ON CAMPUS
campusreview.com.au
In step with Millennials
Encouraging
lifelong
academic
relationships.
By Peter
Nikoletatos
T
o other generations, Millennials and
Gen Z are often seen as flighty – too
quick to move on when they don’t
like a job, and lacking the apparently inbuilt
‘loyalty’ of previous generations.
Deserved or not, that reputation seems
fated to follow this cohort. But what does it
mean for higher education institutions trying
to foster an extended academic relationship?
New research reveals that one in two
Australian students would consider enrolling
at multiple universities if discrete subjects
undertaken at those institutions could be
credited to a single degree, suggesting that
allegiance to a specific college or university is
simply not a given in 2019.
The study, commissioned by software as a
service company TechnologyOne, surveyed
over 1000 university students across Australia
to understand what students want from their
university experience, including suitability
of degrees and courses on offer, preferred
learning modes, institutional preferences,
enrolment practices and technology.
Pragmatism is alive and well in Millennials,
with a greater number of respondents citing
‘pathways to employment after graduation’,
‘location and proximity’ and ‘accepted into
course of choice’ as the top three reasons for
attending their current university, significantly
ahead of ‘university culture and reputation’ or
‘family history of attending’.
Less influenced by nostalgia and tradition,
this markedly different generational view
spells good things for institutions outside
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Australia’s sandstone universities. There is
significant opportunity to gain a foothold
through differentiation, which should be
cemented in the ability to deliver on student
expectations in an increasingly digital world.
One takeaway from the study stood out:
today’s student expects to walk a seamlessly
digitised education path, from enrolment to
graduation and beyond. As members of the
information age, they value technology and
its innovative implementation.
When asked to categorise the use of
technology and innovation in their current
course, one in 10 said it was ‘non-existent’ or
‘outdated and ineffective’. Just under a third
said it was ‘functional, but uninspired’, with
another third suggesting they were starting
to see some innovations. Only a quarter of
participants said they consistently witnessed
innovative and progressive technology
initiatives in their course.
To ascertain the actual importance of
technology and innovation on the student
experience, participants were asked if they
would consider switching to an alternate
university if it provided better levels of
technology and innovation. More than half
(54 per cent) said they would consider doing
so, indicating its high level of importance in
the overall educational experience.
Learning is influenced by technology
advances, though current directional trends
may not follow previous predictions around
the internet and its potential influence on
remote learning. The survey asked students
to state their current study mode, then
nominate their ideal learning method (or
combination of methods).
Fifty-eight per cent of participants currently
receive all course content on-campus; just
over a quarter study via a blended scheme
that combines on-campus and online
learning; and a further 15 per cent undertake
study online only.
When participants were asked to nominate
their ideal mode of study, those numbers
shifted. Forty-eight per cent nominated a
blended learning program, and on-campus
only dropped to 31 per cent. One in five said
they’d prefer to study at a virtual campus
only, forgoing face-to-face learning entirely.
While there is a significant swing away
from the current on-campus majority, it is
not the overwhelming online-only landslide
that many predicted would be the result of
living in an increasingly digital world. The
desire for blended learning is in keeping with
this generation’s expectation that technology
be used to enhance the overall student
experience, but it must equally carry across
to the on-campus realm.
Campuses are still seen as an important
‘social experience’ of university life for many
students, which is why many institutions are
investing heavily in technology-rich assets,
such as bus ports, autonomous vehicles and
smart screens.
Attitudinal differences aside, there are other
prevailing external factors with the potential
to influence higher education enrolment.
Some of the world’s top traditional graduate
employers have implemented substantial
change in employment criteria in recent
years. For some, like KPMG, that means
becoming degree-agnostic. The company
says while degrees are important, it often
hires graduates for jobs they are not qualified
for in terms of the degrees they hold.
For other employers, like Ernst & Young,
the change has been more significant. Its UK
arm removed the requirement of a degree
from its employment criteria, saying there
is “no evidence that success at university
correlates with achievement in later life”.
The decision by many traditional graduate
employers to focus on digital literacy,
commercial acumen and soft skills above
academic achievement has the potential
to considerably change the landscape in
the higher education sector, making the
development of a sticky student relationship
an even higher priority.
In an era of enrolment-based funding,
colleges, universities and other institutions
increasingly seek to develop a lifelong link,
from undergrad to postgrad and beyond.
Achieving that means not only understanding
the shifting expectations of students, but
offering the tools and technologies required
to deliver the optimised learning experience
they demand. ■
Professor Peter Nikoletatos is industry
director (education) at TechnologyOne.