According to a new study, only 47% of educational institutions have a digital strategy to improve teaching and learning outcomes.
The Konica Minolta poll estimates that 62% of educational institutions are also looking to increase school profitability and cut costs, while 60% are looking for ways to introduce automation in education.
Understanding where to invest in technology can be a challenging proposition for Australian educational institutions. Already known for their early perceptions of technology, they had to make even more use of technology solutions during the COVID-19 outages when they sought to continue to provide high-quality education to students who were blocked. The next step for educational institutions is to direct immediate investment to improve operational efficiency and excellent teaching and learning outcomes, according to Konica Minolta.
“As new and new technologies continue to provide opportunities for innovation in education, it is very important for education providers to keep up with the times. This includes the adoption of state-of-the-art technology for back office and administrative functions, as well as for student applications. Organizations that fail to do so will find it difficult to compete in an environment that is still under pressure. More importantly, they can fight to adequately prepare students for the world of work, ”said Mark Brown, General Manager of Marketing and Innovation at Konica Minolta.
Not every educational institution will have freedom when it comes to investing in technology. Decisions are always based on available budgets, and resource-rich institutions can better make new, more advanced decisions, including augmented and virtual reality. These technologies can have a profound effect on teaching and learning experiences in institutions where the foundations of education are already working well. Conversely, those in more economically challenged areas may need to focus on improving key elements such as improving digital literacy.
In addition to teaching and learning, institutions can benefit significantly from investing in technologies that improve back-end business processes. By digitizing and automating processes that were previously paper-based and manual, organizations can optimize workflows and reduce administrative costs by allowing these institutions to reinvest savings in activities and technology for students.
Konica Minolta survey results found that 60% of respondents had a half-digital and half-paper archive, and 22% shared that they did not create a digital archive but wanted to do so.
“Digitization and automation are crucial, especially for organizations with fewer resources. Allowing education providers to move away from paper processes can have a significant impact on an organization’s performance, freeing employees to focus on more valuable tasks. Educators also have the potential to drastically reduce waste and improve their environmental footprint by developing and implementing a digital strategy, ”Brown said.
The importance of automation came to the fore during the coronavirus pandemic, when institutions had to quickly move to home schooling. Paper teaching and learning methods have become impossible to manage effectively, while organizations that have already implemented online learning practices have been much better equipped to deal with remote work situations and have supported their students ’concerns about the future.
“Organizations in all areas continue to struggle with the question of where to invest valuable funds for maximum return. Educational institutions face a double challenge: it is necessary to increase the efficiency of back offices while remaining steadfast in their commitment to exceptional teaching and learning outcomes. Determining where to direct resources in favor of these dual problem areas is easier said than done. However, by using digital and automated tools, these organizations can free up time and money, which can then be used to add value, ”Brown said.
“Educational institutions should seek collaboration with a strategic partner to help identify key areas for investment in the short and medium term. This will help ensure that every dollar invested brings tangible results and will help a sustainable institution in the future. ”
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