Education in Transition: Meeting the Demands of Modern Learners

A number of factors are impacting the future of education, both in K-12 and higher education. Helpful elements such as AI assistance and hybrid learning, as well as hurdles such as the impending enrollment cliff are all reshaping the industry. With this transition already occurring, this article leverages insights from a number of industry experts who recently convened for a webinar hosted by Instructure to explore this very topic.

Heightened student agency

The landscape of education is shifting, with technology at the forefront of empowering students in unprecedented ways. From choosing where and how they learn to rethinking what constitutes success, students are taking a more active role in their educational journeys. This shift has profound implications for institutions as they work to meet new expectations.

Tony Anderson, Director of IT at Penn State University’s Smeal College of Business, sees this transformation as an opportunity to redefine success for the modern learner. Rather than focusing solely on delivering content, institutions are being challenged to consider the entire student experience—academic, social, and emotional. Anderson explains:

“I think that this shift is really reflecting that it's more about creating a holistic environment that fosters learning and success. And it's focusing more on the whole student. It's more than just delivering content. It's taking a broader view, incorporating academic, social, and emotional pieces, too. I think learners' expectations have changed a lot. They expect things to be flexible…that on-demand feeling is sometimes difficult, but it can be really rewarding when it's channeled in the right area.

I think it's really pronounced with the growth of online learning, where if you do have that lack of a physical campus, that intentional design that helps foster that feeling of community and engagement is really, really important."

This holistic perspective is particularly vital as online learning continues to grow. Without a physical campus, intentional design becomes essential to fostering a sense of community and engagement. Anderson also highlighted the importance of data in shaping these experiences, "And you can't forget data. Data is so important these days. We have a lot more access to analytics and are trying to understand the journey and some of the pain points. It helps us understand the students and what we're missing.”

Irina Denisenko, COO at Class, expanded on Anderson’s point, noting how this shift is reshaping the economics of education and creating competitive pressure for institutions to deliver flexible, high-quality learning experiences:

“It's competitive out there, particularly in higher ed, where you're seeing an enrollment cliff. Students are really questioning where they're investing their time, where they're investing their dollars. And we're seeing different models pop up. We're doing work with the HBCU schools and the consortium that's bringing online for the first time: HBCUV, which is HBCU Virtual. They're allowing campuses to cross-list their courses. If there's an economics professor at one of the colleges that is just phenomenal, well, now you don't have to be a student enrolled in that particular college.

HBCUV is not even a campus, it's its own institution. Because it's part of the HBCU network, now you can take that course…If I know that a course is happening with this legendary professor at this time on these days, I'm going to show up, not just because I'm paying for it, but because I actively sought that course out. So there's an accountability element that really goes up. You're scaling that amazing pedagogy of that amazing professor, and you're having many more learners able to access that master.”

Student-centered course design

Along with a new sense of student empowerment and agency which technology can leverage to provide better educational opportunities and increased engagement, the panel of experts has also seen a continued shift toward student-centered course design. Missy Lee, Instructional Technology Assistance Director at Georgia Cyber Academy, notes this transition from her perspective, noting:

“A lot of times [in the past] it was just: the teacher came in, they knew the standards they were supposed to teach. A lot of times, we taught to the test and you just made it work because we were always looking for the end result. But I think when we started to get to know our students on an individual basis, we developed personal plans for them—it went from course design, getting to a result, to student-centered learning, to diverse learning needs. I could meet with a student, I could look at the same standard I'm going to meet with all of my students about. But because ‘Missy’ learns this way and is successful when she is presented with material in this way, I, as a teacher, am listening to Missy."

Lee explained that today’s focus on student-centered learning allows educators to meet students where they are, tailoring instruction to diverse needs. This approach not only enhances engagement but also improves retention, as students feel seen and supported.

"The student has ownership now and isn't just a number in a class. I think engagement and retention are different now that we are looking at student-centered learning. The students who are engaging are more likely to retain their knowledge. They're not going to be [held back]. If we can identify students very early in the year, if they're leaning toward [being held back], then we can shift immediately because we are student-led and not course-designed.”

Denisenko sees Lee’s viewpoint and explains how it directly impacts the economics of education, “In my mind, that's the crux of the student experience design. You want to give students what they want, what's going to really make the difference for them. And if you can do it in a way that is streamlined, centralized, and really elevated, they still want to be in a learning environment. That is really what is making that difference. And we're seeing the same types of models evolve in the K-12 side, as well.”

These approaches underscore a critical takeaway: student-centered learning isn’t just an educational trend—it’s a response to the evolving demands of learners, supported by data and driven by innovation.

Finding future success

As laid out above, the education industry is moving toward a student-empowered, student-centered learning experience. Not only does this have the ability to impact academic success for learners, but it also plays a vital role in the supply/demand equation of education. Being able to tap into learner-driven course design requires deep analytical insight that is data-driven. Personalizing learning experiences requires an ability to isolate and customize at scale. Providing top-end educational experiences from the best instructors requires flexibility that is not geographically locked. Virtual classroom platforms stand to operate as an essential piece of embracing these shifts in the education landscape, as the expert panel noted throughout their webinar.

Looking to future-proof your K-12 or higher education institution? Reach out today to speak with a Class team member, and let’s help ensure your learners receive the education they need—and demand. Want to check out the full webinar from the panel of experts? Access it here.