Innovation is changing the world around us in many ways. Traditional manual processes have been replaced by efficient and intelligent machines, while phone operations have been replaced by digital means of communication. So, how is the higher education sector keeping up with this rapidly evolving digital world?
To remain competitive, higher education institutions have transformed operations in various sectors and departments in line with the shift to a digital world. Research and innovation in higher education have become mandatory because it is the only way to identify improvements that help institutions to meet the demands of their staff and students.
The move to digital technology has transformed the higher education space. Digitization is helping institutions to improve their scalable capabilities by easing decision-making and leveraging technology to improve business processes.
Read on to explore the top benefits of digital innovation in higher education and some exciting examples of innovations that are changing how educational institutions operate.
Digital Innovation in Higher Education
Digital innovation is the evolution of the foundational elements of higher education using data and technology. The ultimate goal of digital transformation is to streamline operations and improve service to students. The majority of higher institutions have embraced the transformation to improve their practices. For example, digital innovations empower institutions of higher learning to improve learning, administration, teaching, and overall education.
Innovation in higher education extends beyond e-learning and using data to improve operations. Digitization is no longer an option in the education sector. It is something that the institutions require to keep their doors open. The enumeration is based on the fact that digital practices are essential in meeting the needs of modern-day students.
Most college and university students work while learning and need a flexible schedule and curriculum. They are also technologically sophisticated, and hence expect the convenience and ease of digital technology to be provided in institutions of higher learning.
The Benefits of Digital Transformation Solutions in Higher Education
Although innovation can be daunting when you are digitizing an entire institution, the benefits of the transformation outweigh the costs of modernization. Take a look at some of the main benefits of digital transformation solutions.
- Increases visibility. It is easy for the leadership to monitor the status of important projects because they can oversee workflow remotely. It is easy to sign off on projects or share documents within a department while maintaining the transparency of the project status.
- Consolidates resources. Higher education institutions use digital tools to consolidate files, documents, and resources. Digital technology makes it easy to access resources, increasing the security and management of institutional resources.
- Reduces bottlenecks. Whether a higher education institution is small or large, there are a lot of moving parts, and bottlenecks are inevitable. Digitization makes it easy to conduct conference meetings with stakeholders and identify problems faster so you can resolve the issues before they escalate.
- Reduces costs and saves resources. Missed deadlines, delays, and disorganizations lead to loss of resources and money. Digitization is the best way to reduce blind spending and technical debt through tools that consolidate institutional resources.
- Provides valuable insight. Higher learning institutions that embrace digital technology by collecting and analyzing data have a better understanding of their processes, programs, students, and campuses. They are able to improve processes in a way that benefits everyone.
- Eases access to online writing help. A contemporary student is bombarded with essays, term papers, and research writing assignments. If a student cannot write well or is dealing with pressure to churn several grade-A papers, it is easy to get help from online paper writing services. Digitization has made it easy to reach professional writers that provide expert assistance to help you accomplish your writing tasks faster and with high quality. Outsourcing problematic assignments saves students time and stress. CustomWritings is a reputable custom essay writing service that you can contact for free to place a writing order.
- Increases competitiveness. The higher education landscape is changing rapidly, and students prioritize digital solutions and flexibility. Modernizing institutional processes increases student retention, which leads to more revenue. Thus, digital innovation ensures that educational institutions are not left behind.
Examples of Innovation in Higher Education
Electronic Note-Taking and Studying
Interactive whiteboards and displays are some of the most disruptive innovations in higher education. They support student learning by providing digital copies of what the professor wrote during class. Mobile applications are also widely used to scan text and images, making it easy and cheaper to have information from books.
Competency-Based Learning
Higher education institutions are using technology to personalize teaching to more student-mastered content. This kind of learning is more authentic, caters to the student’s training needs, and can be accessed on mobile devices. Competency education also encourages innovations in other fields.
Digital Payment Options
Higher education institutions are utilizing digital payment options to increase the convenience and security of payment processes. Most students prefer to send money digitally. Other institutions have gone as far as embracing cashless technology using phone applications.
E-Learning
Online learning is currently the most popular digital transformation in higher education. Many instructions offer online classes that provide students with flexibility and freedom in education. Other related innovations include video streaming and flipped classrooms.
School Apps
Institutions of higher learning are leveraging the value of digital apps designed specifically for their school and students. Examples of services that can be accessed through school apps are student grades, upcoming events, maps of campuses, and many more.
Digital Textbooks, Chatbots, and Online Library Guides
Libraries have experienced a digital transformation by digitizing books and journals to ensure the resources are accessed by more than one student at a time in a convenient and timely way. Similarly, chatbots have revolutionized library learning by easing the communication between students and librarians. Students can ask a research question whether they are in or out of the library, and find answers and suggestions of related library materials on the topic.
The Use of Data Analytics
Higher education data analytic software has enabled institutions to collect, compare, and analyze sets of data collected from students and campus operations. Data analytics makes it easy to gain a holistic and overarching view of the learning institution, which eases the decision-making process. Leveraging data analytics is how institutions are breaking free of the past and becoming institutions of the future.
Digitally-Controlled Utility Systems
Smart technology is common in the management of utilities in educational institutions. Most utilities on campus are controlled digitally. The technology also helps to gather data on energy use, determine ways of conserving energy, and suggest solutions to increase efficiency.
Wrapping Up
Higher education cannot ignore the expectations and preferences of innovative services by students and staff. Like in most other industries, the educational sector has to embrace innovation that supports automation, simplicity, self-services, and personalization. They must also accelerate the process of digital transformation to take advantage of the many benefits of digital technology and remain competitive.
