The discourse over digital transformation at learning institutions across the board has been widely delved into by many stakeholders like the government, teachers, students and their parents. BusinessToday spent some time discussing the matter with a technology solutions provider to understand the industry’s standpoint of digital transformation in the field of education in Malaysia.
BT: As Malaysia transitions to the endemic phase, why is it important for education institutions to transform and prepare for the future?
Steven: Transforming education is critical for a society’s development. A recent Lenovo study found that students perform better academically in schools which have introduced the use of smart technology in everyday learning. The Malaysia online education market also projects a promising compound annual growth rate of 16.4% (2016 to 2023) with the mobile e-learning segment estimated to account for a market share of 35% by the end of 2023.
Smart education technology such as Hybrid learning, powerfully combines the advantages of personalisation with convenience to offer a learning environment that is best suited to address the changing needs of students in the present times. Hybrid learning is an educational model where some students attend class in-person, while others join the class virtually from home. Educators teach remote and in-person students at the same time using tools like video conferencing.
Personalised learning, the hybrid approach to learning makes it possible for every student to learn at a pace that is comfortable for them, thereby increasing retention. Due to a smaller group, teacher – student interactions can be much more personalised and effective.
A hybrid approach gives control to the students over the time, place and pace of learning. This Increased flexibility often translates to increased attendance and participation in the classes.
Tech-assisted learning will help to customise the learning and teaching process to suit different student audiences, which can eventually lead to better learning outcomes.
These technology solutions allow students to experience immersive, active learning.
Students and educators are looking for collaborative means of personalised education — by using technology which can keep them engaged, help create opportunities for online engagement, and provide convenience and reliability.
In order to remain up-to-date in an increasingly competitive global environment, it is critical for our educational institutions to be at the forefront of our digital transformation priorities.
Rather than just adding staff and facilities, there is also a need to understand and improve the dynamics of the teaching and learning processes, to ensure that our students develop skills needed for the future.
BT: What are the challenges faced by schools and students now when implementing hybrid learning?
Steven: The education sector needs to undergo a next-level digital transformation, one that can empower students to discover the joy of learning beyond physical classrooms. However, this mission comes with its unique set of challenges that needs to be addressed with more comprehensive educational solutions.
It’s important to engage with students longer, that is by creating and utilising engaging content that holds the attention of students both in school and at home. Most teachers (89%) shared the biggest challenge is that the students get distracted or lose concentration during live sessions.
Learning must be likened to a seamless experience. This means the process must offer effective hybrid learning which entails proper remote management, a proven teaching process, all of which needs a collaborative effort as well as a focus on security, even on home computers. There also is a need for digital connectivity and equity where any student can participate.
The call for cybersecurity is important here, with an increasing number of cases of organised and cartel-style ransomware attempts, the risks posed will require over 70% of schools fortifying their cybersecurity and data encryption defences. Based on Lenovo’s latest education study, up to 85% of Malaysian parents expressed stronger emphasis on the attributes on privacy and security during e-learning.
Automated administration and operations which leverage artificial intelligence (AI) needs to be applied to automate various tasks on a given campus to drive up efficiency and enhance learning outcomes.
Digital upskilling is also crucial whereby educators and parents will need to undergo training to develop digital skills that foster better student engagement, knowledge acquisition and learning retention.
And finally, digital wellness which means personalised wellbeing and counselling are applied to help teachers, parents and students cope with the demands of remote learning.
BT: How can education institutions future-proof their technology infrastructure for a seamless hybrid learning environment?
Steven: With hybrid learning, the IT infrastructure of any education institution is being tested in ways it never has been before. Some key elements to ensure infrastructure longevity include robust network infrastructure where connectivity is key!
The first step to digitalisation is to ensure that there is stable and persistent access to high-speed Internet in and out of school. Also, this has to be matched with powerful learning devices, that is to ensure equitable access to digital learning opportunities.
Education institutions need to work with both the public and private sectors to implement programmes specifically focused on providing devices for all students. For example, the partnership between Lenovo and the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and Politeknik METRO Tasek Gelugor (PMTG) saw the provision of 72 ThinkStation units to meet the students’ needs for powerful workstations in their creative field of studies.
Ultimately, education institutions must find the balance between being cutting edge enough that they are poised for the future, a lack of this may leave students and teachers behind.
BT: What is an Education Technology Blueprint and why should education institutions start outlining their blueprint in the post endemic phase?
Steven: An Education Technology Blueprint evaluates the performance of an education system with considerations of historical starting points against international benchmarks. The blueprint also offers a vision for the education system with aspirations of the students, as well as suggests strategic and operational shifts that would be required to achieve that vision.
It provides a strong foundation that is reliable, responsive, and data-driven within the technological environment. It empowers teachers, students, and administrators to achieve more every day with intuitive devices. It gives everyone easy access to the data they need to gauge and improve on the academic and administrative processes and performance.
At its core, the blueprint aims to equip students holistically and ensure they are prepared for the demands of a 21st century workforce. It is crucial for education institutions to have a clear sense of their education-tech goals in order to be aware of exactly what is required from all aspects.
From an operational perspective, a blueprint is necessary to create an agile, flexible and responsive system and an effective IT environment. The aim is to put in place a system which serves the needs of every learner, teacher, and administrator.
For the students and teachers, it’s about enabling a next-level collaboration that is central to creating a modern teaching and learning environment. The right platform would bring people, learning content and the insights together. This is the difference it can make between success and failure for students and teachers.
Finally, from a technical perspective, it’s about choosing devices that offer superior value and support for learning. Powerful devices can run real-world software, preparing students for life beyond school, and enable rich 3-D learning experiences.
BT: How can vendors help education institutions build their technology blueprint and launch them into a digital transformation journey?
Steven: Every education institute is unique and are at different points in their digital transformation journey. Finding the right vendor that can cater to their personalised journey is key to their success.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution that can be applied to all schools. We will work together with you to assess the readiness of various factors including their infrastructure and skill sets of educators, before crafting a custom-made plan of how we can help them. Once everything is in place, we deploy, pilot and provide the training required to all the stakeholders, so that we can maximise the success of their digital transformation.
There are essentially three key stages needed to render what is deemed to be a successful education transformation, and it starts with designing. The next stage is the pilot stage, where the institution’s team would be trained to manage the technology end-to-end. Then, a transition plan is drawn up to deploy or hand over the system to the team.
In addition to providing the industry with our EdVision Solution, we are currently running an EdVision Community Program which is free for all educators. The program allows for teachers to benefit from the company’s community outreach, community support, workshops for self-development and free Microsoft Certification Training.
Note: Steven is the Senior Sales Director, Head of Relationship Segment of Lenovo Malaysia
