2020 is Leading to Innovation in Higher Education

Innovation comes slowly to institutions that have been around for a very, very long time. The first university opened its doors more than 1,000 years ago with teaching by lectures and live discussion. We are still teaching the same way today — and probably will be for the next 1,000 years, as well. But three major events, all occurring in the last few months, are speeding up innovation. These events include the pandemic, recession and protests.

Any one of these three major global events, experienced alone, would motivate change. But this combination, all in the same year, is tilting the trajectory and speeding up reforms. Here are four of the developments we will see in our colleges and universities across America in the next year or two.