- Along with moving everything online during the pandemic,
institutions re-examined their business models
and considered new ways to provide value.
They found themselves taking digital transformation on,
whether they were ready or not, just to survive.
It's time to take advantage of that momentum
and build on it.
Educause's showcase on digital transformation
offers four lessons.
Let's explore them, learn how to act on them,
and then put them in context.
It's time for higher education to transform,
as UVU president Astrid S. Tuminez describes.
- The disruption has been going on for a very long time
in higher ed.
Our culture is not always known for agility,
and I think that transformation,
it comes with a mindset that we have,
understanding who the people are that we're trying
to serve with higher education,
and then really putting students more at the center
of everything we do.
- Since the pandemic, many more institutions
began Dx journeys.
Educause's recent Dx quick poll showed
an enormous 31 percentage-point jump
in the number of institutions that are engaging
in Dx today compared with just two years ago,
the fall before the pandemic.
It's time to learn about
what digital transformation really is.
Educause has some useful resources to help you learn,
including a solid definition,
a slide deck you can use to introduce Dx
to a group of people at your institution,
and a special website to help guide your learning.
Cost, getting buy-in, and being technically prepared
are all barriers that may make it hard
for your digital transformation efforts.
The biggest, though, is insufficient
cross-institutional coordination.
In a recent case study sponsored by Spectrum,
Educause describe Arizona State University's
technology office.
They're improving cross-institutional coordination
by changing the IT culture to become
more collaborative and proactive.
They've hired a new chief culture officer
and built positive core values and leadership principles.
It helps to understand more about your institution's
readiness for digital transformation.
Educause has a Dx self-assessment you can take
to identify areas to focus on.
Digital transformation is a series of journeys
during which the institution focuses
on particular outcomes like enrollment
and makes the shifts in culture, workforce,
and technology that are required to achieve those outcomes.
Over time, changes in the institution's culture,
workforce, and technology accrue
to enable even greater transformation,
to achieve even more ambitious objectives.
Educause has a tool you can use to start drafting
your next Dx journey.
Our Dx strategy on a page helps you work with a group
at your institution to help clarify the impact
you hope to have, and then the work
you'll need to do to get there.
The pandemic has focused institutions on transforming
teaching and learning so they can happen well
any place and any time.
According to Hodge's and McCullough's Educause
review article, involving faculty in Dx
is more possible than ever.
They described a UNC Charlotte initiative
to help faculty use the LMS to its full potential.
They've created two tools;
a standard LMS course template for any faculty member
to download and adapt, and a customizable checklist
for online course design.
So, we've learned four lessons from Educause's
digital transformation showcase.
Where do we go from here?
The 2021 IT issues report suggests three scenarios
for higher education.
One of them is transform,
or re-defining the institution and taking an active role
in creating the innovative future of higher education.
Institutions on the transformational path
have already begun their Dx journeys.
They're shifting their culture, workforce,
and technology to help the institution
achieve transformational outcomes.
For those just beginning to explore Dx,
remember our four lessons,
and learn about Dx, know where you stand,
design your upcoming Dx journey,
and consider a journey for faculty.
(ambient music)