# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
🤔¿Que es LEARNING EXPERIENCE 🧠? y ¿Cómo diseñar la experiencia del APRENDIZAJE?  Webinar en VIVO 🚨

# data[].attributes.headline
TENDENCIAS DE LA EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR SIGLO 21 

# data[].attributes.subject
TENDENCIAS DE LA EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR SIGLO 21 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
TENDENCIAS DE LA EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR SIGLO 21 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
La palabra "metaverso" ha entrado en el lenguaje común, pero sigue habiendo diferentes formas de conceptualizarlo y definirlo.

El metaverso estará conformado por tecnologías que utilicemos para acceder a él, que podrían incluir la realidad virtual (RV), la realidad aumentada (RA) y las interfaces cerebro-ordenador (BCI).

Las principales empresas tecnológicas, como Apple, Google, Meta Platforms (Facebook), Microsoft, Niantic y Valve, están desarrollando la tecnología que dará forma al futuro del metaverso.

Para explorar las posibles implicaciones del metaverso, necesitamos entender exactamente qué es. Los intentos de definición pueden clasificarse en tres escuelas de pensamiento.

El metaverso en la teoría

1. El metaverso como producto o servicio

Según su definición, el metaverso es un producto o servicio con siete atributos fundamentales, como la persistencia, la sincronización y la interoperabilidad. El estratega tecnológico Ben Thompson ha argumentado, sin embargo, que esta descripción no está muy lejos de lo que ya es y hace la Internet, sólo que "con una capa 3D encima".

2. El metaverso como lugar

El metaverso también se ha descrito como un lugar donde los usuarios pueden conectarse, interactuar, transferirse a sí mismos y transferir sus pertenencias a través de múltiples ubicaciones digitales. Los ejemplos que me vienen a la mente son las plataformas de videojuegos y creadores como Roblox, Fortnite de Epic Games o Core de Manticore Games, en las que los jugadores y sus avatares pueden pasar sin problemas de un mundo virtual a otro.

3. El metaverso como momento

Más recientemente, el emprendedor de startups Shaan Puri propuso otra definición, describiendo el metaverso como un punto en el tiempo. En concreto, el metaverso es el momento en el que nuestras vidas digitales -nuestras identidades, experiencias, relaciones y activos en línea- adquieren más significado para nosotros que nuestras vidas físicas. Esta perspectiva se centra en la experiencia humana, haciendo de la transición al metaverso un cambio sociológico en lugar de tecnológico.

El metaverso en la práctica

Y si los tecnólogos tienen razón en que 2022 separará a los pensadores de los constructores, entonces los avances técnicos de los últimos años producirán los primeros pasos de este año para hacer realidad el metaverso. Los avances se atribuirán, en gran parte, a las unidades de procesamiento gráfico (GPU) cada vez mejores, a los motores 3D fotorrealistas, a la generación más rápida de contenidos mediante el vídeo volumétrico y la inteligencia artificial, a la prevalencia cada vez mayor de la computación en la nube y el 5G, así como a una infraestructura de blockchain más sofisticada y mejor comprendida.

Pero desde la perspectiva de la experiencia humana, hay un desarrollo que destaca por encima de todos los demás: las tecnologías de realidad extendida (RX). Estas incluyen la realidad virtual (VR), la realidad aumentada (AR) y las interfaces cerebro-ordenador (BCI), que en conjunto se posicionan como las próximas plataformas informáticas por derecho propio.

La RX ha avanzado rápidamente hacia la adopción generalizada, con predicciones de que las gafas de RV y RA superarán los envíos mundiales de videoconsolas para 2024. Y al igual que la introducción del ordenador personal y de los teléfonos inteligentes, se espera que la adopción generalizada de auriculares de realidad aumentada revolucione las experiencias digitales de los seres humanos y proporcione los puntos de entrada al metaverso.

La cuestión de qué tecnología XR se impondrá finalmente es objeto de acaloradas discusiones en las salas de juntas, movimientos en el tablero de las empresas y una elevada actividad inversora.

El metaverso actual: la realidad virtual como "escape digital"

La realidad virtual se centra en crear una sensación de presencia digital, que muchos expertos coinciden en que será clave para crear una experiencia atractiva y retener a los usuarios. Mark Zuckerberg afirma que el metaverso -en forma de videojuegos populares- ya está aquí. Muchos expertos en tecnología esperan que Meta adquiera una gran franquicia de juegos en 2022, tras la adquisición de Activision Blizzard por parte de Microsoft por 68.700 millones de dólares y la compra de Bungie por parte de Sony por 3.600 millones de dólares. La aplicación Oculus de la empresa (que pronto se rebautizará como Meta Quest) ha liderado la tienda de aplicaciones esta temporada navideña, durante la cual Meta podría haber vendido hasta dos millones de gafas de RV.

