Like any other sector, the higher education sector is continually transforming thanks to multidimensional and open innovation serving its stakeholders—students, employers, and employees. Its levers are multiple: technological, of course, but also in the student experience and the courses offered. Preparing young people to invent the changes in our world is a key mission of higher education.
What does ChatGPT say about it?
To answer a question about innovation, what could be more tempting than to ask ChatGPT? Here is his answer: “Yes, it is absolutely possible to innovate in higher education, and many institutions and educators around the world are actively working to rethink and improve the higher learning experience. Here are some areas where innovation is taking place in higher education: educational technology, active pedagogy, personalization of learning, alternative assessment, internationalization of education, access to higher education, online and blended education, industry partnerships, and educational research and development.”
Innovation at the heart of the educational mission
Thus, ChatGPT reminds us that higher education, like any economic sector, can innovate. Let us add that this sector must innovate all the more since technologies are increasingly shaping the evolution of our world, and that the mission of higher education is to prepare future young professionals to invent these evolutions, implement them, master them, and support them in all their dimensions. Thus, the mission of an engineering school like ECE, founded in 1919, is to “train engineers and experts in 21st century technologies capable of meeting the challenges of the dual digital and environmental revolution.” Innovation is at the heart of the teachings of an engineering school and is at the heart of its organic, continuous transformation.
Online courses and innovative pathways to reinvent the notion of “in-house engineer” in the digital age
While digital technologies like AI bring many new possibilities to higher education, such as adaptive personalized pathways, other technologies like online courses enable innovations in student pathways by allowing them to enter the workforce more quickly while continuing their learning journey. Online courses combined with initial professional experience thus help reinvent the concept of the in-house engineer in the digital age.
Open innovation
Another area of innovation for higher education: open innovation with employer partners, businesses, and public stakeholders. Responding quickly to the high expectations of the labor market by directing the knowledge and skills taught to students, and by co-constructing programs with employers, and involving them in teaching, is a major source of program innovation within an engineering school.
Scaling up, a key criterion for innovation
To conclude, let’s turn the floor over to ChatGPT, which tells us: “Ultimately, innovation in higher education is essential to meet the changing needs of students, society, and the economy. It can improve learning effectiveness, strengthen student engagement, and prepare graduates to meet real-world challenges. However, it is important to ensure that these innovations are based on solid evidence and are implemented thoughtfully to ensure their effectiveness.” In other words, an innovation is only an innovation if it finds its market—that is, if it finds its uses on a large scale. This applies to all sectors of activity, including higher education.
