No one expected the coronavirus pandemic to last for as long as it has. When higher education institutions were forced to switch to online learning in response to the ongoing safety concerns, the general consensus was that it would only be a temporary solution and students would soon return to campus and resume their education in lecture halls. 

Although virtual open days have been around for a few years now, it wasn't until recently (Coronavirus) when college and university campuses fully embraced the open day digital experience. 

The concept of blended learning, a combination of two learning environments (digital and in-person) was first introduced in the 1960s. However, many higher education institutions have been somewhat reluctant to integrate the hybrid model of teaching and learning until now. What's changed? 

The world of Learning and Development (L&D) as we know it is changing. Over the last few years, we have seen a gradual annihilation of the traditional classroom-style learning environment while new, highly engaging training methods continue to make their way into learning and development departments. 

It doesn't come as a surprise. The digital disruption has forever altered not just the way we shop or communicate but also the way we learn. And with millennials rapidly taking over the global workforce, more and more companies seek to replace the standard, cookie-cutter approach in favor of flexible lifelong learning opportunities to retain Gen Y employees. 

In our previous post, we discussed the possibilities of applying Augmented Reality (AR) in higher education. Let’s now take a closer look at how top universities and educational institutions apply this immersive technology to enhance student engagement, improve learning outcomes, and build future-ready institutions.