Aims of the report
In a workplace that is becoming more and more affected by the relentless pace of automation, FE educators have a crucial role in equipping future employees with the critical thinking and applied knowledge skills they will need in their working lives.
However, in order to do this colleges must adapt.
Three components to a successful digital transformation strategy:
1. Empowering institutions to embrace change
All stakeholders, not just IT leadership, must be a part of the technology procurement process. In essence, both those who teach and those who are taught must be consulted when considering edtech options. FE institutions need to be directed towards the range of resources that are available to them so they are able to choose the educational technology that best fits.
2. Ensuring successful adoption
Colleges need to ensure that technological adoption is given time. Staff and students must be given sufficient opportunity to understand and use new technology.
Another measure that can boost adoption success rates is the formal, or informal, appointment of a tech ambassador. An early adopter or tech enthusiast can provide guidance to less tech-savvy faculty and extol the benefits of technology to those who haven’t yet used it.
3. Getting measurement right
A holistic approach to measuring a project’s success is recommended. Management and leaders, as well as the technology’s users, ought to give a balanced evaluation of the service and how it has met or not met their respective goals. Teacher advocacy is also crucial to gauging whether a product is being used effectively.
Of course, the best measurement starts even before a product is bought. Before a college even begins to use a tech product or service, they should be thinking about how they can evaluate its usefulness. Administrators should produce a list of goals that they hope to meet with the help of the tech they are buying.
Conclusion
Education technology offers tremendous opportunity to improve learning outcomes, expand access, and cut institutional overhead costs without reducing faculty or instructors. However, lack of formal guidance makes buying the right tech and ensuring it is used appropriately a challenge for many FE colleges.
Making informed choices, dedicating time and resource to staff and student training, and continuous evaluation of the technology’s effectiveness are crucial to an institution making the most of its edtech.
To view the full report, head over to canvasvle.co.uk