advertising strategies, your school can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your digital advertising campaigns. At Higher Education Marketing, we believe that understanding the unique needs of language learners, leveraging innovative tools, and continuously refining your approach is key to driving enrollment and building lasting connections with students.
Request a Free paid advertising consultation.
Question: Can you target by language on Google Ads?
Answer: Yes! Google Ads allows advertisers to create campaigns that specifically target users based on the language settings of their browser or device. You can set up your ads to appear in multiple languages, ensuring that they reach potential students who speak those languages. Additionally, you can create language-specific ad copy and landing pages, enhancing the relevance of your campaigns.
Question: How does language impact advertising?
Answer: Simply put, An ad aimed at professionals wanting to learn English for business purposes should be crafted differently from one targeting students hoping to improve their French skills before an international exchange. This approach ensures the content resonates more deeply with potential students, increasing the chances of conversion.
by Erika Kalocsányiová and Rania Hassan
Promoting sustainability literacy in higher education is crucial for deepening students’ pro-environmental behaviour and mindset (Buckler & Creech, 2014; UNESCO, 1997), while also fostering social transformation by embedding sustainability at the core of the student experience. In 2022, our group received an SRHE Scoping Award to synthesise the literature on the development, teaching, and assessment of sustainability literacy in non-STEM higher education programmes. We conducted a multilingual systematic review of post-2010 publications from the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), with the results summarised in Kalocsányiová et al (2024).
Out of 6,161 articles that we identified as potentially relevant, 92 studies met the inclusion criteria and are reviewed in the report. These studies involved a total of 11,790 participants and assessed 9,992 university programmes and courses. Our results suggest a significant growth in research interest in sustainability in non-STEM fields since 2017, with 75 studies published compared to just 17 in the preceding seven years. Our analysis also showed that Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey, and Austria had the highest concentration of publications, with 25 EHEA countries represented in total. The 92 reviewed studies were characterised by high methodological diversity: nearly half employed quantitative methods (47%), followed by qualitative studies (40%) and mixed methods research (13%). Curriculum assessments using quantitative content analysis of degree and course descriptors were among the most common study types, followed by surveys and intervention or pilot studies. Curriculum assessments provided a systematic way to evaluate the presence or absence of sustainability concepts within curricula at both single HE institutions and in comparative frameworks. However, they often captured only surface-level indications of sustainability integration into undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, without providing evidence on actual implementation and/or the effectiveness of different initiatives. Qualitative methods, including descriptive case studies and interviews that focused on barriers, challenges, implementation strategies, and the acceptability of new sustainability literacy initiatives, made up 40% of the current research. Mixed methods studies accounted for 13% of the reviewed articles, often applying multiple assessment tools simultaneously, including quantitative sustainability competency assessment instruments combined with open-ended interviews or learning journals.
In terms of disciplines, Economics, Business, and Administrative Studies held the largest share of reviewed studies (26%), followed by Education (23%). Multiple disciplines accounted for 22% of the reviewed publications, reflecting the interconnected nature of sustainability. Finance and Accounting contributed only 6%, indicating a need for further research. Similarly, Language and Linguistics, Mass Communication and Documentation, and Social Sciences collectively represented only 12% of the reviewed studies. Creative Arts and Design with just 2% was also a niche area. Although caution should be exercised when drawing conclusions from these results, they highlight the need for more research within the underrepresented disciplines. This in turn can help promote awareness among non-STEM students, stimulate ethical discussions on the cultural dimensions of sustainability, and encourage creative solutions through interdisciplinary dialogue.
Regarding factors and themes explored, the studies focused primarily on the acquisition of sustainability knowledge and competencies (27%), curriculum assessment (23%), challenges and barriers to sustainability integration (10%), implementation and evaluation research (10%), changes in students’ mindset (9%), key competences in sustainability literacy (5%), and active student participation in Education for Sustainable Development (5%). In terms of studies discussing acquisition processes, key focus areas included the teaching of Sustainable Development Goals, awareness of macro-sustainability trends, and knowledge of local sustainability issues. Studies on sustainability competencies focussed on systems thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, ethical awareness, interdisciplinary knowledge, global awareness and citizenship, communication skills, and action-oriented mindset. These competencies and knowledge, which are generally considered crucial for addressing the multifaceted challenges of sustainability (Wiek et al., 2011), were often introduced to non-STEM students through stand-alone lectures, workshops, or pilot studies involving new cross-disciplinary curricula.
Our review also highlighted a broad range of pedagogical approaches adopted for sustainability teaching and learning within non-STEM disciplines. These covered case and project-based learning, experiential learning methods, problem-based learning, collaborative learning, reflection groups, pedagogical dialogue, flipped classroom approaches, game-based learning, and service learning. While there is strong research interest in the documentation and implementation of these pedagogical approaches, few studies have so far attempted to assess learning outcomes, particularly regarding discipline-specific sustainability expertise and real-world problem-solving skills.
