Early childhood educators are responsible for the positive development, health, and well-being of many children, making critical the appropriate use of technology in those settings.
Michelle Kang
CEO, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Alissa Mwenelupembe
Managing Director of Early Learning, NAEYC
When we were children — and even when our own children were little — educational television shows like “Sesame Street,” “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” and “Reading Rainbow” provided time-limited relief for busy parents and an opportunity for children to learn.
Now, screens are ubiquitous as adults carry them in pockets and purses, and the content coming from those screens has changed considerably to become more interactive, brighter, and more likely to encourage continued engagement with the screen. It’s no longer as straightforward as turning off the corner television set.
The research on children and technology is ongoing, and the American Academy of Pediatrics has declined to set recommended screen time hours for children — not because unlimited screen time is good, but because not all screen time is equal.
For parents, this presents an individual challenge, but for early childhood educators, it is magnified across a whole program, where teachers are responsible for the positive development, health, and well-being of many young children at once.
What is appropriate?
A guiding rule is that the use of technology in an early childhood education setting, whether in a center, home, or school, should be in service to developmentally appropriate practices around learning.
That takes professional judgment by early educators who, through expertise and experience, can identify the value of incorporating active, hands-on technology into activities based on the readiness of the children and whether it will support their learning. That also means early educators must have appropriate training, support, and digital literacy themselves.
Any technological engagement by children should support creativity and/or cognitive and social development. Special consideration should be given to how it can help create equity, particularly by using translation and assistive technology supports to engage with multi-language learners or children with identified disabilities.
One great example of technology use in a preschool classroom was from a teacher who shared a story with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) of assigning a classroom job of “journalist” to one of the preschoolers in her integrated special education classroom. The child would document the day by taking photos on a tablet, and then report on one of the pictures during the closing circle. It’s interactive, sparks conversation, inspires creativity, and is adaptable to different developmental levels.
What are some guidelines?
NAEYC and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media issued a technology and interactive media position statement in 2012. While it is on the docket for a renewal and refresh, the fundamentals still hold even as technology has advanced.
Early childhood educators should:
Select, use, integrate, and evaluate technology and interactive media tools in intentional and developmentally appropriate ways, giving careful attention to the appropriateness and the quality of the content, the child’s experience, and the opportunities for co-engagement.
Provide a balance of activities in programs for young children, recognizing that technology and interactive media can be valuable tools when used intentionally with children to extend and support active, hands-on, creative, and authentic engagement with those around them and with their world.
Prohibit the passive use of screens in early childhood programs for children younger than two, and discourage passive and non-interactive uses with children ages two through five.
Limit any use of technology and interactive media in programs for children younger than two to those that appropriately support responsive interactions between caregivers and children and that strengthen adult-child relationships.
Provide leadership in ensuring equitable access to technology and interactive media experiences for the children in their care and for parents and families.
There is no one-size-fits-all way to address technology in early education programs, even and especially as technology expands to include AI. However, well-prepared and supported educators using their professional judgment will remain the critical link between children and safe, effective engagement with technology.
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the nation’s classrooms presents both remarkable benefits and significant challenges.
In school districts around the country, school board members are working with key education stakeholders, including superintendents, principals, teachers, parents, and students to determine how to harness AI’s benefits while protecting student and teacher agency, ensuring student privacy, and safeguarding data.
One of the most exciting benefits of AI in education is its potential to personalize learning experiences. Imagine a student who struggles with a particular math concept receiving additional practice and resources tailored to their needs, while advanced learners receive more challenging problems. Or, a student who enjoys fantasy stories could read those, while another who prefers nonfiction gets recommendations in history or science. With lessons tailored to each student’s needs and interests, the result is a more engaging and effective learning experience for the student that improves grades and fosters a love of learning.
AI-based applications can also help teachers with administrative tasks like scheduling, giving them more time for instruction and one-on-one interactions with their students. Additionally, AI tools can facilitate communication between teachers, students, and parents, helping everyone stay informed about a student’s progress.
Equitable and fair learning
Despite its benefits, the incorporation of AI in schools poses several challenges. Equal access to the technology is paramount. If some students have inequitable access, learning gaps could widen further. This divide is a crucial concern for school board members who must ensure that each student benefits from AI educational innovations, regardless of their socioeconomic status, ZIP Code, or background.
