How Digital Transformation Has Changed Higher Education

If there’s one notion that the digital era has brought to light, it’s that machines can do what man can—only better, faster, and more accurately. No one can deny that computers and network applications have pretty much taken over the world and what used to be simple machines and digital assistants handling minor tasks has now become artificial intelligence and software handling complex manual processes.

The Rapidly Changing World in the Digital Era

The digital age is moving faster than ever, disrupting and transforming how people live, entertain, work, and learn. With new emerging digital technologies such as virtual reality, cloud computing solutions, blockchain, and artificial intelligence, society has no choice but to adapt.

We are smack in the middle of the Fourth Industrial Revolution—the newest chapter in human development. The perfect storm of technologies has enabled the merging of physical, digital, and biological worlds, disrupting every sector in society, from business to higher education.

Digital Transformation in Higher Education

The digital era is reshaping the way organizations function and interact, and the education sector is no exception. As various technological advances are becoming indispensable to modern life, leaders in higher education have found it necessary to go digital to remain competitive and meet the demands and expectations of students and staff.

How Universities Can Drive Digital Transformation

When it comes to the business of higher education, there is a need to keep up with the rapidly evolving digital world by adopting an integrated digital approach. By welcoming the digital era and developing strategies, universities can enable new educational and operating models and transform how they do business.

Below are some of the shifts currently underway in higher education:

Investment in Privacy Protection Technology

Security and data breaches have expanded beyond businesses—colleges and universities are also susceptible to various security threats. With the awareness and commitment to privacy, institutional leaders are willing to invest in privacy protection technologies and to adopt data-protection practices alongside their banking and financial peers.

Adoption of Cloud Computing Solutions

Learning while only being connected to the Internet used to be an impossible and unthinkable concept—but the proliferation of distance learning has created a demand for better and different ways for students and teachers to stay connected.

Online learning has proven the value of cloud computing solutions to enterprises, including colleges and universities. Educational institutions can offer pre-built educational services and solutions through cloud computing, such as updated learning materials and easy access to teaching tools from any location.

Creation of a Student-Centric Ecosystem

To support the entire student life cycle, applications and services are being redesigned with the student experience in mind. Colleges and universities integrate services and use better customer relationship management tools to help students during enrollment, learning, job placement, and continuing education.

Great Promise, Potential Peril

As Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, said, “The changes are so profound that, from the perspective of human history, there has never been a time of greater promise or potential peril.”

There is no question that digital transformation can benefit teachers, staff, and students alike, but managing high-tech solutions and services can become complex and increase an educational institution’s exposure to security breaches.

With changes come new risks. To ensure the welfare of students and staff, institutional leaders must adopt digitized processes while also being aware of the potential dangers and figuring out how to address them. Learning from other industries and working with companies that specialize in digital transformation can help the higher education sector navigate these challenges.

Conclusion

The world is becoming digital, and higher education is not an exception to the rapidly changing processes. With careful consideration and coordination, this sector can provide higher-quality education to more students and offer a learning experience like no other.

Do you want to digitize your university’s processes? Then, let Everestek help your educational institution employ effective digital transformation strategies. We can help develop a completely automated cloud deployment solution or customize current applications through cloud computing solutions. Connect with us to get started.