The last few years has seen a degree of innovation in the education sector, but there remains a strong sense that much is still needed to ensure that the sector remains fit for the 21st century.  New research from the Association of MBAs highlights how the industry might change in the coming years.

The survey found that around 3/4 of business schools believe significant change is coming to the sector, with many accepting that their curriculum could be significantly improved.  Often this involves ensuring it better meets the latest trends in business, but also includes better engagement with alumni, a greater array of flexible learning opportunities and better use of technology.

Despite technology being relatively unimportant in comparison to the other areas for improvement, the deans nonetheless identified various technologies they believed would be important, including big data and AI.  This, they believe will enable them to provide more personalized and experiential learning opportunities.

Mismatched curricula

Arguably more worrying was the finding that the curricula of many business schools is not fit for purpose.  Just one in six business schools felt their curricula met the needs of employers adequately, especially in high tech fields.  The researchers believe this shows a lack of belief, and perhaps even awareness, about how MBA programs could support the tech industry.

This is also reflected in the integration of digital technologies into the operation of business schools, with just 30% saying this had been done successfully, and just 25% saying they had rolled out innovative new ways of delivering programs in the past year.

‘These findings illuminate both the gaps and opportunities with which Business Schools find themselves, when it comes to technology and how they can use it to enrich their Schools and the students they teach,” the researchers say.

Despite these apparent weaknesses, nearly all of the business schools quizzed for the survey felt confident in their ability to grow capacity in the coming years.

“This indicates that Schools are optimistic about the direction of management education and should perhaps invest further in suitable technological opportunities which enhance the delivery capability of their Schools,” the researchers say.