Esta visión mantiene una separación entre nuestro yo digital y el físico. La realidad virtual sólo sustituirá algunos aspectos de la experiencia humana. Los críticos afirman que confiar en un puñado de fabricantes de dispositivos y contenidos de RV para construir el metaverso reproducirá, o incluso reforzará, los "jardines amurallados" que existen actualmente en Internet: ecosistemas distintos y cerrados que están controlados por el operador.

Esto contrasta fuertemente con el futuro previsto por los defensores de la Web 3, que creen que el metaverso debe servir de contrapeso al poder de las grandes empresas tecnológicas. Debería ser una oportunidad para descentralizar la experiencia, el control y la monetización de Internet en favor de sus usuarios (o ciudadanos) y creadores de contenidos.

Metaverso a corto plazo: realidad aumentada para mejorar -no sustituir- la experiencia humana

No es el único en articular este argumento: Philip Rosedale, quien supervisó Second Life, una plataforma social en línea lanzada en 2003, ha afirmado recientemente que el metaverso "no es para todo el mundo". Pero la visión de Niantic se basa en la realidad aumentada (RA), que, a diferencia de la RV, no cubre ni sustituye completamente el campo de visión del usuario. Los defensores de la RA afirman que el metaverso del futuro se basará en la síntesis de los mundos físico y digital. La última ronda de financiación valoró a Niantic en 9.000 millones de dólares, lo que sugiere que al menos algunos inversionistas están de acuerdo.

Los recientes y próximos lanzamientos de productos de realidad aumentada de empresas como North (Google), Snap, Nreal y Tilt Five demuestran el potencial de la realidad aumentada, junto con las limitaciones que deben superarse para que realmente despegue. Sin embargo, con las empresas inmersas en una guerra de talentos tecnológicos y los rumores de nuevos equipos de la talla de Apple, el "momento iPhone" de la RA podría no estar muy lejos.

Metaverso a largo plazo: interfaces cerebro-ordenador, la "plataforma final"

Tal vez la visión de mayor alcance del metaverso sea la de las interfaces cerebro-ordenador (BCI). Hoy en día, todos los modelos de RX se basan en pantallas y sistemas de control tradicionales, aunque algunos dispositivos hayan funcionado también con los sentidos del tacto y el olfato. Las BCI pretenden sustituir por completo las pantallas y el hardware físico. Tecnologías como Neuralink requieren neurocirugía para implantar los dispositivos en el cerebro, una idea que intriga y desanima a la vez a muchos consumidores potenciales. Los investigadores también han utilizado interfaces neuronales para restaurar la capacidad de hablar y escribir en personas que han sufrido la pérdida del habla.

En el contexto del metaverso, la empresa de juegos y tecnología Valve anunció el año pasado una exploración de las BCI, junto con OpenBCI, los desarrolladores del auricular no invasivo Galea. Las aplicaciones irán desde los juegos hasta la atención sanitaria. Tras ampliar su colaboración con el MIT Media Lab y Tobii, OpenBCI ha conseguido recientemente financiación para construir un "sistema operativo de la mente". El éxito supondría un gran paso hacia una visión que integre realmente la tecnología en la experiencia humana.

El peligro de predecir los avances tecnológicos

Las opiniones expresadas en este artículo son las del autor y no del Foro Económico Mundial.

Suscribirse a las actualizaciones

Una actualización semanal de lo que hay en la Agenda Global

Suscribirse a las actualizaciones

Una actualización semanal de lo que hay en la Agenda Global

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
El futuro del metaverso será determinado por estas tres tecnologías

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
La palabra "metaverso" ha entrado en el lenguaje común, pero sigue habiendo diferentes formas de conceptualizarlo y definirlo. El metaverso estará conformado por tecnologías que utilicemos para acceder a él, que podrían incluir la realidad virtual (RV), la realidad aumentada (RA) y las interfaces cerebro-ordenador (BCI).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Los alumnos encienden su computadora para sus clases en línea, pero no se conectan a una videollamada, sino que entran a un mundo virtual, similar a un videojuego. Así, el Tec de Monterrey da su primera clase en el metaverso.

Así inició el primer curso en el Tec Virtual Campus, un mundo 3D creado por la institución donde alumnos toman clases y conviven.

El profesor y arquitecto Antonio Negrete Juárez, del campus Querétaro, fue quien trasladó su clase completa al metaverso durante el periodo escolar de invierno 2022.

