Predicting the impact of new student trends

Impact Analysis Of New Student Trends

Being aware of growing trends in student interest, emerging markets, and different educational approaches is essential for success in the world of higher education. At Studyportals, we use data to help shed light on these elements and provide an idea of how institutions may use this knowledge to stand out and recruit students using an approach that is future-proof.

We have highlighted a number of trends that we think higher education professionals can exploit to expand their audience and enhance recruitment efforts in the upcoming year.

Emerging Markets

Numerous emerging markets that may have previously been ignored have recently come under increased attention from schools. Beyond China, Interest from students from South-East Asian nations is rising on Studyportals’ platforms. Thailand and Vietnam are at the forefront of this increase in interest, with surges in activity among those looking at full-time study possibilities abroad.

New Skills Post Pandemic

Studyportals recently released a report that outlined the subdisciplines that students are becoming more interested in, where institutions are failing to meet demand. This report offers a window into what students are seeking in terms of their future jobs and has a direct bearing on the kinds of programmes that schools ought to be providing as part of their portfolios

We discussed the pandemic’s effects on prospective students with Dr. Wendy Purcell, a Research Scholar at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

“The COVID-19 pandemic showed us how connected and unequal our world is. Together with regular news of extreme weather events, the impacts of the climate crisis are being felt all around us. Students know that the pursuit of sustainability is critical to achieving a more inclusive society, a healthier planet, and a more balanced economy. The task now is for universities and colleges to step up to meet this increased demand. They need to curate interdisciplinary programs that help students create solutions for the grand challenges of our day, as represented by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Students know this is key to their future and work to create a world that leaves no one behind.”  ​

In other words, higher education must now take the time to assess the core issues that are on the minds of a new generation of students and figure out how to include programmes that speak to their aspirations.

Hybrid Learning

The age of technology is upon us, and it is time to keep up!  Many students find studying from home to be more productive when they are not needed in class to complete practical tasks. The impact of technology is being felt across industries.

“The accelerated advancement of  technology  in the last few years has had a significant impact on many diverse industries from virtual programming and platform development to educational systems, medical industries, engineering and mining, and even art galleries and live events. This rapid expansion into a virtual world that is still being defined has reciprocally revealed a skills gap for graduates armed with the expertise that can span multiple industries and sectors. In this new metaverse-enabled world, multi-skilling is key.​”  – Serusha Govender​- Science & technology journalist, multimedia producer, metaverse researcher

Students need to be equipped with the ability to work with and through new technologies like the metaverse and having a hybrid learning environment can help them develop those skills.  Learning to engage through different formats is not only a convenience factor for students, but also to way to build the skills they’ll need in their future careers.

Would you like to know more about upcoming trends? More information can be found here.

Do you want to find out more about the adjustments you can make to help students become more interested in your institution?

See our article: Connecting with a new generation of students