Every higher education institution shapes the student experience by applying a storied history to its own unique traditions. But there’s one area where every institution must depart from tradition to prepare students for what happens after graduation and for a central factor in the working world—and that’s digital transformation.
Digital transformation is a common buzzword in the business space. It’s making waves in higher education because of its universal impact on the skills students need to have when they make their way into a professional work environment. To set students up for success in any area of study or profession, institutions must prepare students to communicate effectively and operate in a digital environment.
It’s only by complete immersion and repeated exposure to the means of digital transformation—such as new communication practices, patterns, and platforms—that students can truly gain the experience and competence required to succeed. Institutions must not only prepare students for digital transformation in the workplace but also immerse students in it throughout the educational experience.
That’s a tall order for most institutions today when only about 24% of CIOs or CTOs say their institution has made digital transformation a priority (a percentage that jumps to 52% if the CIO or CTO is on the president’s cabinet).
Institutions face pressure to prepare students for classes, careers, and beyond; an outcome that’s inseparable from digital transformation. Here are three areas where institutions must design their approach to student success around new practices that welcome and celebrate technology:
- Incorporating Student-Centered Digital Learning Practices
“Universities and teaching should go through a significant digital transformation to fulfill the demands of today’s generation and the fully digitized world they will be living in,” writes Mohammad Akour and Mamdouh Alenezi.
But to function in a fully digitized world, students need to be exposed to a digitized learning environment and given resources that help them overcome any digital divide that may exist outside the institutional ecosystem. Today, that starts with student-centered digital learning practices like those highlighted by EDUCAUSE:
- Computers, internet access, and cloud-based technologies
- Synchronous communication technologies like audio, video, and text/chat
- Time management and self-regulation
- Instructional content and teachers
- Help desk support
- Community-building and networking
For some institutions, it’s a matter of systematically embracing and implementing these digital learning practices and making resources available. For other institutions, it’s a matter of promoting and systematizing the practices already in place and increasing access to resources that are not used enough by the student population.
- Augmenting In-Person Learning with AI and Advanced Technology
Digital learning technologies like learning management systems have been used in higher education for decades. Still, some institutions are taking digital transformation one step further by exploring AI and advanced technologies. Case studies from the Online Learning Consortium show that these technologies “enable more innovative and engaging teaching methods and learning experiences,” and they do so at scale.
For example, one instructor used adaptive courseware to increase student success in gateway mathematics courses at the University of Central Florida. Adaptive learning technologies give students activities, assessments, and feedback in a personalized way, allowing institutions to augment learning and assessment for students without additional instructional support.
Other institutions use Grammarly for Education to support students with an AI-powered writing tutor, giving them insights and feedback about important communication concepts like tone, clarity, and more in real time. This kind of personalized, scalable support makes it easier to augment in-person learning without putting additional strain on overburdened instructors.
- Supporting Instructors with Technology Education
Digital teaching and learning is an expertise of its own, which means there will be a period of adjustment for instructors as they adapt to digital transformation within the higher education classroom. Many institutions see a need for additional training, support, and services for instructors and personnel to prepare to serve students in this way.
By way of instructor development, institutions might consider the following training areas highlighted by EDUCAUSE:
- Pedagogical and technological skills
- Faculty attitudes and beliefs about digital transformation
- Accessibility for physical and cognitive disabilities
- Copyrights and intellectual property rights
For some institutions, investments to support instructors with technology education can also look like additional personnel. Some institutions see a need for additional instructional designers, technology support specialists, or academic and student support services staff. It can also look like incentives and recognition for existing staff members as they pursue new training.
Help Students and Staff Make the Most of the Digital Era
Digital transformation is central to the modern workplace, so it must become central to the modern higher education experience. Without experiencing learning, assessment, and feedback from digital sources, students will graduate into a professional environment for which they’re unprepared.
If digital transformation isn’t a top priority at your institution, it’s not too late to make it one. The digital transformation of higher education is still in its infancy, a reason many institutions are prioritizing student-centered digital learning, AI and advanced technology, and instructor support in their budgets for the coming year. Now is the time to support instructors, staff, and students in making the most of all the opportunities embedded in digital transformation.
Prepare your students for a world that has embraced digital transformation. Contact our team to learn more about Grammarly for Education.
