Restructuring educational institutions for growth in the fourth industrial revolution (4IR): A systematic review

Abstract

Industrial Revolutions basically have transformed human lives. We have gone from hand production to mechanized production into computerization or automation of concepts into products (Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)). However, 4IR urges the process of transferring data from digital domains and offline reality via interconnected systems to improve lives. The technologies in 4IR enter into varying areas, such as the economy, medicine and education. Educational institutions have contributed greatly to reshaping future technologies by being the test laboratories for innovations. In the meanwhile, there is an immense need for looking beyond the traditional educational approach. This can be achieved by strategically employing the trending technologies to prepare students and educators with the right kind of knowledge and set of skills. It is imperative to ask questions about how the delivery of education will be undertaken and how educational institutions will be restructured by the 4IR to prepare students for the challenges ahead.