The internationally recognized "NMC Horizon Report" series and regional "NMC Technology Outlooks" are part of the NMC Horizon Project, a comprehensive research venture established in 2002 that identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact over the coming five years in education around the globe. This volume, the "NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition," was again produced in a collaborative effort with the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, an EDUCAUSE Program, and examines emerging technologies for their potential impact on teaching, learning, and creative inquiry within the higher education environment. The six technologies featured in the "NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition" are placed along three adoption horizons that indicate likely timeframes for their entrance into mainstream use for teaching, learning, and creative inquiry. The near-term horizon assumes the likelihood of entry into the mainstream for higher education institutions within the next twelve months; the mid-term horizon, within two to three years; and the far-term, within four to five years. On the near-term horizon--that is, within the next 12 months--are "mobile apps" and "tablets". The second adoption horizon, two to three years out, is where individuals will begin to see widespread adoptions of two technologies that are experiencing growing interest within higher education: "game-based learning" and "learning analytics". On the far-term horizon, set at four to five years away from widespread adoption, are "gesture-based computing" and the "Internet of Things." Each of these technologies is described in detail in the main body of the report, where a discussion of what the technology is and why it is relevant to teaching, learning, or creative inquiry may also be found. Given the practical focus of the report, a listing of examples of the technology in use, especially in higher education, is a key component of each of the six main topics. The authors' research indicates that all six of these technologies, taken together, will have a significant impact on learning-focused organizations within the next five years. [For "The 2011 Horizon Report," see ED515956.