Many of the reviewed studies relied on single-method approaches, meaning valuable insights into sustainability-focused teaching and learning may have been missed. For instance, studies often failed to capture the complexities surrounding sustainability integration into non-STEM programs, either by presenting positivist results that require further contextualisation or by offering rich context limited to a single course or study group, which cannot be generalised. The assessment tools currently used also seemed to lack consistency, making it difficult to compare outcomes across programmes and institutions to promote best practices. More robust evaluation designs, such as longitudinal studies, controlled intervention studies, and mixed methods approaches (Gopalan et al, 2020; Ponce & Pagán-Maldonado, 2015), are needed to explore and demonstrate the pedagogical effectiveness of various sustainability literacy initiatives in non-STEM disciplines and their impact on student outcomes and societal change.
In summary, our review suggests good progress in integrating sustainability knowledge and competencies into some core non-STEM disciplines, while also highlighting gaps. Based on the results we have formulated some questions that may help steer future research:
We also would like to encourage other researchers to engage with knowledge produced in a variety of languages and educational contexts. The multilingual search and screening strategy implemented in our review enabled us to identify and retrieve evidence from 25 EHEA countries and 24 non-English publications. If reviews of education research remain monolingual (English-only), important findings and insights will go unnoticed hindering knowledge exchange, creativity, and innovation in HE.
Dr. Erika Kalocsányiová is a Senior Research Fellow with the Institute for Lifecourse Development at the University of Greenwich, with research centering on public health and sustainability communication, migration and multilingualism, refugee integration, and the implications of these areas for higher education policies.
Rania Hassan is a PhD student and a research assistant at the University of Greenwich. Her research centres on exploring enterprise development activities within emerging economies. As a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary researcher, Rania is passionate about advancing academia and promoting knowledge exchange in higher education.
Since February 2007, International Higher Education Consulting Blog has provided timely news and informational pieces, predominately from a U.S. perspective, that are of interest to both the international education and public diplomacy communities. From time to time, International Higher Education Consulting Blog will post thought provoking pieces to challenge readers and to encourage comment and professional dialogue.
Title: Fewer Freshmen Enrolled in College This Year Following Troubling FAFSA Cycle
Author: Katharine Meyer
Source: Brookings Institution, National Student Clearinghouse Research Center
The rollout of the new FAFSA form last year triggered cascading consequences across the higher education community. The launch was delayed, customer calls remained unanswered, and the number of filings decreased by about three percent. As the form’s issues compounded, experts predicted that the fumbled rollout would likely negatively impact the higher education sector across several metrics, particularly new student enrollment.
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center collected data at the beginning of the academic year to begin painting the updated enrollment picture and will follow up with final enrollment numbers for the 2024-25 academic year. The Brookings Institution analyzed the preliminary data and observed large declines in FAFSA filings, followed by a decrease in first-year enrollment.
Across all institutions, first-year enrollment is down 5.8 percent among 18-year-olds and 8.6 percent among 19-20-year-olds. At public four-year institutions, first-year enrollment declined 8.5 percent, and it declined 6.5 percent at private four-year institutions. White freshman enrollment declined the most (11.4 percent), followed by multiracial (6.6 percent) and Black (6.1 percent) first-year student enrollment. Enrollment at HBCUs, however, increased 5.9 percent from last year and has cumulatively increased 12.6 percent since fall 2022.
First-year enrollment at four-year schools declined across all levels of Pell Grant recipience. Institutions that experienced the largest declines in first-year enrollment, though, were public and private four-year institutions with the highest shares of students receiving Pell Grants (-10.4 and -10.7 percent, respectively). First-year enrollment at four-year colleges is also down across all levels of selectivity, with the largest decline occurring at very competitive public four-year institutions (-10.8 percent), followed by competitive public four-year institutions (-10.3 percent).
Despite declines in first-year enrollment, total college enrollment increased three percent, due in part to a 4.7 percent increase in community college enrollment. Interestingly, this increase occurred at certain types of two-year institutions but not all of them. At colleges that predominantly award associate degrees and some bachelor’s degrees, freshman enrollment increased 2.2 percent, and at two-year institutions that enroll a higher proportion of low-income students, first-year enrollment increased 1.2 percent. At community colleges only awarding associate degrees, however, enrollment decreased by 1.1 percent.
The author notes these insights come with caveats; many factors have contributed to enrollment decline over the last decade, notably falling public confidence in higher education and the ever-growing cost of attending college. The sharp decline in first-year enrollment, however, correlates with the troubled FAFSA launch. Continuing to collect data over time will provide more insight into the implications of recent disruptions to enrollment trends, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic and the FAFSA rollout. The 2025-26 FAFSA form will be available this December, and its functionality will determine the gravity of the past year’s enrollment decline.