"Los alumnos me decían que les gustaba aprender y tener esta vivencia cercana a la presencialidad", comenta el profesor.
Te puede interesar: El metaverso puede profundizar la brecha entre países ricos y pobres
El Tec de Monterrey da su primera clase en el metaverso y siguen más

El Tec Virtual Campus incluye edificios como biblioteca, salones de clases, auditorio y zonas al aire libre donde los alumnos pueden tener experiencias de aprendizaje dentro del metaverso.

La primera clase en el metaverso del Tec de Monterrey incluyó actividades dentro del aula y fuera de ella

Juárez explica que la idea de llevar su clase de Instalaciones y Sistemas Alternos al metaverso inició tras asistir a cursos del Centro de Desarrollo Docente e Innovación Educativa (CEDDIE) del Tec, que ayuda a profesores a trabajar con tecnología para la educación.

"En los cursos de CEDDIE me tocó tomar una capacitación para ver qué actividades de un par de horas podríamos hacer en el Tec Virtual Campus. Tenía una clase de cinco semanas de duración y de varias horas al día. Les mandé un correo y me dijeron que sí, que íbamos a trabajar en el piloto", recuerda el profesor.

Ese sería el inicio de la clase de que impartió Juárez, la duración de un periodo escolar de invierno para alumnos del Tec de Monterrey.

"El beneficio es el poder estar en un lugar virtual donde se puede dar la materia como si fuera en el salón de clases. El que sea virtual no obstaculiza para nada los objetivos. Es la primera vez, pero la actividad la mandé para ver si la podemos presentar en otro lado. A futuro, buscamos liderar a otros profesores para que hagan lo mismo", indica el profesor.

Tec Campus Virtual es un campus creado para tener clases inmersivas usando un avatar

Los alumnos participaron en un rally como parte de sus clases encontrando mensajes dentro del Tec Virtual Campus.

Sentarse frente a la computadora era el primer paso para entrar a Tec Virtual Campus a través de la plataforma Virbela, tras ingresar usuario y contraseña.

Tras seleccionar su avatar, una representación física suya dentro de este mundo virtual, los alumnos asisten a actividades dentro de un salón, y en el exterior, dependiendo de lo que buscaran aprender.

La clase, impartida por el profesor Juárez, buscaba que los alumnos aprendieran sobre instalaciones de sistemas alternos en una casa residencial, es decir, instalaciones hidráulicas, sanitarias, eléctricas, de gas y hasta de domótica, conocidas como Smart Homes.

"Los alumnos me decían que les gustaba aprender y tener esta vivencia cercana a la presencialidad".

"En equipo, los alumnos trabajaban en un aula virtual y en computadoras virtuales usando AutoCAD (software de diseño). Cada alumno demostraba el avance que llevaba, como si fuera una clase presencial. Hacían presentaciones de proyectos en uno de los auditorios virtuales y nos enseñaban su propuesta de instalación", menciona el profesor Negrete.

El Tec Virtual Campus no solo les permitió simular un salón tradicional, sino que Juárez explica que usaron espacios virtuales al exterior para hacer un rally donde, con su avatar, los alumnos buscaban notas para acceder a un cuestionario.

"En este cuestionario contestaban preguntas sobre la ética en la arquitectura y la ingeniería, e hicimos una reflexión al final", menciona el profesor, quien señala que ha sido una experiencia agradable.

"Al final un alumno se acercó, me agradeció, y me dio la mano virtualmente. Fue una experiencia muy padre", señala.

Actualmente, el profesor Negrete imparte otra clase en una modalidad llamada Global Classroom, en donde alumnos del Tec aprenden con otros de universidades extranjeras, en este caso, con la Universidad Católica de Colombia.

La puerta abierta para experiencias de aprendizaje

Joaquín Guerra, vicerrector de Innovación Educativa del Tec de Monterrey, destaca que la institución ya había trabajado en impulsar experiencias de aprendizaje con tecnologías como realidad virtual y realidad aumentada, entre otras.

"La pandemia aceleró estos procesos. Ahora en lugar de solo entrar a un Zoom podemos meternos a un mundo virtual, como sucede en los videojuegos, y hace que la experiencia sea inmersiva. Se hizo este metaverso con espacios, jardines, salas de conferencia, salones, cafeterías. Ahí entras, armas tu avatar e interactúas con otros", señala Guerra.

Sobre la experiencia de los alumnos en la primera clase completamente en el metaverso, el vicerrector señala que fue gratificante ver su disposición.

De igual manera, indica que este tipo de experiencias no se realizan en todas las clases, sino que se analiza y diseña la experiencia pensando en el aprendizaje de calidad de los alumnos.

