Fourth industrial revolution - a review of applications, prospects, and challenges for artificial intelligence, robotics and blockchain in higher education

Much has been written about the fourth industrial revolution’s (4IR) contributions to and its impact on higher education (HE). In addition, review studies have been conducted on the contributions of 4IR technologies to and on their impact on HE. Most of these studies have reviewed single 4IR technologies in isolation as attested to by the review studies cited in the current study. Against this backdrop, the current study reviewed, discussed, and synthesized the applications, prospects, and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and blockchain at given higher education institutions (HEIs) between 2013 and 2019 as reported by 26 selected journal articles. Employing a slightly modified version of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for searching and screening, three of the findings of this study are worth mentioning. Firstly, the dominant AI technologies for learning are chatbots, and AI holds the prospect of personalized, scalable, and affordable learning. Secondly, the applications of robotics are exploratory in nature, and have a meta-teaching and a meta-learning orientation. Thirdly, some of the applications of blockchain relate to digital grading, digital credentialing and digital certification, and to real-time contracting and time stamping of learning. The implications of this review are that the three sets of technologies reviewed, have a lot applications for HE, barring the challenges that have been outlined.