Universities are under disruption. Efficiency trumps effectiveness and a degree may not have the same value tomorrow as it does today. What role does technology have here? A look into ed tech and how we may use tech to increase relevance, not the opposite.

1. HOW TO STAY RELEVANT AS A UNIVERSITY
WHEN SOCIETY DEMANDS EFFICIENCY?
Is the road to
insignificance
paved
MOOCs,
digital exams,
and performance metrics?
Per Olof Arnäs, PhD
(former) Vice Dean of Education
Technology Management and Economics
Chalmers University of Technology
Sweden
with

2. Higher
ed
”
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PER OLOF ARNÄS
*UNIVERSITIES
WE* ARE UNDER

3. PER OLOF ARNÄS
A TWO-FRONT ASSAULT
EFFICIENCY WINS OVER
EFFECTIVENESS
OUR RELEVANCE IS
QUESTIONED

4. PER OLOF ARNÄS
EFFICIENCY…
…AND EFFECTIVENESS
EFFICIENCY = DO THINGS RIGHT
EFFECTIVENESS = DO THE RIGHT THINGS

5. Education
m
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ent
University management
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PER OLOF ARNÄS
EDUCATION AT A UNIVERSITY - FUNCTIONS

6. Education
m
anagem
ent
University management
F
a
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y
PUBLIC FUNDING
F
e
e
d
b
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Efficiency
targets
PER OLOF ARNÄS

7. Education
m
anagem
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University management
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Efficiency
targets
F
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d
b
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k
PER OLOF ARNÄS

8. Education
m
anagem
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Efficiency
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Courses
PER OLOF ARNÄS

9. Education
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Courses
PER OLOF ARNÄS

10. Education
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Courses
PER OLOF ARNÄS

11. Education
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Efficiency
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side
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• Maximise use of funds
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utilisation
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PER OLOF ARNÄS

12. Education
m
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University management
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Education requirements
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k
Efficiency
targets
F
e
e
d
b
a
c
k
The bureaucratic
side
The academic
side
• Manage resources
• Maximise use of funds
• Maximise internal resource
utilisation
• Curriculum design
• Teaching
• Assess/create relevant
education content
• Examine
P
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Courses
PER OLOF ARNÄS

13. Education
m
anagem
ent
University management
F
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D
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q
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s
Education requirements
PUBLIC FUNDING
F
e
e
d
b
a
c
k
Efficiency
targets
F
e
e
d
b
a
c
k
The bureaucratic
side
The academic
side
• Manage resources
• Maximise use of funds
• Maximise internal resource
utilisation
• Curriculum design
• Teaching
• Assess/create relevant
education content
• Examine
P
e
r
f
o
r
m
a
n
c
e
/
E
x
c
e
l
l
e
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c
e
DEVELOPMENT
Courses
PER OLOF ARNÄS

14. Education
m
anagem
ent
University management
F
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y
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q
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s
Education requirements
PUBLIC FUNDING
F
e
e
d
b
a
c
k
Efficiency
targets
F
e
e
d
b
a
c
k
The bureaucratic
side
The academic
side
• Manage resources
• Maximise use of funds
• Maximise internal resource
utilisation
• Curriculum design
• Teaching
• Assess/create relevant
education content
• Examine
P
e
r
f
o
r
m
a
n
c
e
/
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x
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l
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e
Efficiency initiatives
Economies-of-scale
Courses
PER OLOF ARNÄS

15. Education
m
anagem
ent
University management
F
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D
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q
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Education requirements
PUBLIC FUNDING
F
e
e
d
b
a
c
k
Efficiency
targets
F
e
e
d
b
a
c
k
The bureaucratic
side
The academic
side
• Manage resources
• Maximise use of funds
• Maximise internal resource
utilisation
• Curriculum design
• Teaching
• Assess/create relevant
education content
• Examine
P
e
r
f
o
r
m
a
n
c
e
/
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x
c
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l
l
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n
c
e
Efficiency initiatives
Economies-of-scale
Online teaching/MOOCs
Courses
PER OLOF ARNÄS