"No se trata de hacer este tipo de cosas por hacerlas y usar la tecnología por usarla. Es importante el proceso, asegurarse que el diseño te permite aprovechar las herramientas. Estamos buscando identificar en dónde puede funcionar bien. Esta es una tendencia que debemos seguir explorando. Si vemos metaversos para ocio y para videojuegos, ¿por qué no pensar en usarlo para la educación?", finaliza. (Asael Villanueva /CONECTA)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
El Tec de Monterrey da su primera clase en el metaverso | Tec Review

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Los alumnos encienden su computadora para sus clases en línea, pero no se conectan a una videollamada, sino que entran a un mundo virtual, similar a un videojuego. Así, el Tec de Monterrey da su primera clase en el metaverso.

# data[].attributes.body
TEC Monterrey - CANVAS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Buenas Prácticas Docentes: Retroalimentación efectiva por medio de herramientas digitales

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Technology Solutions That Drive Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
From adaptive learning to smarter AI-powered tutors, here's a look at the ed tech trends that will be shaping the new year.

As higher education heads into year two of the pandemic, there will inevitably be some worn-out faculty, staff and students who feel a sentimental longing for the past. Some feel a desire to snap back to pre-pandemic life on campus, while others are excited to rethink the learning and teaching experience with emerging technologies.

The collision of these two groups of users will shape the services that agile IT departments must provide in the new year. But as much as some may want to walk away from videoconferencing, this appears unlikely as the Omicron variant arrives in the U.S.

Regardless of whether the U.S. achieves herd immunity in 2022, Georgetown University professor Bryan Alexander says that hybrid and HyFlex offerings will likely serve as a baseline for many higher education operations in the coming months.
Click below to learn how San Joaquin Valley College completed a major wireless upgrade.

"I don't mean every single class and every single meeting will be HyFlex," he says. "But it's something we'll be doing more and more of moving forward."

Alexander is the author of Academia Next: The Futures of Higher Education, a book that examines future scenarios based on current economic, demographic, political, international and policy forces at play, and he believes that current trends suggest the new year will bring more engaging student experiences. "There are faculty, staff and students who have found these new technologies are actually pretty useful. They've had to rethink: How do you connect with a student? And that rethinking has helped them connect better in face-to-face classrooms," he says.

Here's a look at the emerging technologies that higher education institutions are experimenting with to improve learning experiences, decrease faculty workload and increase enrollment in 2022.
MORE TECH TRENDS: Four technologies and approaches helping higher ed achieve digital equity.
1. Increased Adoption of Learning Analytics and Adaptive Learning

Informed by data gathered from learning analytics, adaptive learning is an education platform that modifies class materials according to an individual learner's needs.

As enrollment and retention rates decline, more higher education leaders are working toward implementing adaptive technologies to attract and improve the success of non-traditional students.

At Arizona State University, the institution is preparing to launch Orchard, an adaptive learning platform that will make it easier for students to engage with other disciplines, or revisit earlier courses if they need to fill knowledge gaps.

According to Matt Rhoton, CTO at ASU's enterprise unit EdPlus, one of the platform's benefits is that it will offer personalized education journeys for adult learners looking to build their own degrees.

Online learners come at different stages. They could be married, with a kid and have a full-time job."

Matt Rhoton CTO, EdPlus

"Online learners come at different stages. They could be married, with a kid and have a full-time job. They may be looking to upskill," Rhoton says. "That type of learner is more seasoned. They usually know exactly what they want to do to complete the degree and the time frame in which they want to complete it."

Considering that adult learners are usually an overlooked segment of students, an adaptive approach could help the university persuade more nontraditional students to enroll.

Orchard will also help reduce the number hours faculty must spend recording videos for online courses. "We've got thousands and thousands of videos that have been built and injected into course models and LTIs [learning tools interoperability]," Rhoton says. "Many people don't even know about them. If everything is tagged and uploaded to Orchard, these videos can be searchable and used for other courses as well."

Rhoton expects Orchard to fully launch by the end of 2022.
Student Perspective: Here's what I found engaging about asynchronous online classes.
2. Growth of Mobile Learning in Higher Ed

One of the most common ways that students access adaptive learning platforms is through mobile applications. According to EDUCAUSE, 57 percent of students at Colorado Technical University used their phones to access adaptive learning tools.

What's more, a recent EDUCAUSE QuickPoll found a significant portion of students relying on their phones to access learning materials when connectivity issues arise. According to the poll, 56 percent use a smartphone as a secondary learning device.

"Students are likely using mobile devices because that's their primary way of interacting with the world," Alexander says. As mobile learning adoption expands, institutions will need more mobile-friendly learning management systems and apps that offer device detection.
Click the banner below to unlock premium content exploring emerging technologies in higher ed.

3. Smarter Artificial Intelligence-Powered Tutors

AI tutors in 2022 will be anything but basic. Google Cloudand Walden University in Minnesota recently developed a new AI tutoring platform that uses machine learning - in addition to an instructor's competency assessments - to create personalized quizzes, assignments and course recommendations.

