“Anticipating the Education Future: 8 Education Trends Shaping 2024”: 2024 Education Trends With Salesforce
In 2023, the education industry experienced significant shifts, influenced by economic, environmental, political, and social factors. As we navigate through 2024, the following education trends are expected to make a profound impact on the sector:
- Enrollment Prioritization: With changing demographics projecting a decline in U.S. college and university enrollment from 2025, institutions are focusing on long-term enrollment strategies. Key Enrollment Indicators (KEIs) and personalized engagement will play a crucial role in capturing prospective students’ attention and improving yield. With School Choice even K-12 schools will be impacted.
- Data-Driven DEI Culture: External pressures for improved equity will drive institutions to shift from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategies to data-driven cultures. This transformation aims to address financial hardships as barriers to better outcomes, fostering a sense of belonging for both students and institutional staff.
- Personalized Learning with Data and AI: Generative AI is set to revolutionize education by creating personalized content aligned with students’ interests and skill levels. The proliferation of specialized ‘small language models’ (SLMs) will reduce costs, bringing institutions closer to fulfilling students’ demands for end-to-end personalized experiences.
- AI Support for Student Success: Generative AI assistants will aid overwhelmed student advisors in managing caseloads and personalizing learning paths. By identifying early indicators of student attrition, AI tools will enable proactive engagement, steering students toward graduation.
- Mainstream AI Curriculum in K-12: AI curriculum will become mainstream in K-12 classrooms, emphasizing AI literacy. Schools will establish policies for students’ responsible use of generative AI, with states leading the way in defining acceptable use standards. Staff will also receive centrally-managed generative AI tools with built-in safeguards.
- Modernizing Mission-Critical Systems: Educational leaders will continue to modernize mission-critical systems, focusing on student information systems (SIS) that enhance operational efficiency and student success. The SIS of the future will prioritize student experience, integration, and interoperability.
- Rethinking Alumni Engagement: In 2024, institutions will strategically place alumni at the center of engagement efforts, offering personalized programs such as mentoring, volunteering, and career networking. Traditional channels will persist, but new, accessible initiatives will take precedence.
- Recognition of Skills and Credentials: Corporations will increasingly recognize skills and credentials as valuable educational achievements. With a significant gap between jobs requiring a four-year degree and the workforce possessing one, institutions will strengthen relations with employers to provide students with industry-approved certifications. Closing the gap for employment will improve the environment of and demand for learning.
2024 Education Trends With Salesforce
These trends collectively shape the future of education in 2024, emphasizing personalization, diversity, technology integration, and a holistic approach to student success.