16. Education
m
anagem
ent
University management
F
a
c
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l
t
y
D
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s
t
r
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t
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q
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s
Education requirements
PUBLIC FUNDING
F
e
e
d
b
a
c
k
Efficiency
targets
F
e
e
d
b
a
c
k
The bureaucratic
side
The academic
side
• Manage resources
• Maximise use of funds
• Maximise internal resource
utilisation
• Curriculum design
• Teaching
• Assess/create relevant
education content
• Examine
P
e
r
f
o
r
m
a
n
c
e
/
E
x
c
e
l
l
e
n
c
e
Efficiency initiatives
Economies-of-scale
Online teaching/MOOCs
Digital exams
Courses
PER OLOF ARNÄS

17. Education
m
anagem
ent
University management
F
a
c
u
l
t
y
D
i
s
t
r
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p
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q
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i
s
i
t
e
s
Education requirements
PUBLIC FUNDING
F
e
e
d
b
a
c
k
Efficiency
targets
F
e
e
d
b
a
c
k
The bureaucratic
side
The academic
side
• Manage resources
• Maximise use of funds
• Maximise internal resource
utilisation
• Curriculum design
• Teaching
• Assess/create relevant
education content
• Examine
P
e
r
f
o
r
m
a
n
c
e
/
E
x
c
e
l
l
e
n
c
e
Efficiency initiatives
Economies-of-scale
Online teaching/MOOCs
Digital exams
Covid-19
Is this where we
are today?
Courses
PER OLOF ARNÄS
EFFICIENCY EFFECTIVENESS

18. PER OLOF ARNÄS
RELEVANCE
HOW ARE WE PERCIEVED BY
STUDENTS AND INDUSTRY?

19. PER OLOF ARNÄS

20. PER OLOF ARNÄS
EDUCATION CAN BE FOUND
IN MANY PLACES

21. Do I really
need a
degree to
get a job?
Do I really
need
student
loans?
PER OLOF ARNÄS

22. PER OLOF ARNÄS
A TWO-FRONT ASSAULT
HOW CAN WE KEEP/INCREASE THE
RELEVANCE OF OUR EDUCATION
WHEN WE ARE CHALLENGED BY
BOTH INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENTS
AND 19-YEAR OLDS?
CAN WE BE BOTH ”
EFFICIENT” AND ”
EFFECTIVE”?

23. EUA 2019
PER OLOF ARNÄS
TECHNOLOGY AS AN
EFFICIENCY MEASURE

24. …APART FROM PROVIDING THE SOCIAL
EXPERIENCE AND MATURITY PROCESS OF
HIGHER EDUCATION, OF COURSE…
WHAT ARE OUR
CORE COMPETENCES?

25. IS IT…
ADMINISTRATION?
WHAT ARE OUR
CORE COMPETENCES?
EFFICIENCY?

26. IS IT…
ADMINISTRATION?
YES, POSSIBLY!
WE ARE REALLY GOOD
AT MANAGING LARGE
GROUPS OF STUDENTS.
WHAT ARE OUR
CORE COMPETENCES?
EFFICIENCY?

27. WHAT ARE OUR
CORE COMPETENCES?
IS IT…
TEACHING?

28. WHAT ARE OUR
CORE COMPETENCES?
IS IT…
TEACHING?
NO!
SOME OF THE WORLD´S
BEST TEACHERS ARE
AVAILABLE FOR FREE
ONLINE.

29. IS IT…
CURRICULUM
DESIGN?
WHAT ARE OUR
CORE COMPETENCES?

30. IS IT…
CURRICULUM
DESIGN?
NO, NOT ANYMORE…
YOU CAN TAILOR YOUR
OWN PATH ONLINE
WHAT ARE OUR
CORE COMPETENCES?

31. HOWEVER…
MENTORING AND TUTORING ARE STILL IN MOST
CASES REQUIRED IN ORDER TO LEARN AND
INTERNALISE COMPLEX SUBJECTS
EXPENSIVE…