Google's AI platform is distinct from previous AI-enabled tutoring services because it integrates with existing infrastructure more easily. "As we continue to develop this tool, it will allow us to provide personalized instruction at scale to meet the needs and busy lives of adult learners," Walden's former Chief Transformation Officer Steven Tom said in a Google Cloud blog post. Walden plans on incorporating student feedback and conducting more testing before rolling out the AI-powered tutor to a larger group of students.
MORE ON EDTECH: Georgia Tech researcher discusses how AI can improve student success.
Meanwhile, Southern New Hampshire University is also planning on using the platform to give students personalized course recommendations. "We are building this ecosystem for a personalized, flexible learner experience that is not tied to seat time," Travis Willard, SNHU's chief product officer, told Government Technology. "[It] focuses on stackable microcredentials, creating options for our learners that stack on top of the degrees the university offers today."

To prevent human developers from embedding racial and gender biases into AI algorithms, Google Cloud's Head of Education Steven Butschi advised universities and colleges to spend at least a few months weeding out biases in pilot programs, especially in more complex use cases.
EXPLORE: Three cloud security trends to watch for in higher ed in 2022.
4. The Rise of Short-Form, Video-Based Learning

As TikTok's popularity increases, universities are adapting by utilizing short-form videos to engage Gen Z learners. ASU has a Study Hall playlist on YouTube that uses 2- to 3-minute supplemental education videos to help students understand difficult concepts in their courses.

Georgetown's Alexander also said he expects video-based learning to increase next year. "It's impossible to overstate how much humans love video. We love making it, we love consuming it," Alexander says. "People are making trailers for books, trailers for academic classes and the tools for video just keep getting easier."

However, he warns IT departments that the rise of video-based learning may require infrastructure upgrades to keep up with demand. He recalls an incident from 15 years ago when a professor told her students to upload video assignments to the campus cloud. "She didn't precisely say 'the finished work,' so they uploaded all their pre-rendered video to the cloud at the same time. It just shut down the entire campus infrastructure," he said.
Click the banner below to learn more about how Kent State modernized its network.

5. Advanced VR and Immersive Learning Technologies

With Microsoft, Cisco and Facebook jumping into the metaverse business, mixed reality collaboration tools may soon be ubiquitous.

In 2022, Microsoft Teams users will be able to use Microsoft Mesh, a mixed reality platform where online students can communicate with instructors through 3D avatars. Cisco is also piloting an augmented reality meeting space called Webex Hologram.

To help online learners feel an emotional connection with class materials, ASU has partnered with virtual reality company Dreamscape Immersive (whose producers hail from Hollywood) to design Dreamscape Learn, a platform that brings the "emotional power of Hollywood storytelling" to classes that utilize VR.

To prevent cost from becoming a hindrance to scaling, ASU will also make 2D formats available for those without a VR headset.

Photography by Sergey Narevskih/Stocksy

Networking

Hardware

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Emerging Technology Trends Higher Ed Is Watching for in 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From adaptive learning to smarter AI-powered tutors, here's a look at the ed tech trends that will be shaping the new year. As higher education heads into year two of the pandemic, there will inevitably be some worn-out faculty, staff and students who feel a sentimental longing for the past.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Emerging Higher Education Technology Trends of 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Various trends from preceding decades that universities in higher education started have paved the way for the current education technology trends

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's 2021. And this is the year of prescriptive analytics in higher ed.

Why?

Because prescriptive analytics recommend answers to the questions, 'What should we do?' and 'What can I do to meet my goals?'

The difference between predictive and prescriptive analytics

Many institutions are already using predictive analytics. Predictive analytics tell you what will happen.

That type of advanced analytics only gets colleges and universities halfway to what is needed for an institution to meet its goals and thrive.

However, what happens when the predicted outcome isn't what you need or what you expected?
You need something that will tell you specifically how to change the outcome.
That's how prescriptive analytics help colleges and universities.

What are prescriptive analytics?

Prescriptive analytics take predictive analytics a step further and predict the effect/consequence of future decisions and provide advice on the best course of action.

It tells you how you can change the outcome.

Why do you need prescriptive analytics for higher education?

Here's an example:

It's April, and your enrollment office sees in its advanced analytics software that it is currently tracking below enrollment targets. During that window, your institution is immersed in the financial appeals process and hosting prospective students for virtual or campus visits.

You need to increase enrollment between now and May 1, and you have a group of admitted students who have not yet deposited.

Wouldn't it be nice to know which action to take with each student to improve their likelihood to deposit, so you know what to do to meet your enrollment goals?

And which actions will optimize your limited resources.

