Artificial intelligence has permeated nearly every industry, and higher education is no exception. AI-powered solutions promise to revolutionize learning by providing personalized and adaptive experiences.
According to the 2024 EDUCAUSE AI Landscape study, most higher education institutions are working on AI-related strategic planning with goals primarily focused on preparing students for the future workforce (64%) and exploring new methods of teaching and learning (63%). To truly move the needle on educational transformation, educators need a holistic strategy that thoughtfully integrates people, processes, data and technology.
At DeVry University, for instance, we apply an iterative and holistic approach to integrating AI into the classroom, always considering how it can enhance the overall student experience. Our goal isn’t to implement flashy new tech but to elevate learning. This comprehensive approach reassures us that AI will be implemented thoughtfully and effectively.
We pose vital questions to ensure AI will integrate smoothly across platforms, avoiding siloed or disjointed tools. How can it boost interactivity and engagement? Does it address a critical gap in the current experience? Will it operate cohesively with other solutions to support users holistically? The student is always at the heart of every decision. Here are some key aspects to consider when evaluating AI applications.
Be Mindful of Spot Solutions
AI’s effectiveness is limited to its design and application. A spot solution approach in AI-powered applications often only targets a specific issue, resulting in a disjointed experience that can negatively impact learning outcomes. For example, students can become frustrated having to toggle between multiple platforms that don’t integrate. Valuable study time gets wasted trying to make fragmented systems work together.
Education leaders should be mindful about how these spot solutions leave learners without comprehensive support or lack human-in-the-loop procedures. AI has the potential to add value almost anywhere if creatively applied, but it’s just one part of the equation. When we implemented a virtual assistant at DeVry, we considered how it would provide support across all classroom environments and technology’s ability to dive deeper into academic technology and administrative knowledge bases. It makes sense to start small and ensure the capabilities you choose can scale with your opportunities.
Connect Solutions to Critical Needs
For AI to truly transform education, solutions must connect to student support. This curated approach identifies gaps in the student experience and highlights where AI integration is lacking. Education leaders should adopt this connected mindset when evaluating AI solutions, considering how new tools integrate with existing platforms and map to the entire learner lifecycle. AI should simplify not complicate the student experience. With thoughtful implementation, these intelligent technologies can personalize learning and improve outcomes from start to finish.
Meeting our learners where they are are is essential, and understanding the most common friction points creates a starting point for meeting their most critical needs. Using surveys, outcomes data and expert testimonials from learners, faculty and staff creates pathways to truly transforming results for learners in and outside the classroom.
Streamline the Experience
Time is especially precious for our predominantly adult learners. Streamlining experiences is a major focus to reduce unnecessary steps, provide quick access to essential resources and maximize satisfying interactions that help enable resilience against learning challenges. This resilience is crucial for skill development and successful graduation. Whether through technology, processes or human interaction, any effort to reduce friction and enhance learner outcomes is valuable.
As educators, we should evaluate opportunities to leverage AI. We should think about the interplay between technology and humans and consider how technology creates value. For example, deploying capabilities that reduce friction at the expense of comprehension degrades value. Instead pursue capabilities that can offload friction from one part of the process to create bandwidth for handling friction in another that enriches comprehension and learning outcomes. In the net, you position the technology or capability to better position learners for success.
Leverage Existing Technology Partners
Engage your existing network of technology partners to understand how they are leveraging AI to enrich their platforms. For example, when we implemented DeVry’s earliest pilots of learner support, we started with those we already knew and trusted, enabling us to serve as early adopters for the capabilities coming into production. This approach also allowed us to move swiftly without compromising security or ethical considerations. In areas where we believe we can lead the market, we’re finding design partners we can grow and innovate with, leveraging the best of their engineering and design thinking alongside our deep understanding of the problems we seek to solve on behalf of our learners.
The rapid advancements in AI have accelerated our ability to address complex educational challenges at unprecedented speed and scale. Yet even with all the technological breakthroughs, the core imperative remains unchanged: We must continue improving learner experiences and outcomes.
While AI enables us to deliver personalized, adaptive learning like never before, technology alone is insufficient. The most transformative solutions will holistically integrate people, processes, data and technology. We must continuously iterate as pedagogical needs and AI capabilities continue advancing rapidly. Solutions that were innovative yesterday may become obsolete today. Only by taking a dynamic, human-centered approach can we fulfill the promise of AI in education, empowering all learners to achieve their highest potential.