Technology as both enabler and disruptor in North American higher education: Examining challenges in global survey data collection

• In Event: Higher education dynamics in digital(ized) societies: Quality, research and networked collaboration

Proposal

Digitalization has revolutionized higher education with mixed outcomes. The integration of new technologies offers unprecedented possibilities for advancements in accreditation and quality assurance practices; research and innovative data collection mechanisms; and (inter)national and (inter)institutional collaborations. Despite these opportunities, technology can also act as a disruptor, particularly in the context of survey-based research and global data collection. Drawing on the 6th International Association of Universities (IAU) Global Survey Report, ‘Internationalization of Higher Education: Current Trends and Future Scenarios’ —the only global survey on internationalization since 2003—this presentation highlights significant challenges in collecting electronically distributed questionnaires and achieving true global representation.
The 6th edition of the survey, published in 2024, collected responses from 722 higher education institutions (HEIs) across 72 countries, with over 60% of respondents holding leadership positions—a substantially smaller number compared to the editions conducted in 2015 (5th IAU Global Survey, 907 institutions from 126 countries) and in 2013 (4th IAU Global Survey, 1 336 institutions from 131 countries). The decline in responses is evident across all regions; however, North America—especially the United States (U.S.)—has experienced a continuous decline since the 4th survey edition, decreasing from 253 to 43 responses, which accounts to less than 2% of all North American HEIs registered in IAU’s World Higher Education Database (WHED). Although the 6th edition provides a highly representative global sample, regional and national disparities, such as insufficient responses from North America, limit its capacity for detailed cross-regional and cross-country analysis; thus, hindering the potential for further improvement of North America’s higher education and beyond.
As such, this presentation advocates for the need to address “survey fatigue” and other barriers to engagement with global surveys in a digitalized era. While technology is (or might be) part of the solution, it is clear that a deeper commitment from higher education leaders is essential for increasing participation. To make global surveys, like IAU’s, more effective in enhancing (inter)national and regional higher education quality, innovative outreach strategies and stronger leadership will be crucial. This presentation contributes to the 2025 CIES conference by analyzing the limits and possibilities of survey-based data collection in higher education within digital societies.

Author

• Siro B. Pina Cardona