Five (easy) ways to innovate in higher ed
Being in higher ed has a bit of an advantage when it comes to innovation. Most of our institutions are risk-averse and slow to change. So, to innovate, we don’t have to come up with things that have never existed before. All we have to do is look at how other industries have been doing things for years now and try to copy that in our own work, offerings and services.
This, in fact, was the topic of my 2021 PSE Web and ContentEd talks, and I’ll share a quick summary for now. Below are some lessons from other industries that can quickly help you innovate.
Lesson #1 from Real Estate
Create easily comparable online resources & extremely robust virtual tours.
You know how you can search for properties based on attributes and lifestyle variables like walkability and distance to school? And if you want, you can compare properties using a tool across this set of variables important to you? Do this for your programs and set up a search/compare tool on your website.
Also, you know how real estate has comprehensive and detailed virtual tours, where you can even look up at the ceiling and walk through the hallways? Do this too. Make sure your virtual tours are more than one view into a space.
Lesson #2 from Food Delivery
Give applicants access to real-time updates about their application, with more details than you think are necessary.
If you have ever ordered food via a food delivery app, you know what I’m talking about. Let’s use UberEats, for example. When you place an order, you get an immediate status update with a moving graphic. The moving graphic creates the illusion that things are, in fact, moving (even though they are not). It also gives you an estimated range of delivery time. Every time you open the app, this status tracker page changes. The status is slightly different, or the countdown has progressed… even if nothing has actually changed. Seeing these continuous updates on the app (even when nothing is actually happening) gives you comfort that your order isn’t stuck.
Now imagine this for your application process. What if, when students apply, you give them an immediate status update that gives them an estimate of when they may hear back? I hear my former colleagues saying, “We can’t do that. We can’t guarantee a time.” But hear me out. Even if that timeframe is “Expect a decision in 5-6 weeks”, and *even if* you have to delay it, you are giving them an update that eases their waiting anxiety. And what if, every time they checked the status, it was slightly different… even if there hasn’t been progress?
For example:
Check 1 - Your application will be reviewed soon.
Check 2 - Your application is moving up in the queue!
Check 3 - Your application is on track to be reviewed.
Check 4 - Your application has been assigned to an admission officer!
These four statuses basically mean the same thing… we have your application, but it hasn’t been reviewed yet. If you display these four different messages, it gives the *illusion* that progress is happening, and there is nothing wrong with the application. Try this, and you might get fewer frantic emails asking for a status update.
Lesson #3 from Food Delivery (again)
Empower your front line to make things right immediately, and only escalate or refer if needed.
If the restaurant you ordered from forgot to send a beverage, reporting this on the UberEats app is straightforward and immediately resolved. Under a certain threshold, they simply refund you, no questions asked. If it’s a more complicated issue, then they refer you.
The people answering your emails and phone calls should be able to perform customer service magic. They should solve basic/common problems without referring the case to anyone else. Here are some examples:
Waive a fee
Waive a requirement
Find a missing document
Correct an application data entry error
If your front line is able to resolve these things quickly, your applicants will leave that interaction delighted. If you have to refer these simple issues, and thus they have to wait in a queue again, they will be frustrated.
Lesson #4 from Retail
Create specific and conscious experiences that mimic reality.
Why go to a store if you could buy online? Many retailers are struggling with this question, and the thriving ones have figured it out. Don’t just sell products… offer experiences.
For us in higher ed, we have to be purposeful about our on-campus events.
When you go to Ikea, you don’t go to buy furniture. You go to sit on the couch. Rest on the bed. Smell the plants. Touch the blanket. Taste the Swedish meatballs.
If you invite students to your campus, don’t just check them in and hope for the best. Create deliberate experiences that mimic the reality of being a student on your campus. Have them walk through a busy hall. Let them taste the food. Orchestrate some live music (pun intended). Plan experiences that deliberately engage all five senses: see, smell, hear, touch, and yes, even taste.
Lesson #5 from Fitness
Make it easy to follow steps, gamify milestones, and give them ways to connect with each other.
Any other Peloton fans out there? 🙋🏻♀️
One of the reasons Peloton is so addictive is that they have found a way to gamify participation. 1) You get badges for certain milestones or challenges, and 2) You get to see how others are doing in comparison to you.
If you’re struggling with engagement at any point in your enrolment funnel, there’s a lesson to be learned here. I can see a use case for this during the summer onboarding period. Most institutions have some version of the following next steps:
Accept offer
Register for courses
Attend orientation
Buy textbooks
Meet with an academic advisor
Can you “gamify” the completion of certain requirements by awarding milestones with stickers or badges that display in a student’s portal? And (respecting all privacy laws, of course), can you make some of these successes public so students can see how they’re tracking in comparison to others? You’ll be amazed at what some people will do for a badge.
So, there you have it. To be innovative in higher ed, we don’t have to look too far. What are the experiences in your personal life that delight you? And how could you translate those into your work? In terms commonly understood in higher ed: Take advantage of this “low-hanging fruit” 😉! And big kudos to the institutions out there that are actually innovating. You are an inspiration to all of us!
