3 Ed Tech Shifts That Will Define 2026

Where AI, Student Expectations, and Quality Will Reshape Higher Ed

As colleges and universities operate with tighter budgets and growing uncertainty, leaders are being pushed to reassess their priorities, and digital learning is emerging as a central focus of those conversations. At the same time, the digital learning landscape is entering a new phase defined by rapid advances in artificial intelligence, rising expectations for the student experience, and increasing pressure to demonstrate quality and accountability in online education.

For chief online learning officers, instructional design leaders, and the campus teams shaping academic technology, 2026 will be a defining year: a moment to pair innovation with intentionality, and technology with inclusive, student-centered design.

Based on what we are seeing across the Quality Matters community and in conversations with institutional leaders nationwide, three shifts will take center stage in the year ahead. Together, they point toward a maturing digital strategy — one that positions online learning not as an emergency solution or an enrollment hedge, but as a core academic function requiring thoughtful investment, cross-campus collaboration, and institutional leadership.

Prediction 1: AI Will Drive a Renewed Emphasis on Instructional Design

Much of the public conversation surrounding AI in higher education has focused on productivity tools, content generation, and the need for new frameworks to address academic integrity. But in 2026, the most consequential impact of AI for the teaching and learning community won’t be the tools themselves — it will be the renewed attention they bring to instructional design. AI, and the opportunity to harness it through design, will shine a bright light on what students need to be able to know and do and how to assess that. This is the core of effective teaching, and AI is surfacing it in new and unavoidable ways.

AI makes it easier to produce content, but it does not replace structured, intentional, pedagogy-informed course design. In fact, the easier it becomes to generate content, the more important high-quality instructional design becomes. Institutions are beginning to recognize that AI-generated materials must still align with learning objectives, integrate accessibility, support inclusive teaching practices, and meet quality standards.

The easier it becomes to generate content, the more important high-quality instructional design becomes.

In 2026, successful institutions will invest in instructional design capacity, not as an optional support function but as essential academic infrastructure. AI-assisted design will become part of the workflow. Still, instructional designers will remain the experts who shape learning pathways, guide faculty in evidence-based practices, and ensure that emerging tools support — not dilute — learning quality. AI will accelerate work only when paired with human expertise.

Prediction 2: The Digital Student Experience Will Become a Strategic Priority