BOSTON, June 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Tyton Partners, a strategy consulting and investment banking firm focused on the education sector, releases their acclaimed annual higher-education report, Time for Class 2024: Unlocking Access to Effective Digital Teaching and Learning. With primary support from Turnitin and additional research support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation, and Macmillan Learning, this research details the use of digital learning tools and how these innovations continue to improve access and flexibility in current online, hybrid, and in-person learning environments.
Gathering data from 3,000+ higher education administrators, instructors, and students, this publication assesses the preferences of each group and provides a clear path forward, giving actionable insights to significantly improve access to digital learning.
Key findings from Time for Class 2024 include:
- 52% of administrators ranked “‘improving access and flexibility for students”’ as the primary goal of digital learning at their institution. However, only 25% of administrators and 36% of instructors report that digital learning has resulted in success for all students.
- Students are still limited in their access to basic digital tools and infrastructure: half of students report experiencing stress from unstable internet and lack of access to software and devices.
- Students continue to lead instructors and administrators in their use of generative AI tools: 59% are regular (monthly or more) users compared to ~40% of instructors and administrators. However, both students (45%) and instructors (28%) report increased academic workloads as a result.
Catherine Shaw, a Managing Director at Tyton Partners and lead author of Time for Class 2024, states, “Unlocking access to digital learning for all students is the mandate that institutions, instructors, courseware providers, and solution providers in higher education must fulfill. While generative AI has many potential exciting ways to advance teaching and learning such as helping to scaffold content for student of all levels of preparedness, our research shows that a quarter of students are still limited in their access to basic infrastructure required for digital learning such as reliable internet access. If we want to drive equitable outcomes for learners, we must address fundamental barriers and embrace innovation.”
By breaking down the complexities and opportunities within the evolving landscape of digital learning, Tyton Partners highlights the need for transparency and accountability in the digital education ecosystem.
Tyton Partners provides specific calls-to-action for policymakers, institutional leaders, and providers that will contribute to significantly improving access to digital learning. These recommendations include (but are not limited to) integrating digital necessities into the cost of attendance, offering practical training for instructors, and balancing the affordability and functionality of digital tools. Tyton Partners is confident these actionable insights will create a better learning atmosphere in higher education for administrators, instructors, and students.
Read Time for Class 2024 here.
About Tyton Partners
Tyton Partners is the leading provider of strategy consulting and investment banking services to the global knowledge and information services sector. With offices in Boston and New York City, the firm has an experienced team of bankers and consultants who deliver a unique spectrum of services from mergers and acquisitions and capital markets access to strategy development that helps companies, organizations, and investors navigate the complexities of the education, media, and information markets. Tyton Partners leverages a deep foundation of transactional and advisory experience and an unparalleled level of global relationships to make its clients' aspirations a reality and to catalyze innovation in the sector. Learn more at tytonpartners.com.
About Turnitin
Turnitin is a global company dedicated to ensuring the integrity of education and meaningfully improving learning outcomes. For more than 25 years, Turnitin has partnered with educational institutions to promote honesty, consistency, and fairness across all subject areas and assessment types. Turnitin products are used by educational institutions and certification and licensing programs to uphold integrity and increase learning performance, and by students and professionals to do their best, original work. Turnitin has offices in Australia, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Sweden, The United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. Over 21,000 customers in 185 countries use Turnitin services: Gradescope by Turnitin, iThenticate, Turnitin Feedback Studio, Turnitin Originality, Turnitin Similarity, ExamSoft by Turnitin, ProctorExam and Ouriginal.
