Innovation is an important and complex process that is promoted by various aspects. According to Goffin and Mitchell (2017), drivers of the need for innovation include technological advances, changing customers and needs, strategic intent, changing business environments, and intensified competition. These aspects explain what processes or phenomena make organizations rely on innovation. All these drivers are present in the United Kingdomâs higher education sector. Virtual and augmented reality and intensified competition create innovation opportunities, COVID-19 is a significant challenge, government support and class sizes are impactful factors, and all these issues describe the dynamics of innovation.
Technological Advancements
Technological advancements represent a significant driver because they ensure that new technologies and performance methods are implemented. From a historical point of view, it is challenging to overestimate the significance of the internal combustion engine or the Internet for world development (Goffin & Mitchell, 2017). Thus, technologies can make a difference in any life sphere. Since the higher education sector is not an exception, it is important to focus on innovative solutions in this area.
Various technologies are going to impact the sphere of higher education in the UK. On the one hand, it is possible to highlight the importance of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). These advancements are effective because they can improve the quality of simulation and practice as well as offer convenient and cost-effective ways to learn (Lee et al., 2022). In particular, numerous institutions actively introduces VR options in the education of student doctors and dental trainees (Lee et al., 2022). On the other hand, many higher education institutions have started relying on cloud technologies. This intervention is advantageous because it gives rise to additional benefits, including artificial intelligence, image recognition, machine learning, and other useful opportunities (Lee et al., 2022). Consequently, multiple technological advancements are expected to bring positive impacts on the higher education sphere.
There is no doubt that technological advancements can be considered opportunities for innovation implementation. When new tools and technologies are popularized among many educational institutions and students, the quality of education is expected to rise. That is why the higher education sphere is encouraged to motivate all the stakeholders to become open to new opportunities. In this way, technological advancements are considered a primary and actual driver of innovation.
Changing Customers and Needs
The second driver refers to changing customers and their needs. This aspect implies that the characteristics and requirements of customers and other stakeholders can fundamentally impact the sphere of innovation. According to Goffin and Mitchell (2017), customersâ age, preferences, and other features can motivate organizations to find innovative solutions to existing challenges. In the sphere under analysis, customers are always of fixed age, but their preferences are important. Today, many individuals spend more time online, and this aspect should be incorporated into higher education.
The COVID-19 pandemic actively introduced online learning, but the relaxation of anti-coronavirus requirements did not eliminate this phenomenon. Even though this practice offers some essential benefits, one should draw attention to both advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, online learning is beneficial because it allows students to learn educational materials from anywhere in the world. A media report by Bremermann-Richard (2022) highlights that this feature was of significance during the COVID-19 pandemic peak when individuals were forced to stay home and attend classes. On the other hand, some experts admit that online learning is less effective than a traditional education approach. Bremermann-Richard (2022) stipulates that online learning is of poorer quality and provides experience because students do not face the required academic rigor. This information demonstrates that it is challenging to offer a unanimous assessment of the phenomenon under consideration. That is why a suitable solution is to use online learning methods together with the traditional education approach.
This discussion demonstrates that the actual implementation of innovation in the UK higher education sector is subject to external influences. The coronavirus crisis highlighted the importance of online learning, but this innovative practice implied both advantages and disadvantages. That is why this single practice can be considered an opportunity and barrier to innovation simultaneously. Consequently, higher education institutions should be careful when deciding whether online learning should be introduced.
Strategic Intent
Strategic intent is the third driver of innovation in the selected area. This aspect focuses on what resources and processes institutions are going to implement to achieve the desired results. Educational establishments should make specific efforts to ensure that innovative solutions are incorporated into their performance (Goffin & Mitchell, 2017). That is why it is reasonable to analyze how the entire sector manages its strategic intent and whether appropriate resources are available.
It is worth admitting that innovations can be implemented when organizations have the required material and technical resources. According to Williamson (2018), these resources include appropriate software, cloud hosting servers, data analytics approaches, and experienced professionals who can work with these innovative solutions. In other words, organizations and the government should invest in establishing a decent infrastructure that welcomes innovations. Williamson (2018) mentions that âthe UK Higher Education data infrastructure is one of the most developed in the worldâ (p. 5). In other words, this quote indicates that the UK government understands the importance of innovation and invests sufficient efforts in the development of this sphere. That is why when an institution is going to bring new opportunities in its operations, it is not expected to face significant barriers or challenges. The selected area benefits from the climate that motivates and encourages organizations to innovate.
This information denotes that the dynamics of the education sphere provide institutions and other educational organizations with suitable conditions to promote innovation and benefit from new learning methods. That is why it is not surprising that the UK impresses with decent innovation rates. The countryâs government has significantly contributed to the establishment of an innovation-friendly environment in its actual domain. As a result, the presented dynamics force institutions to implement innovative solutions into their performance.
Changing Business Environment
In addition to that, the implementation of innovation in a particular institution depends on how other educational establishments approach the issue. According to Goffin and Mitchell (2017), the environment has a significant influence on an organization and its approach to various processes. That is why it is reasonable to analyze what trends are present in the UK higher education sphere in terms of innovation and improvement.
On the one hand, it is reasonable to highlight that class sizes promote innovation. Since higher education is more requested in the modern UK, larger class sizes are found, and team teaching is an innovative pedagogic approach. Today, teams of professionals create specific teams that ensure that all students receive equal access to education (Minett-Smith & Davis, 2019). On the other hand, the need for more experienced and skillful professionals makes institutions replace lectures with active learning processes (El-Azar, 2022). These approaches denote that organizations should implement innovation to meet the tendencies and challenges of the business environment.
Intensified Competition
Finally, intensified competition is a powerful driver that can make entities innovate. Domestic and foreign organizations are essential rivals for UK higher education institutions. In particular, the universitiesâ prosperity is threatened by the fact that other educational establishments can be better viewed by stakeholders (Goffin & Mitchell, 2017). That is why it is important to invest in innovation to ensure that the selected organization is better than its competitors within the country and internationally.
A few specific facts demonstrate how intensified competition promotes innovation. Firstly, the UKâs higher education sector understands the importance of beating its international rivals, and this fact manifests itself in higher expenditures. According to the industry report by the University of Cambridge (2021), the UK spends more financial resources on higher education development compared to France, Germany, and India. There is no doubt that essential financing contributes to the active implementation of innovative practices. Secondly, UK universities compete with one another, and this aspect is important. In the UK, the higher education sector employs most of the researchers (University of Cambridge, 2021). This information denotes that universities have the required resources and staff to innovate. These features are significant opportunities that will shape potential domain of innovation in the future.
References
Bremermann-Richard, L. (2022). Letâs not allow tradition to stifle innovation in higher education. Times Higher Education. Web.
El-Azar, D. (2022). 4 trends that will shape the future of higher education. World Economic Forum. Web.
Goffin, K., & Mitchell, R. (2017). Innovation management: Effective strategy and implementation (3rd ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing.
Lee, N. T., Ray, R., Lai, S., & Tanner, B. (2022). Ensuring equitable access to AR/VR in higher education. Brookings. Web.
Minett-Smith, C., & Davis, C. L. (2019). Widening the discourse on team-teaching in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 25(5), 579-594. Web.
University of Cambridge. (2021). UK innovation report: Benchmarking the UKâs industrial and innovation performance in a global context [PDF document]. Web.
Williamson, B. (2018). The hidden architecture of higher education: Building a big data infrastructure for the âsmarter universityâ. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 15(1), 1-26. Web.