Machine learning holds promise for higher ed, but only if used the right way (opinion) Inside Higher Ed

If you ask, many people will say we are in a new era of higher education, one where machine learning and big data analytics are driving rapid change. From the influx of adaptive learning technologies to the automated student support services and predictive analytics models driving new interventions, there are fewer spaces of college and university life that are not being touched by these technological innovations. These technological opportunities could offer a lot to higher education. Indeed, if we ignore the opportunities that machine learning and big data analytics might provide to complement our human capacities, we will do a disservice to those we claim to serve -- our students. But if we treat them as an opportunity to downsize the work force or largely replace human social interactions with automated ones, we are going to lose a lot more than we gain.