Digital Transformation in higher education allows the creation of a learning environment where everything is connected.
Given the history of slow adoption of technology in higher education, a Digital Transformation shift is not just physical but also philosophical. An e-learning policy requires the use of industry best practices in order to adopt effective infrastructures that best allow and support an effective Digital Transformation.
Although sluggish in terms of adoption, Digital Transformation has been at the forefront of change in education for over a decade. The digital experience lets both students and faculty improve their skills in order to advance their academic life within a dynamic and inclusive teaching and learning environment in sync with the 21st century.
In a recent keynote address at the virtual Online Learning Consortium event, Professor Eric Appau Asante, Director of eLearning at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, southern Ghana, spoke about how KNUST realized its mission of advancing knowledge in science and technology and how they resourced their eLearning Centre in order to lead Digital Transformation in online teaching and learning in Ghana and beyond. “As an institution, we believe in the fact that there is the need for us to have a strategic blueprint to ensure an effective Digital Transformation in education. And the transformation we seek to achieve must not fail, and it must be very effective,” Professor Asante said.
The presentation highlighted the essence of leadership, pedagogy, infrastructure, students, and partnerships involved in the deployment of e-learning.
Professor Eric Appau Asante identified the five components or steps of the Digital Transformation framework in online education, diving deeper into each one as well as drawing a parallel with his institution.
Leadership and Culture
Professor Asante believes there is a need for every institution to pay attention to leadership and culture. He says that to handle this transformation that institutions seek, there is a need to pay attention to:
- Internal stakeholders: People who have a direct interest in online teaching and learning in an institution, and directly contribute to the online education. They are the primary target of the Digital Transformation agenda. For the KNUST e-Learning Centre, the main internal stakeholders are students, lecturers, and university management.
- Leadership structure: The KNUST e-Learning Directorate has a Functional Organizational Structure with the Director on top of the hierarchy followed by the Registrar and an Administrator.
- Governance models: Most of the models used globally include: Multi-stakeholder governance, collaborative governance, and board governance. The KNUST e-Learning Centre has adopted the board governance.
- Innovative culture: Online/blended education can progress through the innovation circle with the aid of an innovative culture. Adopting digital technologies improves productivity and quality, ultimately benefiting all stakeholders.
Teaching and Learning
For Professor Asante, Teaching and Learning constitute a significant landmark. To achieve an effective online education he refers to the following:
- Digital strategy: A successful digital strategy will seek to empower the institution. The way to achieving this is by closing the digital gap for all stakeholders, empowering faculty in the use of technologies, adopting interactive videos, voice recognition software, and devices as new ways of teaching and learning, and increasing bandwidth and connectivity around campus.
- Pedagogical practices: A number of contemporary pedagogical practices are required to achieve Digital Transformation in education including: Learner-Centered, Collaborative, Integrative, Reflective, and Inclusive Inquiry Based Learning.
- Faculty development: This is paramount for eLearning proficiency and must be a continuous process. Institutions need to establish professional development programs, workshops, and training sessions to support faculty in the transition and adoption of Digital Transformation.
Institutional Infrastructure
Professor Asante said the following components are key to delivering quality online education:
- Connectivity: Challenges institutions need to address in order to offer access to online content without interruptions include: Loss of Internet or data during an online class, poor audio or video quality, inability to upload assignments or lecture materials.
- Educational technology: A road map for Digital Transformation needs to consider the adoption of educational technology including a combination of digital tools, software, and hardware used to deliver an effective online instruction, thus creating an engaging online learning environment.
- Instructional design: Once having the required infrastructure, institutions need to carefully plan and design the online curriculum and instruction to achieve an effective Digital Transformation including: Conducting a needs analysis, design and development, implementation, and evaluation.
- Learning analytics: Practical uses include: Inform curriculum decisions, inform institutional decisions and strategy, understand and improve the effectiveness of teaching practices.
Student Experience
Professor Asante emphasizes the importance of student experience.
- Engagement - Enrollment: Ensure easy access to courses and contents.
- Administrative support: Effective support structures must be in place to provide assistance to students and facilitators.
- Academic support: It breaks down barriers between students and faculty, building student confidence and motivating them to reach their potential.
Partnerships
For Professor Asante, the support of collaborations and partnerships is paramount in ensuring an effective Digital Transformation.
- Development: Mutually beneficial partnerships can make a great impact speeding up the Digital Transformation agenda.
- Management: Partnerships are built and sustained for an effective world class e-Learning.