Prescriptive analytics can tell you. Prescriptive analytics 'prescribe' the best course of action to take to move the students from admits to deposits and the potential outcome of each action.

So, you know if it's a campus visit, financial aid, meeting with a professor, or other action that will increase a student's likelihood to enroll.

And by taking the recommended actions, you can exponentially increase the likelihood of a student enrolling at your college.

Sounds great, right?

However, because prescriptive analytics are so incredibly powerful, it is essential to invest time in learning all that it can do for you.

Five things you need to know about prescriptive analytics in higher education

1. Prescriptive analytics improve outcomes

Higher education institutions can use prescriptive analytics to understand their students better.

They offer insights to help you make informed decisions about each individual student to improve outcomes, e.g., what intervention will help George, an accounting student from Western Texas who lives 300 miles from campus and went from taking 15 credits to six and hasn't used his meal plan in three weeks, persist to the next term.

Colleges and universities using prescriptive analytics have increased enrollment yield, optimized net tuition revenue, optimized financial aid, and improved retention or graduation rates.

By understanding what drives each student's behavior and how much, institutions can create intentional, specific plans that will positively impact students.

2. Prescriptive analytics are applicable across higher education functions

Higher education institutions can use prescriptive analytics for admissions, student success, and advancement, from the President's office to individual recruiters and advisors, and in the boardroom, the CFO's office, or by Institutional Research.

Meaningful applications exist in marketing, recruitment, admissions decisions, financial aid, student advising, academic planning, financial forecasting, and executive planning.

3. Prescriptive analytics' superpower is explaining the 'why'

Prescriptive analytics say what will happen and why it will happen and provide recommendations regarding actions that will take advantage of the predictions.

It's data-driven advice created by simulation and optimization.

4. Prescriptive analytics offer continuous, real-time recommendations

Prescriptive analytics continually process new data as it becomes available to re-predict and re-prescribe solutions.

That means the recommendations are current and reflect what is happening with your students now.

Considering the results of prescribed actions is critical in continuing to be accurate with predictions and advice.

5. Prescriptive analytics are complex

Prescriptive analytics use sophisticated analytics tools, techniques, and technology, like artificial intelligence, machine learning, heuristics, and algorithms, making it a costly challenge to build, implement, and manage.

That's without considering the year of data anomaly, when the pandemic disrupted enrollment cycles in March 2020, adding a level of complexity to data collection and modeling.

While some people may think that analytics aren't useful following a year like 2020, many lessons were learned during the pandemic about how to use data and analytics for the 2021 enrollment cycle.

Does your institution have the internal resources to build a prescriptive analytics engine, or do you need to partner with a point solution? You can read the pros and cons of build versus buy here.

Prescriptive Analytics for Higher Education

Colleges and universities can use prescriptive analytics to change outcomes, support students, and meet goals.

But prescriptive analytics do not operate alone. You, the human, use the insights derived from prescriptive analytics to make decisions; It's that balance of human and science that leads to improved outcomes.

Learn more about the value prescriptive analytics offer to your higher education institution by contacting us at othotteam@othot.com.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Future of Data Analytics in Higher Education is Prescriptive Analytics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Why? Because prescriptive analytics recommend answers to the questions, 'What should we do?' and 'What can I do to meet my goals?' Many institutions are already using predictive analytics. Predictive analytics tell you what will happen. That type of advanced analytics only gets colleges and universities halfway to what is needed for an institution to meet its goals and thrive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How China Is Using Artificial Intelligence in Classrooms | WSJ

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Technology Solutions That Drive Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1. The Growth of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Ed

With AI research and development increasing at a rapid pace during the pandemic, fears of another " AI winter" seem unfounded at this point. Stanford University's "Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2021" shows that natural language processing research has leapfrogged so fast that "technical advances have started to outpace the benchmarks to test for them."

AI is appearing seemingly everywhere in higher education - such as management systems, proctoring, grading, student information systems, library services and disability support.

AI matters for higher education business continuity because the next generation of students (the children of millennials) will be accustomed to experiencing AI technologies in almost every facet of their lives. This may require universities and colleges to rethink curriculums in a way that supports this cohort, also known as " Generation AI."
Take a look at higher ed's increasingly nuanced, AI-powered chatbots.
The University of British Columbia is already using an AI-enabled avatar that delivers natural responses to students. The program is a part of a language learning application called Language Chatsim, where students practice speaking with an avatar in a virtual environment.

Meanwhile, The Pennsylvania State University uses natural learning processes to analyze transcripts of classes. This way, educators can use data points to find patterns that can inform their teaching.

2. Actualizing the Potential of Data Analytics to Improve Education

Universities and colleges are collecting troves of data. However, not many educators know how to interpret this data to improve learning outcomes.

