Implementing Digital Transformation in Education

Stuart Allan, Director of Digital Learning at Arden University

Stuart Allan, Director of Digital Learning at Arden University

The world is becoming more digitally hybrid in nature: businesses are (with a few notable exceptions) adopting more of a digital and in-person blend, and schools’ and universities' use of technology has accelerated following the global coronavirus pandemic.

That said, digital transformation has been slower in education than in other sectors: education makes up more than 6 percent of the world's GDP but less than 4 percent of overall spending on digital transformation. This is arguably a reflection of the constraints within which schools and universities are working, but some educators struggle to reconcile digital technologies with their underpinning assumptions. This can result in digital technologies being bolted onto existing ways of doing things rather than being considered holistically as part of a wider change programme. Research identifies the need for a clear strategy in order for digital transformation to succeed, and this point is as relevant in education as it is in any other area.

With this in mind, there's a need to think about strategies for digital learning not just as an adjunct to (or potential replacement of) campus-based education but as a common enabler across online, face-to-face and hybrid modes.

An Integrated Approach

To embrace digital learning fully, educational institutions have to go back to curriculum, pedagogy and assessment and to think creatively yet critically about the opportunities and constraints that digital technologies present in their context.

Jisc (the UK’s digital, data and technology agency focusing on tertiary education) recently published a framework for digital transformation in higher education, which outlines six key areas of activity that can be translated into achievable goals and actions. These areas are important – we need to enable students, teachers, and professionals to learn, work and thrive in a digital environment – but arguably, they don't tell the entire story.

"Promises that technology can solve educational problems, or guarantee particular outcomes, oversimplify what are complex and inter-related issues."

Well, before we implement the latest technologies, there has to be a clear strategy for digital learning that is anchored in a deep understanding of critical pedagogy, institutional culture and values, and students' experiences. While the core knowledge practices listed in the Jisc framework are no doubt important, shifting to a digital-first mindset means a holistic, ground-up rethink of culture, practices and infrastructure – which requires time, patience, and investment from both governments and institutional leaders. There is, of course, a huge amount of work to be done to understand a complex and ever-changing technological landscape and what it might mean for education. But this work has to be intertwined with a re-evaluation of institutions' organisational culture, including enhanced critical literacies around digital technologies and embedding inclusion in its most meaningful sense.

What we need, therefore, is an integrated approach, as opposed to a ‘pedagogy first’ or ‘technology first’ mindset. We have to think of strategy, technology and education as being mutually informing rather than one driving the other. Promises that technology can solve educational problems or guarantee particular outcomes oversimplify what are complex and inter-related issues.

Universal Design for Learning

In formulating such an approach, we should be guided by the principles of inclusive learning design: setting students clear and measurable goals and providing opportunities to demonstrate the achievement of these; being clear and intentional in our learning spaces and technologies; providing multiple flexible ways for students to interact with educational content and activities; and by creating inclusive, supportive communities that encourage orientation, sharing experiences and discussing concepts. If universal design for learning is baked into strategies for digital transformation, digital learning can be a rising tide that lifts all boats: thoughtful design, interwoven with critical and considerate use of technologies, can benefit students across all modes, levels and settings.

As they embark on digital transformation, educational institutions will need to step back and think not just about the opportunities offered by the latest technologies but about the end-to-end journeys taken by their unique students, the challenges they face, and what success looks like in their context. It is the primary job of those leading this change to listen to those students and to co-create the cultures, practices and systems that will make those journeys as flexible, intuitive and accessible as possible.