Education must evolve from an omnichannel perspective

Just as retail has had to evolve to meet the needs of shoppers across physical and digital channels, education is also being forced to evolve. Contemporary students require new forms of learning, content structure and delivery based more on changes in the media than on traditional education. This leaves academic institutions unable to meet demands without relying on outside partnerships with EdTech companies.

The current university model relies heavily on a face-to-face experience on campus. Not only is this how it has been "done" for over a century, but it also provides institutions with multiple additional revenue hubs from cafeterias, dorms, sporting events and more. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, universities could not have students on campus, which stopped revenue from these additional sources. Therefore, it is not surprising that the priority of these institutions was to return students to study in person.

Given all this, the marked contrast between traditional universities were highlighted, which focused their development in the last 50 years mainly on the construction of new buildings and the expansion of the campus surface, compared to those that became more digital. Most universities devoted little attention (and budget) to developing new digital learning technologies, non-face-to-face modalities, and support systems, including purchasing video equipment, recording studios, and even digital pedagogy.

This situation is similar to that of the retail industry, which until the beginning of the 21st century was still focused on expanding its network of stores, leaving online sales as something secondary or auxiliary to its main business. This ultimately led to what has been dubbed the "retail apocalypse," in which brands overstocked stores and were underutilised online. The pandemic hastened the apocalypse for many brands, ultimately shifting their business to a fully omnichannel model. In-store purchases focus more on a unique or boutique experience, while online purchases focus on ease, access and reach.

This change is now taking place in higher education, where many universities are being forced to rethink their offerings across physical and digital channels, understanding how they work together and separately. The face-to-face experience will need to be more personalised and individualised, while the online experience will focus on ease, access and even lower costs. Students can choose one or the other, but if what happened in retail can be mirrored in higher education, students will want to move seamlessly from one modality to another. Ultimately, they want more control over their education.

Some schools are taking the lead in omnichannel learning, albeit relying heavily on what has been called "EdTech," or technology companies focused on education. These associations have focused on delivering educational services, taking traditional learning and bringing it online, but not necessarily innovating educational content. Companies like Coursera often partner with universities like Stanford or the Fashion Institute of Technology to create content with faculty from those schools. Companies like Canvas and Blackboard are in the business of moving content to the Internett, providing tools that make it easy for anyone to post content and run a class. However, in the age of YouTube and TikTok, It is not enough to transfer traditional content to the network, just as it makes no sense to upload a physical store to the web; the contents should be shorter and edited, with more audiovisual production, including music, images and video.

Companies like Yellow Brick, MasterClass, Business of Fashion and Fashion Launchpad are beginning to change this dynamic in fashion and arts education. In short, higher education must completely rethink its strategy to be omnichannel and think about coordinated learning with the student at the centre of the model if it wants to compete in the short or long term.

Wait for the next instalment in this series dedicated to fashion education next week. We will compile the issues facing fashion education today and how it needs to change to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving industry.

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.es, and it was translated into English by Andrea Byrne.