7 Strategies That Make Digital Learning Work
The forced digital transformation of Higher Education and the way forward Post-COVID-19
In 2018, a joint study conducted by Boston Consulting Group and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation set out to prove the value of digital education and specifically the promise it could have towards first-generation and non-traditional students. The study titled Making Digital Learning Work included case studies from both public research universities and community colleges. Objectives for the study on digital learning included:
- Improved Student Access and Affordability
- Higher Retention and Graduation Rates
- Reduced Operational Cost for Institutions
Overall, the results proved that digital learning could be leveraged to accomplish all three of the objectives mentioned above. Two years later seems like the perfect time to revisit this initial study. Under the current post-COVID-19 circumstances it would be interesting to review the studies' findings and how it can be adjusted to fit the new normal. Within the study, they highlighted seven key practices that allowed for the results of digital learning to flourish, institutions should focus on practicing most of these in order to stay digitally relevant. I’ve adapted their original proposal to take into consideration current events and how institutions can ensure that they are creating engaging online/hybrid courses that will meet the needs of today’s learners.
1. Creating a Strategic Digital Portfolio
One size does not fit all, and it is important for institutions to create a strategic portfolio of various digital learning options to offer students this coming fall and beyond. This means offering variations of traditional credit courses as well as non-credit, micro-learning, and just in time learning, that may or may not include the awarding of a credential. This equates to the strategy of making sure you are not putting all of your eggs in one basket. Given the experience of online learning that occurred during the spring semester, students will be demanding more variety and engagement if they are expected to pay full tuition. Many articles are writing about a Hy-flex model that incorporates hybrid, fully online, and even some 100% face-to-face courses to allow students to have maximum flexibility.
This, however, is only a part of what should be an institution’s digital strategy, the current unemployment rate according to the Bureau of Labor Studies sits at 13.3% (2020) and that is a significant amount of potential students that universities should not ignore. This segment of the population could be better served by offering a portfolio of micro-credentials that can prepare the workforce of today with the skills needed for tomorrow. Many institutions already have a division or School of Continuing Education, and this should be the hub for experimentation on workforce ready credentials. Chances are this work is being done at your school, but just needs additional support from central units.
2. Build In-House Digital Capabilities
Do you have digital learning experts on campus? Many executive administrators believe their only option for digital transformation is to leverage outside consultants or online program managers to create their online learning portfolio. This might solve the immediate needs and desires of the Board of Trustees, but it does overlook the fact that many faculty or academic technology staff members already have the capabilities to create the online programs in-house. The problem with these experts on campus is that they are often working in silos and it is virtually impossible for executive administrators to know of their work.
Moving forward this needs to change and the model of every man for himself can no longer be an operational approach no matter how successful it might have been in the past. Do you think Silicon Valley startups that are actively trying to disrupt higher education will work in silos? Institutions need to function as if they are not the only option for students and witnessing the current success of EdX and Coursera the competition is getting fierce. If you happen to find yourself not having any experts on your campus, then it is time to start building the internal capacity that will push your institution into the digital frontier.
3. Digital Student Support
When it comes to student support, the options that campuses provide tend to focus on tutoring, student activities, as well as counseling services. Does your institution offer any of these services digitally? If not, it is time to start offering a variety of modality options for services that students need in order to succeed. Many online departments in universities have built student success coaches as part of the online program to help assist the non-traditional learner.
Now that online learning could be the norm for all students, it’s important to consistently offer the support that would easily be found on campus. Mental health during these challenging times is a crucial component of student success that cannot be overlooked. Make sure that your counseling services are still available online as well as promoted within the various sites to remind students to take advantage of this much-needed service.
4. Faculty as Digital Partners
Faculty are the heart of any institution, but they are not always the first people who are called up when digital transformation is being talked about. This is a problem that continues to add to the numbers of skeptical faculty. If they are not engaged from the beginning of these discussions, it is very easy for them to devalue the possibilities of digital education.
Many institutions provide support to faculty to help them transition online whether it is a Center of Teaching & Learning or an in house instructional design team, but these conversations always start at the point of course development. More needs to be done to include faculty members in strategic conversations so that they are aware of what is ahead and have a seat at the table from the very beginning.
5. Full Commitment
Higher Education cannot view digital strategy as a side dish of what makes up the collegium, as COVID-19 has proven, it needs to be viewed as a central part of an institution’s priority. The students can see very clearly when their universities are not committed to providing them adequate learning environments and would be more than happy to take their educational needs elsewhere or worse elect to sue your institution.
If you prioritize your digital strategy you will be able to invest in the tools, infrastructure, and talent that is necessary to ensure quality learning environments that are modality agnostic. As discussed in an earlier strategy, centralization is key to success and what affects one part of the institution can very well have an influence on the rest.
6. Outside Assistance
Although universities should invest in the building of internal capacity for digital learning, they cannot always do so alone. There is a time and place where it is important to leverage outside help. Whether this comes in the form of technology vendors or marketing capacities, partnerships can increase the overall revenue of your programs.
For many smaller institutions, this is the only way to survive this movement to digital, but you have to weigh out all the pros and cons of doing so. It is best to think specifically of where your current gaps in expertise are and where you cannot fill positions to think of partners that meet those needs. One of the universities from the study, Arizona State University, is a perfect example of this blend of approaches. They partner all the time with external vendors but leverage their internal expertise on deciding whether to move forward with educational technology or partnerships.
7. Power of Learning Analytics
Data is the new oil and many large corporations are pivoting their business models to include data infrastructure to store customer information. Higher education has been notably far behind in the adoption of the data they receive in courses via the LMS (learning management system). All the while utilizing data successfully for their admissions and marketing teams. This is a gap that needs to close quickly, especially since the data that is collected within an LMS is rich with information that can help student success.
How much time is a student spending on a course? What are the modules that are stumping them on quizzes? What are the average grades within an entire program? These are all questions that can be answered by leveraging the metrics that are being recorded within an LMS. Some institutions have found it useful to leverage external data platforms such as Tableau to help visualize the data that is being collected.
These 7 strategies provide a great overview of the areas that administrators should be focussing their efforts on. Even if classes are face to face this fall, the future of higher education is still digital. The demand for flexible learning modalities will only increase and it is up to institutions to adapt to the needs of the learners. Higher education is facing a unique challenge, but not one that it cannot endure and thrive in.
Although higher education has existed in some form or another for thousands of years, it has still always needed to adapt to the changing societal landscape. Many institutions are ready for this change, but unfortunately, the ones who are too hesitant or stuck in their ways will not survive the coming storm. What is your institution doing to stay digitally relevant and what strategies are you incorporating to meet the needs of today’s learner? Comment with your thoughts.