Another critical concern is student privacy. While school districts have established student privacy policies in the wake of the rapidly evolving technological landscape, educational leaders must ensure that their guidance is stringent enough to continue to protect student information as AI continues to evolve.
Concerns have been raised about possible cheating, plagiarism, and misinformation. As with any new technology, students must be taught how to use AI responsibly and ethically. Twenty-five years ago, teachers thought graphing calculators, which could store sophisticated formulas and programs, would lead to rampant cheating. The same concerns were raised about smartphones, which could answer any question with a simple internet search.
Additionally, while AI can enhance the learning experience, it cannot replace the invaluable role of teachers. Effective teaching involves emotional intelligence, empathy, and personal connections — qualities that artificial intelligence cannot replicate. School board members and other educational leaders must emphasize the importance of a balanced approach, integrating AI resources as a complementary tool rather than a replacement for traditional teaching methods. They must also ensure that educators receive appropriate professional development and other support to know how to effectively incorporate AI into their teaching practices and help students leverage AI to enhance their learning.
Equipping teachers and students for success
Ensuring each student’s access to artificial intelligence tools, as well as the appropriate safeguards, technology, and training needed to accompany these innovations, will require additional funding from federal and state sources for school districts with already limited resources.
In the end, each community must decide its own approach toward the use of AI. When implemented correctly, it can be used ethically and effectively to enhance the educational experience for each student by empowering teachers, bridging educational gaps, and maximizing student potential.
As we look toward a future where jobs increasingly rely on AI, it is imperative that we equip our students today with the skills they need not just to adapt to this evolving landscape, but to lead in a world transformed by artificial intelligence.
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.
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.
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:
Are there systemic barriers hindering the integration of sustainability themes, challenges and competencies into specific non-STEM fields?
Are certain disciplines receiving disproportionate research attention at the expense of others?
How do different pedagogical approaches compare in terms of effectiveness for fostering sustainability literacy in and across HE fields?
What new educational practices are emerging, and how can we fairly assess them and evidence their benefits for students and the environment?
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.
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.
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.
2. Teaching in Higher Ed by Bonni Stachowiak
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.
3. Intentional Teaching by Derek Bruff
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.
4. Tea for Teaching by John Kane and Rebecca Mushtare
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.
5. Teach and Learn by D2L
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.
How to Deliver a Personalized Experience Throughout the Student Journey
Imagine this: a prospective student fills out a request for information on your website, sharing personal details like their program of interest, transfer status, and intended start date. What happens next? Too often, the response is a generic email or text urging them to apply. Then, perhaps unsurprisingly, many institutions see declining contact rates and applications.
Delivering an engaging, personalized experience — at scale, across programs, and from the very first interaction — is no small feat. But it’s also essential in today’s competitive higher education landscape. While complex communication plans and sophisticated automation tools play a role, sometimes the simplest approach can make the biggest difference: Asking the right questions.
Focusing on the right questions can strengthen student relationships, increase lead-to-application rates, and even drive application-to-enrollment success, helping institutions connect personally with students and boost engagement at every stage of their journey.
What Is Student Engagement in Higher Ed?
Before we can start asking students questions, we must first ask ourselves an obvious question: What is student engagement?
Engagement rates are metrics that show how actively involved your audience is with your content. By tracking specific metrics, your institution can analyze the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. You should track the number of people who interact with your follow-up communications: whether they open, click, respond to, or visit a website.
Every interaction a prospective student has with your institution’s website, social media posts, texts or emails, and other digital content generates data that you can use to capture information about leads (prospective students) and better understand and optimize future marketing efforts.
Tracking and analyzing “clicks” can tell you:
If prospects are opening, clicking, responding to emails or texts, answering calls, and otherwise interacting with your institution — leading indicators of intent to apply and even enroll
Which prospects are the most engaged — so you can prioritize communications with them while your brand is top of mind
At Archer, we’ve seen clients have 44% higher application-to-start rates and 33% higher application rates when prospective students engage with an institution’s post-inquiry communication. This makes for an efficient use of resources, as you’ve already generated the inquiry. A bump in conversion rates can go a long way in stretching a limited budget.
