The Effect of Innovative Communication Technologies in Higher Education

Introduction

The aim of this chapter is to: (1) present a review of some innovative communication technologies in higher education and how these are implemented for organizational, marketing and learning processes, (2) illustrate how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) may drive the introduction and use of plethora of inventive activities in education.

Current trends in higher education institutions (HEIs) are associated with supplying the student with those learning methods that can lead to skills and contribute to his/her creative and individual thought (Cuenca et al., 2015). At the same time, teaching instructors need to be aware of the know-how in the communication and information technology sectors that can be further employed in different fields of research. In parallel the use of new technologies in the delivery of courses offers HEIs competitive differential advantages.

Financial cutbacks and limited government support for institutions of higher education, led to: (a) either a withering effect for them that shrink or merge in order to survive or (b) find innovative ways to survive and attract new students and audiences as potential users while making connections with the community and firms (Bowen, 2013). The implementation of innovative communication technologies with the use of ICTs via computers, mobile phones, telephone lines to access and manage electronic data on the web allows users to actively participate in the learning process, provides lifelong learning opportunities and offers a competitive advantage to HEIs that have not fully implemented the possibilities on offer. HEIs may further adopt ICTs to communicate and promote their services on offer to attract existing and potential audiences but also to initiate technologies in order to provide the most updated tools for their learning process. Virtual and online learning processes cannot substitute for the physical experience, nonetheless, they may contribute to its enhancement.

For innovation to take place in higher education, the organizational culture of institutions of higher education and leadership should support such initiatives (Zhu, 2015).

This chapter presents an overview of the technological advances that enhance communication and strengthen innovation in higher education. A review of literature along with the use of popular business sources provides an as-is on the topic.