Digital Transformation in Education: How to Get Started

E-learning is a phenomenon that already with a long history on the Internet. Schools and teachers all over the world have been trying for more than 20 years to introduce distance learning tools and methods in their courses, to a greater or lesser extent.

With the COVID-19 Pandemic, the interest in e-learning has increased significantly and marks a new upward trend that will continue even after the situation has normalized.

But the digital transformation in the education industry goes beyond the simple implementation of e-learning systems. If you are a company in the education sector, or you want to apply this type of technology for employee training, this article will give you some useful information on the challenges and opportunities you will encounter along the way.

Why Invest in E-Learning?

If you work in the education industry, you are probably already aware of the importance of e-learning. But it is always good to remember some interesting facts to better situate ourselves in the current scenario. Here are a few of them, collected from different sources on the Internet:

• In 2019, the global e-learning market was about $144 Billion worth. In 2022, it could reach $250 billion and $374 Billion by 2026. A 160% increase in 7 years!
• Over 70% of companies in the USA used online learning. From 2020, 98% of US companies and 93% of companies worldwide are planning to do it.
• Courses retention rates are up to 60% higher with online courses than face-to-face.
• E-learning can increase the profit margin per employee by over 20%.

Although face-to-face training will continue to exist for many years to come, e-learning will be the replacement for many types of courses, and the complement for most of them.

For your company to be competitive in the coming decades, it is not enough to offer e-learning alternatives. You must start making gradual but profound changes in all aspects of your business through digital transformation.

What Is Digital Transformation?

Although it may sound strange, the term “digital transformation” does not refer (only) to the adoption of digital technologies by companies (digitization), but to changes in the culture and organization of companies that allow them to make better use of this technology.

In other words, digitization is a means to achieve digital transformation and not an end in itself. Transformation also requires changes in the form of leadership and internal and external communication in each company.

Digital Maturity

Digital transformation is a slow process that involves changes in all aspects of a company through new methodologies and technologies. At this moment, companies around the world are at different levels of this transformation process, which is inevitable, even if some of them have not stopped to think about it.

The digital maturity level measures how the company, both managers and employees, are involved in embracing these changes to achieve improvements in their internal processes and towards customers. Knowing your company’s digital maturity level is the first step in transforming it.

Steps Towards Digital Transformation

As mentioned above, e-learning is only one part of the digital transformation in education companies, and the digital maturity level is the first step to start the change, performed through a specialized audit.

The next step is to perform a strategic analysis of the company’s objectives and the means available to carry it out, through planning in different stages.

In the implementation phase, which can last from months to years, the adoption of the technologies that the company needs, the automation of tasks, and changes in the business model are combined with continuous training of employees so that the objectives can be achieved.

Practical Applications of Digital Transformation

All this may sound too abstract, but if we focus on some of the real needs of a company, it becomes easier to understand.

Think for a moment about some of the basic needs your company may have, and how you are using technology to solve them. Are you able to serve your customers as quickly and efficiently as they need? Is your company ready for telecommuting? Is the sales team spending too much time organizing their work instead of selling? Are you performing very repetitive tasks that could be automated? Are there communication breakdowns?

For each of these needs there are digital or methodological tools that, once implemented in the company, represent a before and after in the way you work and offer your services. And if there is not yet a tool for a very specific need you have, it can be created ad hoc.

The Barriers to the Digital Transformation of Schools

Digital transformation is a process carried out by and for people. For this reason, it is important to take into account some challenges that you may encounter during its implementation.

Reluctance on the Part of Employees

Fear of the unknown is one of the main obstacles to digital transformation, especially among older people. This is normal, considering that digitization poses a threat to many current jobs. But it can be overcome if they see it as an opportunity to improve their work and job opportunities.

Lack of Digital Skills

It is not enough to be willing to use the technology, it is necessary to know how to use it. For this, constant training in the use of digital tools is the key to ensure that the entire organization can adapt to these changes in a homogeneous way.

Limitation of Resources

For many companies, digitization is a sometimes unaffordable investment. However, the most expensive in the long term is not to do it, as it is the key to the company’s survival. There is a wide variety of low-cost Open Source solutions on the market that can be adopted, and there are processes that can be changed even without the use of digital tools if we use a little creativity and flexibility.

Take a Step Forward

Need help getting started with digital transformation in your company? At Iberactiv we will be happy to talk and guide you through the first steps towards the changes you need to succeed in the coming years.

You can start by reading this article that develops a little more on the topic of digitization in schools, and contact us to arrange a videoconference in which we will lay the groundwork to make digital transformation a reality for your business.