Digital transformation has changed the way that businesses operate, but it is necessary to have digital strategies in place for educational institutions as well.
When we were forced to accept the digital world after an outbreak that originated in 2020, members of all walks of life began praising and practicing digital education.
The European Union is already taking steps to support the sustainable and effective adaptation of education and training systems to be in line with the digital age. They’re not alone, either – there are many other global or regional initiatives for supporting digitally inclusive societies and economies.
Digital education has many advantages for both students and educational institutions. However, there are challenges that need to be considered, such as
What is digital education?
Digital education has so many different meanings and applications, but in general it is used to apply to the use of digital technologies and tools in teaching and learning. It can also be interchangeable with phrases such as:
- Technology-Enhanced Learning
- Digitally enhanced learning
- Online learning is a practical and affordable way to get the education you’ve always wanted.
- Online education is a good way to learn.
Digital education may feel like a natural evolution of education in general, but it actually signifies a major shift in how the whole educational system works. HolonIQ research shows that the educational sector is still under-digitized, with less than 4% of total expenses comprised of digital.
As digital education becomes more prevalent, there needs to be more investment in the educational industry on all fronts. The challenges that this poses should not be taken lightly.
Students need to learn how to apply the newest digital technologies in order to be successful. Teachers and professors also need to find ways of teaching their students that differ from face-to-face lectures. Institutions need to adjust their systems in order to make the most of digital education practices.
What are the benefits of digital education for students?
There are many benefits of taking digital education over traditional ways of teaching, such as improved employability. Students in digital courses are able to pick up skills on their own, namely how to be more employable due to their digital skills.
Personalized learning
A traditional classroom setting can be intimidating for students. They have to keep up with the pace of the lecture in order to avoid being lost. However, digital education removes those pressures and gives students opportunities to learn on their own terms.
With recorded lectures, students can replay lecture material as many times as they need to in order to master a concept. They also have the opportunity to learn more from lessons tailored specifically to their individual cognitive skills.
Cooperative learning
Digital education will teach students how to effectively collaborate with others in the workforce. One effective way is through collaborative learning and project delivery in an online environment. Students can learn this skill and more and be prepared for what their future careers will require.
Connected learning
Technological advancements have changed the way students learn. Instead of simply having a teacher lecturing, common technology used for online learning is an instant messaging service like Rocket.Chat. This allows students to connect with classmates and have access to resources that may be more difficult to find in a traditional setting.
Ease of access
One of the benefits of digital education is that there are more accessible courses available for learners. It’s much easier to engage in an online course when you have a disability than it would be at a traditional college.
Engaging lessons and material
Educators have more options to engage students in today’s digital environment than they did in a traditional classroom with a whiteboard. Images, audio and video? The sky’s the limit!
And finally, many EdTech make use of game-based learning techniques that make the learning process fun and engaging.
How can educational institutions mitigate the risks related to digital education?
The risks of data breach are higher in the digital world, which means that both businesses and educational institutions need to maintain their high level of security.
This not only includes strengthening IT networks, but also opting for new technologies that are secure. This can sometimes be difficult for universities with limited budgets to acquire digital education tools. For this reason, many college institutions have turned to open-source software. Here’s what the benefits of open-source software in higher education are.With open-source technology, universities can more easily customize new technology to fit their complex system and usually for a smaller price than proprietary software.Moreover, the technology used at colleges has to adhere to high data privacy standards.
Companies across the world are increasingly adopting regulations for how data is handled. In the EU, GDPR is important; so much so that GDPR-compliant software is necessary to avoid being penalized. However, Gartner predicts that by 2023, 65% of the world’s population will have its personal and private data protected by privacy regulations. This means that an increasing number of companies will have to pay attention to these important criteria in digital education.
Digital education technology for security-conscious universities
Rocket.Chat is the most secure instant messaging app in business today, and it’s being used by over 400 schools and universities to improve the digital learning experience for students and teachers alike.
One of the best features of Rocket.Chat is that it can be customized to fit the existing infrastructure of universities. Plus, it’s designed to protect your data while still being fully open-source.
Learn how Rocket.Chat can help higher education institutions with digital education best practices and features that promote smooth collaboration between students, teachers, outside entities, companies, and universities.
As the university’s experts for higher education, we know how important it is to protect your digital environment. We offer consulting and support to help you enable internal and external collaboration. Contact us for more information.
