Digital transformation in higher education is no longer a future goal; it's an immediate necessity. With AI reshaping learning experiences, students demanding flexibility, and institutions facing enrollment pressures, universities must evolve or risk falling behind.
This guide explores the key trends driving change and what institutions must do to stay competitive.
Key Trends in Digital Transformation in Higher Education
1. Flexible Learning Experiences
A flexible learning experience is essential these days, not just because of unexpected force majeure circumstances.
New challenges have arisen due to the shift in the digital economy's demand for new skill sets and capabilities. The job market has witnessed a sharp demand for "digital", "innovation", "data science", and "information" in their job descriptions and titles.
The current curriculum being taught is fast becoming irrelevant and seems rigid to those seeking to learn a new, in-demand skill or enhance their professional status. As a result, learning centers that provide focused online workshops and certifications are increasingly becoming a popular and cheaper alternative, thanks to the flexibility, focus, and accessibility they have on offer for learners.
Universities and schools should consider the subscription-based model, where students would pay a monthly fee to attend the modules and courses they prefer instead of attending 9-hour school days. Learners can complete their selected courses at their own pace and enjoy convenient accessibility.
Students should be able to access specific learning resources, materials, libraries, labs, and digital learning activities at any time from anywhere across all devices.
Flexibility and accessibility are standard requirements for any digital experience and should be at the forefront when considering an enterprise-level digital project. But it's easier said than done - identifying and investing in the right IT infrastructure will be essential to support a comprehensive digital learning experience for your students.
2. Remote and Distance Learning
The days of strict daily hours of attendance of pre-fixed classroom schedules are over.
We were inevitably going to rely more heavily on remote and distance learning in the upcoming years.
They realized the importance of aligning their strategic business needs with the ideal mix of technology value-stack required to ensure their digital growth and future.
We specialize in providing higher education institutions with comprehensive digital transformation solutions based on Drupal, and we witnessed a sharp increase in both verbal interest and demand from schools, universities, and even teachers for our services.
Schools and universities have immediately reallocated their resources and budgets to prioritize remote and distance learning. Unfortunately, not all schools and universities are technologically capable of embracing full-fledged remote learning as the norm.
Almost every industry has been disrupted by the outbreak of the Coronavirus, but schools and universities have been hit the hardest because they had to reckon with the fact that their entire business model and operations had to change. Do they even need a campus anymore?
3. Immersive Learning Experiences
There is no doubt that flexibility, accessibility, and maximum immersion will be critical in appealing to students around the world.
This has led over 80% of the top 100 universities around the world to adopt Drupal, which enabled them to build a truly digital campus and immersive learning experience for their students and faculty. Drupal has enabled these institutions to seamlessly integrate essential cutting-edge solutions that complement and support their digital transformation.
Essential integrations such as VR.
VR implementation in learning is on the rise and enables any school or university around the world to offer classes to a global audience of interested pupils. For example, a student from Beijing can attend a French language class at a middle school based in San Francisco through VR.
Some universities have introduced A.I. into their learning experiences as well.
Through A.I., students can learn from a robot teacher. This teacher is capable of grading, checking spelling, grammar, etc., and also monitors the performance of students to identify gaps in knowledge and weaknesses, which in turn can be analyzed by academic advisors to further support their students in improving their grades and performance.
Several interesting experiments are being run by Georgia Tech's Center for 21st Century Universities (a Drupal 8 platform) to identify which solutions work and which don't, and are trying to find the right balance between the involvement of A.I. in education and learning experiences.
Who Leads the Digital Transformation in Higher Education?
Digital transformation in higher education isn't about adopting technology for its own sake; it's about reimagining how institutions create value for students, faculty, and society. The universities that thrive will be those that combine the right technology with a clear vision for learning outcomes.
Whether you're modernizing your digital infrastructure or building immersive learning experiences from scratch, the foundation matters. Drupal and Varbase provide the flexible, secure platform that leading universities trust to power their digital transformation.