One Simple Thing You Can Do to Increase Student Engagement
Imagine you have the opportunity to meet with every prospective student in person for coffee. What would you do? How would you engage with them? You’d probably begin to build rapport by asking them lots of questions.
A digital meetup should be treated no differently than an in-person engagement. “Digital” is simply another method of communication. Granted, you’re not able to sit at your computer and chat online with every prospect, but in terms of how to interact and build student engagement, you should think of it the same way: as a two-way conversation.
Simply put, stop talking at prospective students and start communicating with them.
As much as you’re tempted to begin by telling them how great your school and program are, it’s best to first understand where a student is coming from and what they’re looking for.
At Archer, our team and our proprietary end-to-end student support solution — called Onward — are available to students 24/7. Built exclusively for the student journey, Onward collects and analyzes data on digital student engagement and optimizes digital student communication with a goal of increasing post-inquiry engagement. It has taught us a lot.
We’ve found that one of the most impactful things we can do in our follow-up communication with students to boost engagement rates — at any stage of the student lifecycle — is to ask questions. Indeed, in follow-up exchanges where we ask students specific questions (and provide an option to answer directly in that communication), we see click-through rates 42% higher than average.
It’s Not Too Late to Start Asking Questions
Even if you’ve already missed a key opportunity to ask questions of new prospects, circling back to get to know them better at any point in their student journey can have an impact.
Working with our partner Peru State College, we started sending a “What’s holding you back?” email to prospective students who weren’t taking the next step forward. The email not only asked “What’s holding you back from enrolling with us?” but also let the recipient click on an answer. For that email, we saw an average open rate of 16% — which doesn’t look too impressive until you consider these prospects had stopped engaging — and, more importantly, an average 33% click-through rate (with a majority of clicks leading to “apply now” pages). Not only did the email help the college reconnect with “lost” students, but we learned how to better connect with unconverted prospects going forward.
The email allowed us to determine who was stopping out and why.
The top reason for not moving forward was related to finances (35%).
More than 20% of prospective students had enrolled elsewhere.
5% said they weren’t ready to enroll yet but wanted to attend in the future.
These insights informed our follow-up digital communication, as well as our one-on-one admissions team follow-up. As a result, we reengaged with a meaningful percentage of stopped-out prospects by understanding some of their challenges and following up with relevant information. Moreover, 20% of this audience took action by clicking to start or finish their application and/or call an admissions rep.
Student Engagement Strategies for Every Higher Ed Stage
We used this same engagement strategy for first-time students enrolled in Peru State College’s online programs. Before we could view information in our partner’s learning management system to see if students were showing up for class or turning in assignments — leading indicators of student success — we wanted to check in with these new students directly to ask how their first week was going. The email asked, “How are you feeling about your first week?”
This email had an average open rate of 71% and an average click-through rate (CTR) of 31%.
Using a similar email, Archer helped another partner intervene to help 14 students who had indicated they weren’t having the best first-week experience. By asking follow-up questions to learn what wasn’t working for them, and forwarding that information to our admissions team, we were able to connect those students with a success coach at the university.
Optimize Student Engagement at Your Higher Education Institution
Higher-ed marketers and enrollment professionals know from experience that the success of every student is important to an institution’s long-term success. Providing a more personalized and engaging student experience can have a positive impact on enrollment growth and student retention.
It’s time for you to start having meaningful digital conversations that make an impact.
While Archer Education uses Onward, our easily scalable end-to-end student support solution, to deliver personalized communication and tailored post-inquiry follow-up 24/7, you don’t need a sophisticated lead nurturing tool to improve your student engagement strategies. Simply start asking questions in your communication with students and provide them with an easy way to respond.
Want to learn more about how to modernize your student experience and increase enrollment and retention rates with Archer’s Onward student support solution? Reach out to us and learn more today.
Angie Mohr is the senior vice president of student engagement at Archer Education. With a background in marketing, communications, and CRM and marketing automation, she has over 15 years of strategic communications and higher education experience. In her current role at Archer Education, a full-service marketing and enrollment solutions provider for higher education institutions, Angie focuses on supporting student acquisition and life cycle delivery services, utilizing scalable communications strategies and technologies to help prospective students engage, enroll, and persist in their student journey.