To address the problem at its root, the University of Wisconsin - Madison is offering a Master of Science in Educational Psychology: Learning Analytics program for students who will impact learning and policy. The program teaches graduate students how to navigate the educational data mining landscape.

Meanwhile, Colorado State University has created the Center for the Analytics of Learning and Teaching (C-ALT), a research center for testing and advancing the use of analytics to improve teaching and learning practices.

In one recent project, C-ALT used data visualization to help students optimize their study habits and patterns.
Universities are using analytics and artificial intelligence to curb enrollment drops.
3. A Permanent Place for Blended and Hybrid Course Models

Northeastern University spent millions outfitting 200 classrooms for hybrid learning - money that institutional leaders allocated because they believe the hybrid model will remain popular long after the pandemic ends.
GET THE WHITE PAPER: Learn how to build blended learning environments for higher ed.
The University of British Columbia found a creative way to adopt the hybrid model for theater. In April, the theater and film department staged a play where remote actors merged with one another in a virtual environment - while students in Tokyo and San Francisco operated lighting and sound.
With hybrid learning on the rise, higher ed sees a Zoom Room boom.
4. The Expansion of Open Educational Resources

Open Educational Resources are learning and research materials that are free for students to access.

The University of British Columbia's Emerging Media Lab, for example, developed an open-source 3D data visualization of the metabolic network. This OER can potentially be used for not only high school courses, but also courses in medical schools.

In addition to making education more affordable, OERs can also make it easier to for students to learn complex information.

"The objective of this project is to provide a novel way to visualize the information contained in a metabolic network to make it easier to consume and understand," the university's website states. "By incorporating interaction into the network and making the visualization in 3 dimensions, we are creating a tool that will make it easier to view information that would, in the past, need several different models to display."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 Trends That are Emerging in Higher Education Technology

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From artificial intelligence to microcredentials, here's a look at the future of tech trends in higher education.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Questions abound on what it means for college to take place in the metaverse. Iryna Veklich/ Getty Images

Higher education in the United States is in trouble. Spiraling tuition costs and a student debt crisis threaten to make college unaffordable to all but the wealthy.

In an attempt to cut spending and control tuition hikes, American universities are relying more and more on temporary instructors who are underpaid, teach a heavy course load and often lack job security and health insurance.

Many schools are also increasing class sizes and moving courses online in order to lower costs. And students are not happy: Online learning is less popular than in-person instruction, and dissatisfaction has only increased during the pandemic.

On top of these problems, universities in the U.S. and other parts of the world are challenged by apprenticeship and boot-camp initiatives that question the relationship between the formal academic credentials a college gives and real-world success.

The metaverse - a series of emerging virtual and augmented reality technologies that will offer a more immersive experience than the current internet - may help universities solve some of these problems and revolutionize the experience of remote learning.

But as my colleagues and I at UMass Boston's Applied Ethics Center have found through our research, solving one set of problems through artificial intelligence, or AI, and other technologies often creates another set of problems.

We've found that AI has the potential to weaken people's capacity to make ordinary judgments about matters that include mundane things, such as what movie to watch, as well as more weighty decisions, such as who should get a promotion at work. We've also found that it undermines the role of serendipity - that is, the chance encounters and other unexpected events that you experience in the real world - and can undermine people's belief in the importance of human rights.

Will the metaverse bring better news for higher education? Potentially. But to build flourishing universities in the metaverse, computer engineers, higher education leaders and policymakers will have to solve some difficult problems. Here are five challenges that I view as the most urgent to address.

1. Academic freedom

Academic freedom - the ability of faculty and students to discuss and study any topic they deem important - is not assured on privately held platforms. If university teaching and intellectual exchanges are going to happen on platforms owned by corporations, what happens when these discussions become controversial?

Would platforms like Meta and Zoom be committed to unfettered free exchange, even when the publicity can hurt their stock price? The recent historical track record is not encouraging. For example, Zoom, Facebook and YouTube blocked a virtual lecture hosted in 2020 by San Francisco State University that featured Laila Khaled, a member of the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine who was involved in two plane hijackings in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Universities cannot give social media companies veto power over what subjects students and faculty can discuss. That would kill academic freedom. If we are going to have higher education on the metaverse, this problem has to be solved.

2. Focus

Successful learning requires the ability to pay attention to what is going on in class. A good university seminar needs to shut out the world for an hour or two. It's hard enough to achieve this level of focus with students in the real world, tempted as they are by their phones and laptops. How does one create a fully virtual learning environment conducive to concentration?

Facebook's promotional videos for the metaverse, filled with psychedelic tigers and dancing parrots, heighten this concern. How, then, can designers make sure that the metaverse will not worsen the already serious challenges to classroom focus? There are times when, no matter how amazing an instructor may be, technological devices and what they offer are simply too tempting for students, even during class.

