New approaches to studying are changing how university campuses need to be designed and managed. Technology is fundamental to supporting these changes and many tech companies within the education sector are receiving substantial investment; these investment flows provide a hint at where university education will head next.

A review of educational technology (‘EdTech’) across the world shows that between 2013-2017 £43 billion was invested – three times the amount as in the preceding five-year period. So far this year we’ve identified a further £14 billion of investment, of which over 60 per cent was by US companies. The majority focused on platforms and software to assist with the delivery of education.

As a physical entity, the campus has embraced potentially competing and complementary software solutions to provide the best learning experience and environment, which may include digital wayfinding/signage, transportation and personalised financial assistance.

Out-of-hours access to university libraries has been popular for decades, but now all-night access to other facilities is in demand. Coffee shops, gyms, performance and rehearsal spaces are all beginning to stay open longer to cater to demand. International students, whom the UK continues to attract in their thousands, tend to be particular fans of working late so they can take the opportunity to contact family and friends in other time zones.

The challenge for institutions is how to effectively manage these buildings to ensure they remain clean, safe and maintained when they’re being used almost 24/7. Many are already considering this at the design stage when planning new buildings, but others are retrofitting buildings with swipe cards and other technologies to enable out of hours access. 

In parallel with having appropriate building technology, students demand that their university delivers an excellent experience and value for money – accessibility around the campus contributes to this. As in wider society and other sectors, a technological revolution is underway to provide the best learning environments, including improving interaction with fellow students and academics. On this basis, it’s vital to have the technological infrastructure to underpin the latest software.

But institutions aren’t just considering how undergraduates and postgrads use the campus and the role of technology and software. Most universities are no longer isolated bastions where (primarily) 18-21 year olds are educated almost separately from the surrounding community. Many institutions are embracing the desire by larger swathes of the population to undertake ‘lifelong learning’: voluntarily continuing their education as they join the workforce.

As such, they’re increasingly running courses that appeal to these learners, some of whom are focused on technical skills such as app development and coding that may not have even been offered when these students were educated the first time round.

Again, the issue for universities is providing the software and/or facilities that can teach and accommodate these older students, who may be time poor and attending courses before or after work or at weekends, and might prefer studying in different, more traditional, ways to younger students.

The scale of software investment directed to screen-based delivery of education will enable more lifelong learner participation. The fact that such technologies have received a large share of the £57 billion invested since the beginning of 2013 ensures this.

Further information

Contact Savills Education