Let’s get into the actual difficulties surrounding accreditation. You Directors of Accreditation are well-versed in the process and are very much aware that accreditation is not a game. It’s not enough to merely do the necessary compliance tasks, is it? Meeting accreditation criteria, establishing your institution’s value, enduring the never-ending audits, and keeping up with changing regulations are all part of it. The stakes are high and the pressure is intense. It remains constant. Traditional methods? They won’t cut it anymore.
Imagine, though, if the tables could be turned. Envision yourself to use technology to not just complete the certification process, but to turn it into an asset. Think of real-time data, seamless procedures, and openness at every level. It’s time to go beyond the minimum and leverage approval to your benefit. Automating, cloud computing, and utilizing artificial intelligence-powered analytics will not only enhance the reputation of your university but also enhance the efficiency of operations.
To help Directors of Accreditation use technology to improve institutional standards, ease compliance, and streamline accreditation data administration, we have put together this handbook. This will empower you to make critical decisions.
A Dynamic Challenge for Directors: Redefining Accreditation
As Directors of Accreditation, you are aware of the rapidity with which accreditation standards can evolve. Meeting accreditation standards necessitates a more comprehensive examination of student outcomes, diversity metrics, and the degree to which the institution aligns with its own objectives. No longer is it sufficient to simply mark off boxes.
One of the hardest things to do? The stress that comes from having up-to-date, correct information at your hands. For accreditation reviews to be valid, the proof must be complete and up-to-date, leaving no room for doubt. Still, getting this information can feel like a race against the clock, especially when old methods can’t keep up with how needs change. Here, technology can really make a difference if it is used in the right way.
Tech-Driven Solutions: Streamlining the Accreditation Journey
Technology is the game-changer. Think about using AI-powered data analytics to revolutionize your accreditation data management. These smart tools can turn those stacks of paperwork into clear, insightful reports, making the process of proving your credentials not just easier, but a whole lot smarter! No more searching through spreadsheets or endless emails—just clear, usable information that shows your school is following the rules.
Furthermore, cloud-based accreditation systems are very useful. Consider them as a safe, central location for all of your compliance-related info. It’s possible to get important data from these options, so your team can work together easily whether they’re at the office or traveling. Adopting these technologies doesn’t just keep you current; it sets a new standard for how quickly and clearly the approval process can be done.
Automation: The Secret to Simplifying Repetitive Accreditation Tasks
Imagine having more time to work on big-picture projects instead of doing the same old things over and over again. That’s how powerful technology can be in the process of getting accreditation. With the right tools, you can cut down on your work and free up your team to focus on raising institutional standards instead of just checking off tasks.
Accreditation Data Management and Reporting Automation
Consider the time used in gathering information and writing up reports for accreditation. Reducing the time and effort required to compile metrics in real-time is possible with automation technologies. As a bonus, you’ll spend less time worrying about mistakes and more time presenting accurate, up-to-date information.
Smart Templates and Dashboards
Meeting certain accreditation body criteria calls for customization, which is absolutely important. Smart templates let you quickly construct evaluations, audits, and self-studies that exactly fit what is required. Imagine having customized dashboards right at hand that clearly show your measurements and progress—no more poring over spreadsheets!
Additional Benefits of Accreditation Data Management Automation
Maintain accurate, consistent, and up-to-date documentation without the need for manual updates.
Maintaining Accountability: A transparent audit trail for all your accrediting operations may be easily created by keeping track of who made changes and revisions.
Faster Decision-Making: With real-time insights and easy access to data, your team can make informed decisions quickly, keeping the accreditation process moving forward.
Focus on Continuous Improvement: By automating routine tasks, you can spend more time analyzing data and implementing improvements that enhance your institution’s performance and outcomes.
Building Transparency and Trust Through Technology
Let’s discuss something absolutely important for modern society: openness. Directors of Accreditation have a special opportunity to use technology to establish confidence among all those engaged in the accreditation process. How can you make this happen?
