Which education trends are making waves in online conversations?
From an influx of artificial intelligence concerns to addressing accessibility discrepancies, discover the biggest talking points that higher education institutions should be aware of in 2024.
This blog is a snippet from our latest Education Trends 2024 report. For this report, we analyzed online conversations using Brandwatch Consumer Research to see which talking points are elevated right now.
Read on to discover the biggest trends in education.
#1 AI is trending upwards
Since the start of 2023, there have been over 1.3 million mentions about artificial intelligence and education. With the rise of accessible AI to assist with everything from homework to lesson planning, people are curious about how AI might help – and hinder – the education sector.
While some of these online mentions praise how AI is making students’ and teachers’ lives easier, almost 75% of sentiment-categorized mentions about AI and education have been negative. Concerns include AI becoming detrimental to learning and plagiarism, with many teachers curious about other schools' policies on AI use.
Despite the negativity, there are positive ways AI can facilitate learning, such as AI tutors for students who need help when teachers are unavailable. Utilizing AI in education presents many possibilities, and brands can monitor online mentions to gain insight into how students, schools, and consumers will react to their AI efforts in education.
#2 Schools are leaning onto online learning
Both the COVID-19 pandemic and technological advancements paved the way for online and hybrid learning models – causing education providers to rethink their offerings. Now, years after the pandemic, online courses are offering a more accessible form of learning.
This topic is well-discussed online, with over 3 million mentions about online learning since 2020.
Analyzing these mentions helps education providers understand expectations, as people share both positive and negative experiences with online learning, from short courses to full degrees. You can read more about this in our latest education report.
#3 A spotlight on accessibility
Making educational offerings accessible is becoming paramount for education providers, as they focus on offering inclusive learning resources and disability-friendly campuses.
Times Higher Education suggests a phased approach: assessing students' needs and incorporating their feedback, communicating progress transparently, and having students test the design to ensure it meets accessibility standards. By implementing these steps, education providers can ensure all students' needs are met.
having disability accommodations in college was so helpful. i would show up on the first day of a class with my accommodation list and the professors would take one look at it and say stuff like “…that’s not real” and “is there something i’m supposed to do with this”
— latke (@latkedelrey) June 23, 2023
Education providers that neglect inclusion might face negative repercussions online, as students often discuss shortcomings in disability accommodations.
Roundup
From implementing rules around AI in schools to focusing on how you can make your teaching more accessible, paying attention to online trends can help your institution thrive. If you're interested in learning more, you can read about these trends in more detail in our latest Education Report.