One might think that this is an easy fix. Surely, a feature could be built in to eliminate distractions. But the same could be said about distractions originating from students' phones and computers in the current environment. It is not so easy to restrict what students can view on their own devices. Universities may worry about being seen as intrusive if they do. And just imagine how tempting immersive 3D shopping during class might be.

3. Communication

A great deal of human communication happens nonverbally: Facial expressions and body language reveal many of our intentions. Can avatars - cartoon representations of ourselves - convey facial expressions and body language in the same way? This is important because much of the learning in university classes, particularly in discussion-heavy classes typical of humanities courses, depends on lively, spontaneous communication. That spontaneous communication often involves the ability to transmit and receive nonverbal signals. Engineers have only started thinking about these problems. They will need to make a great deal of progress before nonverbal virtual communications mature.

4. A sense of community

Much of what students like about college - and a great deal of what they learn - happens outside the classroom. The best university experience fosters a sense of community: students getting together informally, becoming friends, developing views about each other, themselves and the political institutions that govern their lives.

[ Like what you've read? Want more? Sign up for The Conversation's daily newsletter.]

This crucial sense of community can begin in class, but it typically develops further outside of it. Is there any way that this experience, one of the great selling points of university life, can be replicated in the metaverse? In other words, can a meaningful community between students and their teachers, and students and themselves, be created without physical presence, when all members are ensconced in their homes, wearing a headset?

5. Digital divides

Finally, policymakers and educators need to ask themselves whether higher education in the metaverse will really make universities more accessible. Will these technologies offer a compelling educational experience for a lower cost, or will they just usher in a new digital divide - a two-tiered system consisting of elites who can pay for brick and mortar schooling and those who must make do with the virtual counterpart? Or, to complicate things, what if so-called "metaversities" become part of a three-tiered system, with traditional schools for the rich, metaverse virtual reality education for the middle classes, and the two-dimensional remote learning - like that being used now - for those who can't afford anything else?

In spite of the challenges they face, universities remain crucial social institutions - for the generation of knowledge, for the personal development of those who attend and for hosting difficult conversations. The metaverse, if it gets off the ground, and if these very real problems can be addressed, may well offer universities a new way to survive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
College could take place in the metaverse, but these problems must be overcome first

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Higher education in the United States is in trouble. Spiraling tuition costs and a student debt crisis threaten to make college unaffordable to all but the wealthy. In an attempt to cut spending and control tuition hikes, American universities are relying more and more on temporary instructors who are underpaid, teach a heavy course load and often lack job security and health insurance.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Disney is one step closer to creating its own theme-park metaverse.

The entertainment company was recently approved for a "virtual-world simulator" patent.

The tech includes a tracking system and 3D image projector - here's what it might do.

Disney park visitors could soon be riding through the metaverse as the entertainment giant explores headsetless augmented reality.

Disney Enterprises was approved for a "virtual-world simulator" patent during the last week of December. The technology would project 3D images and virtual effects onto physical spaces, according to the US Patent Office.

Instead of being designed for mass entertainment, the device would track individual park visitors to personalize the projections. For example, while one family may see Mickey Mouse greeting them by a hot-dog stand, another group could interact with Princess Belle and Cinderella.

The technology aligns with the brand's goal to tell stories through a "three-dimensional canvas" as highlighted by CEO Bob Chapek during Disney's fourth-quarter earnings call.

"Our efforts to date are merely a prologue to a time when we'll be able to connect the physical and digital worlds even more closely, allowing for storytelling without boundaries in our own Disney metaverse," Chapek said.

Disney officials told The LA Times that the company has "no current plans" to use the simulator, adding that Disney files hundreds of patents per year to explore developing technologies. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

The patent highlights the simulator's ability to create shared virtual-world experiences without a headset or mobile device, which "can be costly and inconvenient to wear." It also says wearable AR devices will require "burdensome sanitation procedures" during the era of COVID-19.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Disney patents metaverse technology for theme parks that would track visitors while projecting personalized 3D images for them

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Disney is one step closer to creating its own theme-park metaverse. The entertainment company was recently approved for a "virtual-world simulator" patent. The tech includes a tracking system and 3D image projector - here's what it might do. Disney park visitors could soon be riding through the metaverse as the entertainment giant explores headsetless augmented reality.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sectores que serán impactados por el metaverso

# data[].attributes.subject
Sectores que serán impactados por el metaverso

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
BRINK – Conversations and Insights on Global Business

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Metaverse: A 5-Year Forecast of How It Will Affect Your Business

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The metaverse will impact the real world in sectors such as financial services, automotive and manufacturing, real estate, education, and retail.