Michael D. Richardson’s research while affiliated with Columbus State University and other places

The world of higher education is now global with online learning a driving force in much of the world. Globalization of higher education has created vast new opportunities for e-learning, particularly for adult students. However, adult learning online is different from online for traditionally aged students. Global universities are increasing their online programs to take advantage of economic considerations, particularly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications for learning online. Using online learning for adult education is essential in the changing global world. Connotations of adult learning theory for professors using online learning are many and varied. Traditional pedagogical styles will not work effectively with adult learners who desire concrete, hands-on, practical information with learning activities characterized by active involvement, task-orientation, flexibility, and creativity. Online students often want opportunities to acquire skills directly applicable to job competencies for current employment or preparation for a future job.

The technological revolution of the past two decades has changed global higher education, particularly with the impact of social media. There are two primary functions of social media in higher education: instruction and marketing. Social media offers higher education students an array of options to socialize, network, stay informed, and connected, but technology proficiency may not be the same for instructors. As social media use by students becomes more established, educators in higher education pursue methods to parlay expertise in instruction into increased opportunities to advertise and market higher education institutions. Social media's impact of instruction in higher education is undeniable. The next major focus is on social media as a robust recruiting instrument to increase enrollment in global higher education.

Global higher education institutions are significantly impacted by a key component of chaos during challenging times: the ability to effectively respond to ambiguity and uncertainty. Today’s COVID-19 global pandemic created a challenge so quickly that higher education leaders had little opportunity to assess, evaluate and make informed judgments. The dynamics of the situation presented more complexities than ever previously faced. Global higher education institutions with the ability to manage ambiguity and uncertainty can successfully survive. Conversely, the inability to cope with change could lead to failure.

Innovation and change in university preparation of teachers requires acquisition of technological pedagogy in response to the demands of a knowledge economy where students are engaged in technology implementation in a constantly changing world. Teacher preparation programs historically have been contained on campus using face-to-face instruction. As the second decade of the twenty-first century unfolds, universities have adopted online learning in teacher preparation to accommodate the needs of a more diverse clientele. Educator preparation now faces two major challenges: a critical mass generated by net generation students who have increased demands for online access to learning and a teaching force without prerequisite skills and dispositions to dramatically alter modes of instruction.

The technological revolution of the past two decades has changed higher education; technology use in higher education, particularly with respect to the implementation of social media, has yet to reach the expected potential. Technology offers higher education students and faculty an array of options to learn, network, stay informed and connected; however, social media use comes with risks and consequences. Personal use of digital technologies for social media communication is one thing; social media use by professors for communication with students is another. Can social media be used in higher education to improve learning through student and faculty collaboration? Are there less than desirable results in the interaction of social media and higher education?

Increasing numbers of university students are studying online. Distance learning enrollment in global higher education has increased dramatically in the past two decades due to the ubiquity of technology, increasing diversification and globalization, and use of new advanced technology. The development of online learning programs has focused primarily on implementing educational technology to deliver academic content while enhancing the online learning experience. A significant element for the success of distance education programs is the provision of student support services that are appropriate to the unique needs of distance learners. Technology has facilitated this new era in global higher education making the utilization of technology essential to provide university support for online clients. Student support services are all kinds of services other than the coursework rendered by the institutions to online students/learners to facilitate their success.

The leadership needs to develop new organizational structures and systems that will promote and encourage quality learning and the ability to assess the impact of the teaching. Governments across the world have steadily minimized their support for public higher education, and costs associated with gaining a degree have increased constantly over the last decade. Most universities are forced to adopt a restructuring model for commoditizing education to make a profit from large numbers of students. The road ahead for higher education is filled with challenges, risks and uncertainties that begin with education being valued as more than a simple commodity: education becomes a public good. Higher education is increasingly viewed as a major instrument of economic development. In order to hold universities accountable despite limited governmental budgets, many nations have adopted performance-based university research funding strategies for targeted programs.

The world of higher education is now global with online learning a driving force in much of the world. Globalization of higher education has created vast new opportunities for e-learning, particularly for adult students. However, adult learning online is different from online for traditionally aged students. Global universities are increasing their online programs to take advantage of economic considerations, particularly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications for learning online. Using online learning for adult education is essential in the changing global world. Connotations of adult learning theory for professors using online learning are many and varied. Traditional pedagogical styles will not work effectively with adult learners who desire concrete, hands-on, practical information with learning activities characterized by active involvement, task-orientation, flexibility, and creativity. Online students often want opportunities to acquire skills directly applicable to job competencies for current employment or preparation for a future job.

Technology for learning and globalization make the business of global higher education more complicated and competitive each day particularly in the unfolding pandemic of COVID-19. Innovation and change in global university instruction require adaptive technologies in response to the demands of a knowledge economy where students are engaged in rapid technology acclimatization in a constantly changing world. As the beginning of the third decade of the 21st century unfolds, significant changes are taking place in global universities to accommodate the needs of more students, different students, and challenged students. The global pandemic has forced most of the global higher education community to offer instruction through online learning. Although universities extensively use e-learning, distance learning, online education, remote learning, or some other form of technology-driven education currently, what are the prospects of online learning in the future after the pandemic?