To view the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data dashboard, click here. To read the Brookings Institution analysis, click here.
—Erica Swirsky
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Title: Supporting Minds, Supporting Learners: Addressing Student Mental Health to Advance Academic Success
Source: Center for Community College Student Engagement
The 2023 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) and Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE) gathered essential data to guide community colleges in supporting student mental health and well-being. The surveys collected responses from 61,085 students at 149 community colleges in spring 2023 and 13,950 students at 61 community colleges in fall 2023, respectively.
Key findings include:
Check out the full report on the CCSSE website.
—Nguyen DH Nguyen
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As an educator, where do you go for advice on teaching? Perhaps it’s a book. Maybe it’s a social media channel of your choosing. But more often than not, faculty have turned to higher education podcasts as a way of gleaning fresh insights in a captivating, bite-sized format. It’s no secret that educators are stretched between teaching, grading and research commitments. So listening to a reputable guest share their best practices for improving equity, engagement and interaction in the classroom is a valuable faculty development and training exercise in of itself.
If you’re looking for the best higher education podcasts to explore, this post is for you. We’ve rounded up our favorite shows that speak to the good, the bad and the ugly within higher ed in our present moment. We also capture podcasts hosted by leaders who bring deep, discipline-specific expertise to their field. Most importantly, we’ve summarized shows that not only cover the latest trends but offer practical advice in an educational and entertaining way. So grab your earbuds and let’s dive into the top higher education podcasts of the year.
→ NEW HIGHER EDUCATION PODCAST: Stream S1 of Higher Listenings by Top Hat
Ok, call us biased, but we think Higher Listenings from Top Hat is well worth a listen. Higher Listenings aims to engage and entertain educators with a look at the latest trends shaping the future of teaching and learning. In our first season, we offer practical advice to leave you feeling equipped and confident to tackle your next teaching challenge—whether boosting reading completion rates or embracing AI-powered learning. The first season offers an all star line up featuring some of the leading change makers in higher ed including Jesse Stommel (author of Ungrading: Why We Grade and How to Stop), José Antonio Bowen (author of Teaching with AI) and Terrell Strayhorn (leading expert on student belonging). Stay tuned for season two releasing in January 2025! In the meantime, catch up on our inaugural season by listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
As the most effective educators know, good teaching is both an art and a science. Dr. Bonni Stachowiak is a professor and Dean of Teaching and Learning at Vanguard University. As the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Stachowiak serves up best practices across four key categories including: digital pedagogy, student life, work-life balance and teaching. Notable guests include Joshua Eyler (Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at the University of Mississippi) and Jenae Cohen (Executive Director at the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of California, Berkeley). Whether you’re looking for strategies to grade more productively or need guidance on ed tech integration in higher education, Stachowiak’s impressive lineup will leave you feeling inspired. Listen to the latest episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Do you want to take your knowledge of foundational teaching practices to the next level? Dr. Derek Bruff will help you do just that. Bruff, Associate Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Virginia and author of Intentional Tech, hosts the Intentional Teaching podcast geared towards college and university faculty. His goal is to leave listeners with actionable techniques to make their classrooms more inclusive, responsive to an AI-saturated world and ultimately, more engaging for every learner. Esteemed guests on his podcast include Thomas J. Tobin (Senior Teaching and Learning Developer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Viji Sathy (Associate Dean for Evaluation and Assessment at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill). Check out Bruff’s star-studded episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
If you’re looking for faculty development and training paired with emerging research in pedagogy, this higher education podcast will surely be your cup of tea. The Tea for Teaching show is produced by John Kane and Rebecca Mushtare, who run the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego. The producers wrestle with hot-button topics from upskilling in the age of AI to reducing bias in course evaluations. High-impact guests, who include Michelle Miller (Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Northern Arizona University) and Anthony Abraham Jack (Faculty Director of the Boston University Newbury Center), are featured in weekly episodes. Grab your favorite warm beverage and a notebook and tune into this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Unsure about the direction that education is heading in? Then you’ll want to take note of D2L’s Teach & Learn podcast. Geared towards K-12 and higher ed faculty, the show is hosted by Dr. Christi Ford (Vice President of Academic Affairs at D2L) and Dr. Emma Zone (Senior Director of Academic Affairs at D2L). In candid discussions with educational experts, the hosts dive into issues affecting higher education institutions today. This timely higher education podcast offers practical advice such as how to put diversity, equity and inclusion at the forefront of your course and how to harness AI to improve student learning. Recent guests include Thomas Cavanagh (Vice Provost for Digital Learning at the University of Central Florida) and Karen Costa (Faculty Development Facilitator for the Online Learning Consortium). Leave with practical tips for your own course by listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