32. IS IT…
VALIDATION OF
KNOWLEDGE?
YES, DEFINITELY!
WE ARE EXPERTS
AT THIS!
WHAT ARE OUR
CORE COMPETENCES?

33. ACTUALLY…
VALIDATION IS THE ONE OF FEW
UNIQUE THINGS THAT WE STILL
HAVE TO OFFER…
WHAT ARE OUR
CORE COMPETENCES?

34. PER OLOF ARNÄS
THE CASE OF DIGITAL
EXAMINATION SYSTEMS…
…WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

35. PER OLOF ARNÄS
COST STRUCTURE OF EXAMINATION

36. PER OLOF ARNÄS
ANALOG VS. DIGITAL

37. PER OLOF ARNÄS
ECONOMY-OF-SCALE

38. PER OLOF ARNÄS
LEARNING CURVE
FOR THE TEACHER

39. PER OLOF ARNÄS
FIXED COSTS ARE
GOING DOWN

40. PER OLOF ARNÄS
ADMINISTRATION
COST IS LOWERED (A
LOT)

41. PER OLOF ARNÄS
ECONOMY-OF-SCALE INCL.
ADMINISTRATION

42. PER OLOF ARNÄS
ACTUALLY…
…THIS HAS BEEN THE MAIN
REASON FOR INVESTING IN
DIGITAL EXAMINATION
VERY EFFICIENT!

43. The slippery slope of
rational arguments
Relevance
Time
PER OLOF ARNÄS

44. The slippery slope of
rational arguments
Low cost
Relevance
Time
PER OLOF ARNÄS
YEAH!

45. The slippery slope of
rational arguments
Low cost
Scalable
Relevance
Time
PER OLOF ARNÄS
YEAH!
WE LOVE IT!

46. The slippery slope of
rational arguments
Low cost
Scalable
Standardisation
Relevance
Time
PER OLOF ARNÄS
YEAH!
WE LOVE IT! FANTASTIC!

47. The slippery slope of
rational arguments
Low cost
Scalable
Standardisation
Relevance
Time
PER OLOF ARNÄS
YEAH!
WE LOVE IT! FANTASTIC!
HEY! WHAT HAPPENED?
WHERE ARE ALL OUR
STUDENTS?
THEY ALL WENT TO WORK
FOR AMAZON AFTER
TAKING ONE OF THEIR
FREE AI COURSES.

48. Relevance
Time
CAN’T WE USE
TECHNOLOGY TO
INCREASE RELEVANCE
INSTEAD?
PER OLOF ARNÄS

49. WE CAN USE DIGITAL EXAMS AS
A WAY TO FREE UP TIME...
PER OLOF ARNÄS

50. WE CAN USE DIGITAL EXAMS AS
A WAY TO FREE UP TIME...
MIYAGI-TIME
PER OLOF ARNÄS

51. WE CAN USE MACHINE
LEARNING TO ANALYSE
TEST RESULTS…
PER OLOF ARNÄS

52. WE CAN USE MACHINE
LEARNING TO ANALYSE
TEST RESULTS…
TO LEARN WHAT
EACH INDIVIDUAL
STUDENT NEEDS
PER OLOF ARNÄS

53. WITH DIGITAL
EXAMINATION
TOOLS…
PER OLOF ARNÄS

54. WITH DIGITAL
EXAMINATION
TOOLS…
PER OLOF ARNÄS
IT IS EASY TO GIVE RICH,
INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK TO
EACH STUDENT
…USING SCALABILITY TO
OUR ADVANTAGE

55. WE NEED TO LOOK
AT ED TECH FROM
AN EFFECTIVENESS
PERSPECTIVE…
PER OLOF ARNÄS
…BEFORE WE BECOME
IRRELEVANT

56. HOW TO STAY RELEVANT AS A UNIVERSITY
WHEN SOCIETY DEMANDS EFFICIENCY?
Is the road to
insignificance
paved
MOOCs,
digital exams,
and performance metrics?
Per Olof Arnäs, PhD
(former) Vice Dean of Education
Technology Management and Economics
Chalmers University of Technology
Sweden
with
MAYBE NOT!