Report: Generation Alpha – Coming to a University Near You

Preparing for Generation Alpha: IT implications and strategic considerations for higher education

Three years from now, the first Generation Alpha students will join the ranks of your institution. Born in 2010, the year the iPad and Instagram were launched, today’s 15-year-olds are the most digitally connected generation.

What’s unique about Gen Alpha, is their “native” use of technology and its effects on how they see and engage with the world. Since birth, they have used screens as pacifiers, entertainment, social facilitators and educational aides. Having engaged with online learning as early as primary years throughout the pandemic, Gen Alphas are self-taught, expect instant answers and are likely to look for them online – via the likes of ChatGPT, TikTok and YouTube – rather than wait to ask their teachers.

So, how will your institution adapt to meet Gen Alpha’s expectations of AI-powered learning and 24/7 digital access? What happens when traditional classrooms meet a generation raised on YouTube, edutainment, and mobile-first design? Can your IT infrastructure keep up with the demands of students who code before university and expect more from digital tools than ever before?

This report provides valuable insights to help you answer these questions and shape your IT strategy to remain relevant. We commissioned The Insights Family to survey 423 students aged 12–16 across the UK, and used available data from 2000 respondents, representing a diverse mix of genders, socio-economic backgrounds, and geographic locations. Their answers reveal how Gen Alpha learns, what technology they use in and outside their classrooms and what they expect from higher education.  

You will gain valuable insights that can help shape higher education IT strategy to continue to attract and retain Gen Alphas over the next few years.

What you’ll learn

• AI is already mainstream for them: 65% are using or planning to use AI-powered tools

• 84% of Gen Alphas own a smartphone, yet 26% don’t have regular access to a laptop or tablet

• 76% can code or want to learn, with many already self-taught

• 92% expect universities to provide devices to borrow, use, or own

• Only 18% think courses should be only on campus, hybrid or remote models are the preferred