Educate and Innovate: How Digital Transformation can Benefit Higher Education Institutions

Educate and innovate; that's the purpose of higher education institutions

Technology is now as big a proponent of normal, everyday life than ever before, and in higher education, it's grown beyond a simple 'nice to have' feature. The COVID-19 pandemic sent technological adoption into overdrive, with courses taken from outside the traditional lecture halls and instead taking place in the homes of students across the country. While that set a precedent to keep innovating, there's still a long way for universities to go on the road to digital transformation.

Across the sector, only 12% of decision makers deem their digital transformation strategies a success. It comes at a time when UK universities are facing an uncertain future, with a "triangle of sadness" being formed between debt-ridden students, a stretched government, and overwhelmed university staff. It's imperative for universities to reassess their digital transformation strategies. They must obtain a better understanding of how certain solutions, such as a unified communications platform, can create simple and effective communication channels that ease universities into a digital shift.

But what benefits does investing in digital transformation bring to universities?

Removing the obstacle to remote and hybrid learning

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced universities to close their doors, learning was taken online. Although students were deprived of the social aspects of campus life, courses could continue, albeit in a strange new fashion. It's a trend that has continued to grow as more people find a finer balance between their personal and professional lives - by 2029, the number of users of online education is set to be over 15.7 million. The prospect of remote learning may also suit international students, as the number of students arriving from EU countries in the wake of Brexit dropping by 7%. For universities, that infrastructure must be in place.

A lack of investment in robust online learning platforms makes it difficult to deliver the level of education that students expect. A quarter of students have experienced issues when accessing systems off-campus, making it difficult to retain engagement and establish a reputation of academic rigor. Even on campus there are technical struggles (predominantly from WiFi connections), which impacts the 66% of students who prefer to operate a model of in-person and online learning. If students are facing an uphill battle to learn no matter their location, then universities are obliged to do more to accommodate this shift towards hybrid learning.

The seismic and sudden changes caused by a global pandemic meant universities had to act quickly to implement technology that could support remote learning. The short-term goals to continue operating were achieved, but it was unclear when some sense of 'normalcy' would return, making it difficult to create a long-term strategy. That 'normalcy' soon shifted towards hybrid learning and incorporating technology into supporting this new model of learning. While the barriers to digital transformation can be difficult and ever-changing, the future of the way higher education institutions operate is now clear to see.

With that in mind, universities can assess whether the technology initially put in place to deal with the short-term can now be fully utilised in the long-term. By having that clearer picture, universities can make further strides on the road towards digital transformation.

Improving the overall student experience

91% of students now believe that the digital services offered by universities should now be at least as strong as in-person ones. A learning environment that incorporates seamless technological solutions can start to meet these expectations at a time when the need to retain and attract students is more crucial than ever. Meeting those standards can give universities a competitive edge over other institutions in the sector and increase enrolment numbers and their overall reputation.

For universities that are lagging in their digital transformation deployment, students are faced with an outdated, fragmented digital experience. Whether it's a below-par registration system or a limited access to vital digital resources, students won't appreciate having to navigate such disjointed processes. IT leaders in higher education have cited that the biggest barrier to a successful digital delivery is the organisational culture itself (70.45%), which contradicts how universities need to be run with student-centricity in mind.

Digital transformation can help universities avoid the negative long-term impact on both admissions and reputation that a disjointed student experience can bring. Universities need to prioritise incorporating pieces of technology that are built around the needs of these key stakeholders and provide the superior experience they're looking for. A seamless way to communicate and a timely response to their enquiries, whether it's about their grades or their accommodation needs, are just two things that students expect when reaching out. Solutions like unified communications are certainly more than capable of providing that.

Reforming an inefficient and costly infrastructure

For every £1 of public money invested in universities, £14 of economic benefit is generated. With the higher education sector estimated to have an economic output of at least £116 billion, it's certainly money well spent! The financial crisis that currently grips higher education is one felt by all institutions, with factors including capped tuition fees and falling applications from internation students threatening to escalate the situation quickly.