Real-time dashboards available for stakeholders
Imagine having real-time dashboards at your fingertips. These tools let you instantly share your accreditation progress with stakeholders—no more waiting for quarterly updates! With just a glance, everyone can see where you stand, thanks to clear visuals of your metrics, timelines, and benchmarks.
This degree of openness helps everyone to be responsible as well as promotes teamwork. Trust naturally comes when your stakeholders know you are always trying to meet and surpass accreditation criteria.
Blockchain for Academic Integrity
Let’s now explore something somewhat more novel—blockchain technology. Consider blockchain as your new best buddy helping to maintain the integrity of your certification records. Using this technique makes an unchangeable record of all information connected to accreditation. Your accreditation data management is thus not only safe but also transparent and easily verifiable. Imagine being able to assure other stakeholders and accrediting authorities of your absolutely perfect data. Blockchain helps you to reduce the possibility of conflicts over data accuracy and inspires confidence among all the players. This kind of confidence helps to protect the reputation and integrity of your university.
Enhanced Reporting Capabilities
Now, let’s be honest: reporting can get draggy unless you trigger the right gear! Imagine being able to quickly and accurately create detailed reports that show your commitment to regulatory compliance and continuous growth. You can easily show accreditation groups how much progress you’re making like you have a superpower. By doing more than just checking off boxes, you’ll be showing that your institution is ready to take on any tasks that come its way. Therefore, why not use that report writing duty as a chance to shine? Using technology can help you stay prepared and make a great impression!
Joining the Community
In addition to internal partners, transparency also applies to the public and the rest of the academic community. Sharing your accreditation path will help your university project more professionalism and draw professors and students. Who would not want to be a part of an open and reliable institution?
Using technology to track your certification procedures and results helps you to identify possible problems before they become serious ones. This proactive strategy lets you act early to maintain everything in line.
Enhancing the Student Experience While Meeting Standards
Outcome-Based Education (OBE) and Competency Tracking
Using technology to track your certification procedures and results helps you to identify possible problems before they become serious ones. Being proactive keeps you on target. Improving the Student Experience While Complying with Outcome-Based Education (OBE) and Competency Monitoring.
Here’s the stars: your pupils! The right technology will improve their experience and satisfy all needs. This is where Outcome-Based Education (OBE) really shines. Imagine a system that not only makes sure that educational results are in line with accreditation standards but also makes sure that student success is the most important thing. You definitely need to keep track of students’ skills and make sure they get the help they need to do well by using technology.
That’s not all, though! Real-time feedback tools and polls are your secret weapons for improving quality. These resources allow you to ask students for honest opinions, which might reveal where you’re succeeding and where you might need some improvement. Engaging with your students and listening to what they have to say goes beyond simply completing goals for continuous improvement.
In this way, you make a place where students feel appreciated and supported, and you also show accreditation bodies that you’re dedicated to continuous improvement.
Preparing for the Future: Tech Trends Directors Should Watch
EdTech Innovations
As the Director of Accreditation, it’s important to stay on top of things. Take a look at what next year holds! First, EdTech innovations are coming soon and will supposedly make the process of getting accredited even easier. Consider banking on cutting-edge software that makes data analysis better, streamlines reports, and automates tasks!
Being Prepared to Virtual Accreditation Visits
Next, we’ll go over the basics of preparing for accreditation visits that take place virtually. As more and more things happen online, reviews and audits done from afar are becoming routine. In what ways can you become ready for this change? By acquiring robust technology that facilitates online participation and emphasizes your organization’s achievements. Ensure that all team members are informed about the use of virtual presentation techniques, online document sharing, and video conferencing. Not only will these novel concepts facilitate the acquisition of accreditations, but they will also facilitate collaboration among partners.
Turn Compliance into a Strategic Advantage with Creatrix Campus Accreditation Platform
By incorporating the appropriate technology, such as the Creatrix Campus Accreditation platform, Directors of Accreditation can elevate compliance from a mundane obligation to a strategic advantage. This strategy will help you satisfy accreditation criteria and match the main objectives of your institution.
This is the time to simplify your certification application. Explore the Creatrix Campus platform for a smarter, more efficient way to meet standards. Let’s team to surpass simple compliance!
