Higher Education Must Accelerate Technology Adoption as Student and Faculty Expectations Digitally Evolve, According to New Report from Info-Tech Research Group

Combining insights from Info-Tech's proprietary data and related industry diagnostics, the new trends report will help Higher Education technology leaders better understand the impact of the emerging trends in the space. The findings indicate the areas where Higher Education should push against the headwinds to advance institutional strategies through digital technologies.

"The role of the CIO in Higher Education is becoming increasingly important," says Mark Maby, research director in Info-Tech's Industry practice. "However, the traditional hierarchy of academic institutions still limits the stature of the CIO. During the pandemic, IT was called upon to maintain the continuity of the organization. Now, leadership is again turning to IT to support digital transformation. With the continual demands to do more, IT is gaining a seat at the table, albeit fitfully."

According to Info-Tech's stakeholder satisfaction data, IT in Higher Education currently has a higher-than-average satisfaction score compared to other industries. However, to truly increase on the maturity scale, the institution itself will need to adjust its priorities. The firm explains that it is imperative for IT to coordinate with key stakeholders on a shared vision of the institution's future and IT's role in it.

"Driven by demand, many technology trends have accelerated, but so have the CIO's pain points," adds Maby. "There are the challenges of meeting the requirements of faculty and administration in the face of the pandemic; the demands to keep up with the change in student expectations; and the increased workload in the IT department. Despite these challenges, it is IT's role to help their institution adopt technologies and processes with an eye to their long-term technical and security impacts."

The new report explores four trends Higher Education CIOs need to be aware of in order to innovate during another shift, with insights on how they greatly impact operations and efficiencies. With emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and big data, Higher Education can see many benefits, including:

• Institutional growth and sustainability
• Operational excellence and responsibility
• Instructional and research value
• Reduced risk and increased resilience
• Improved brand impact

"Info-Tech's approach focuses on an analyst's investigation of strategic foresight, a methodology that helps the IT department and the institution gain perspective on what is happening in the wider industry environment," explains Maby. "As a methodology, strategic foresight flows from the identification of signals to clustering the signals together to form trends and uncover what is driving the trends to determine which strategic initiatives are most likely to lead to success on an industry level."

The following four strategic foresight trends outlined in Info-Tech's research should be top of mind for IT leaders and executives in Higher Education over the coming months:

1. Security Is Survival – Make Protection Frictionless. As endpoints grow and the perimeter recedes, IT must employ new approaches to secure the institution.
   
   
2. New Workplace/New Learning Space – Meeting the Expectations of Learners. The way in which we teach, learn, and work is evolving, and IT needs to keep abreast of the changes in technology and preferences.
   
   
3. Recoding Organizational DNA – Value-Driven Modernization. As cloud-based systems become the norm, IT leaders need to consider the costs and benefits of moving to the cloud and whether the institution is ready, as most institutions do not have the foundations or mature enough enterprise systems to support cloud-based infrastructure.
   
   
4. Reducing the Burden – Technology-Driven Transformation. Innovation is the key for institutions to stay competitive in the changing landscape. IT can be a partner in this innovation.

The trends report also provides the benefits and risks of each trend, as well as case study–founded recommendations that IT leaders can use to transform their Higher Education technology initiative to improve strategic partnerships with stakeholders and advance institutional transformation.

To learn more about each trend that Info-Tech is reporting on for the coming months, download and read the complete 2022 Higher Education Strategic Foresight Trends Report.

For more about Info-Tech Research Group and to download all the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and Twitter.

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.  

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SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group