Outdated communication methods and a reliance on manually completing administrative tasks create an inefficient environment that consumes many resources and opens the door to errors. When university staff don't have access to automated and integrated systems, like the ones that a unified communications platform can provide, this can lead to increased operational costs, the wasting of valuable time, and the diversion of much-needed investment away from other departments. Propping up legacy technology and relying on these costly solutions creates more hassle than they're worth.

When digital transformation promises to cut costs and boost efficiency, it's an opportunity that higher education institutions cannot afford to miss. As previously mentioned, committing time and resources towards supporting an outdated technological infrastructure can have a widespread impact on the university. Adopting innovative products like unified communications can help to refurbish this infrastructure by making operations more streamlined and manageable, while alleviating any concerns regarding cost effectiveness. With communications centralised in one location, staff don't have to rely on multiple applications to conduct their roles, saving time jumping from platform to platform and making processes far more efficient.

Creating new opportunities for research and innovation

At the heart of any university is research, with the work being done by some of the nation's leading minds helping to solve today's challenges and prepare us for the future. Over 80% of the UK's universities have research capabilities rated as 'world leading' and is a major factor in influencing where prospective students choose to study. Ground-breaking projects in renewable energy and infectious diseases, for example, already promise to deliver a better outcome for the global population, with digital tools and technologies a vital component in supporting these innovative studies.

However, a lack of digital transformation means universities will struggle to keep pace with the rapid advancements in methodologies. If research projects and departments are unable to collaborate more effectively and access a global research network, then institutions are at risk of missing out on groundbreaking discoveries that can change our lives. A continuous decline in meeting the initial objectives of these research projects will cause precious funding to be pulled, which is a major concern considering the financial landscape of the sector at large. As opportunities for better, in-depth projects dry up, then students will think twice about continuing their studies further and cause a greater deprivation of world-changing discoveries and advancements.

When universities digitally transform, their research parameters transform as well. Powerful data analysis and real-time collaboration can all bring about the best results from the research projects taking place across the higher education sector. Each completed project shows just why innovative new research must keep taking place, especially when built upon the foundations of a more adept digital infrastructure. Data management itself, however, goes beyond its application in research, and can make a real difference to a university's administrative capacity.

Overcoming the challenge to data management and security

Data can be found aplenty within the walls of a university; from student records to financial information, there are plenty of data sources to process and manage. Considering each student has specific needs and wants across their academic career, it's important for university administrative staff to keep their records as updated as possible. That data itself can also be applied to improving the student experience, which can be pivotal considering today's students hold universities to a higher standard compared to previous generations. An effective system that processes data more concisely means these insights can continue to deliver the best possible outcomes.

However, universities that are straggling behind in terms of digital transformation will find it difficult to handle vast amounts of sensitive data. Inefficiencies in processing data leads to a greater chance in that data being inaccurate, ultimately becoming useless when students are looking for answers to any of their questions and queries. While inaccurate data is something all universities want to avoid, an outdated infrastructure is more susceptible to data breaches. 61% of universities were more likely to fall victim to a cybersecurity incident, with these situations leading to disrupted operations, financial implications, and reputational damage.

For the reason of protecting sensitive data alone, digital transformation must be pursued by universities across the country. Systems which prioritise security and data protection are ones that universities must adopt to meet regulatory standards, preserve student trust, and keep sensitive data safe. A modern way to manage and organise data can provide those real-time insights that improve the student experience and guarantee a more efficient way to both work and collaborate.

A way forward for higher education

Digital transformation isn't just a fad or a trend for the UK's higher education sector. Rather, it's a key strategy that's designed to create a thriving, modern educational landscape. When universities fail to adopt digital solutions, they're faced with the challenges of rising costs, inefficient data management, and a diminished student experience that harms an institution's competitiveness. With the potential to conduct in-depth research also under threat, a lack of digital transformation is something universities cannot entertain.

An important step on that journey to digital transformation is to adopt a unified communications solution that's designed to streamline communication channels and improve operational efficiency. Investing in technology and innovative systems such as these can position universities as leaders in their respective sector and build the foundations towards future success. If digital transformation isn't prioritised, then the costs of inaction will become too great to ignore.

When universities adopt a unified communications solution as part of this push towards digital transformation, they're in a strong position to re-imagine business communications.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.