Instructure Holdings, Inc. (Instructure), the leading learning technology ecosystem and Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) maker, reported a significant shift towards integrating edtech solutions such as an LMS to broaden students’ post-graduation career opportunities.
Carried out in September 2023 and commissioned to Hanover Research, the study highlights the vocational institutions’ cautious yet increasingly engaged approach to generative AI. The State of Vocational Education in the Philippines survey encompasses 115 institutions. It indicates a significant shift towards integrating edtech solutions such as an LMS to broaden students’ career opportunities post-graduation.
The report indicates that a significant majority of vocational education institutions, around 89%, give high importance to the employment rates of their recent graduates. Additionally, approximately 81% of these institutions value their students’ practical application of knowledge and skills. When assessing their programs, all institutions believe they effectively prepare students for the workplace. However, more than half of the institutions, i.e., 53%, face difficulties achieving satisfactory employment rates for their recent graduates.
As the job market becomes more competitive, vocational education institutions are utilizing technology as a valuable tool to impact instructors, administrators, and students positively. An overwhelming 97% of these institutions believe technology has been critical in improving student success.
LMSs have emerged as the most commonly used technology, with 77% of educational institutions utilizing them. Digital assessment solutions (62%) and video/audio conferencing (59%) were also widely adopted among educational institutions. This further emphasizes the value of technology in education, as 88% of institutions report that their students place great importance on integrating technological tools like LMSs, recognizing their role in enriching the learning experience.
Addressing competition and challenges
According to the report, 65% of institutions said they are seeing a high increase in competition from universities offering nontraditional courses for students, such as short courses or micro-credentials.
The current inflationary environment has also had a mixed impact on these institutions. While 88% of institutions have experienced increased enrollments, cost pressures related to home life (81%), household income (74%), and access to technology (74%) remain concerns.
Moreover, the institutions expressed the need for assistance complying with standards (45%) and increased funding (37%). These findings emphasize the sector’s need for additional support to equip students with the required workplace readiness.
The AI dilemma
While 32% of vocational institutions have incorporated AI tools into their operations, 38% have opted to ban them entirely. Additionally, 23% are familiar with these tools but choose not to use them, and a small fraction (6%) lack knowledge about them.
According to the report, administrative staff are more likely to utilize AI tools (34%) than trainers (30%). They are slightly less inclined to support bans on these tools (38% admins versus 39% trainers). Admins mainly use AI tools for research and writing (59%), lesson plan creation (49%), and administrative tasks like email drafting (46%).Meanwhile, students utilize AI for research and writing (76%), language translation (46%), and test preparation (45%).
The report also highlights that vocational institutions are less concerned with plagiarism (31%) and more concerned with issues such as the loss of creativity and critical thinking (52%) and data privacy (49%).
Despite some apprehensions and outright bans, most institutions (91%) have established guidelines for using generative AI, with 56% implementing light guidelines and 35% enforcing stricter ones.
To keep pace with the prevalence of AI tools, 75% of vocational education institutions in the Philippines actively offer AI training, showcasing their commitment to embracing and adapting to AI’s technological disruptions.
“It’s vital that institutions continue to provide strong support to students as they complete their courses and advance in their lifelong learning journey. This involves not only equipping them with the latest technological tools and skills but also overcoming inherent challenges in this rapidly changing educational landscape,” said Harrison Kelly, managing director at Instructure Asia Pacific.
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