Everything around us is rapidly going digital. Once manual processes are now handled by intelligent and efficient machines, while phone operators and secretaries are being replaced by computers and digital means of communication. You can book a trip, order dinner, pay your bills, make a doctor appointment and even apply to college without ever picking up a pen, talking on the phone or printing out a sheet of paper.
When it comes to the business of higher education, these facts are relevant. So, what is higher education doing to keep up with this rapidly evolving digital world? It’s called digital transformation.
With the digital age moving faster than ever, higher education needs to set themselves up for the scalable capabilities it will require to remain competitive. So how are schools meeting the demands and expectations of their students and staff? Below are 7 examples of digital transformation within the higher education space:
1. Chatbots and online Q&A availabilities in libraries: Despite the rapid digitization of information, the library is still an important and relevant piece of the education landscape. However, allocating funds and staff resources to the traditional library in the same ways of the past no longer provides enough ROI.
To meet the changing needs of their students and budget allocation, libraries are exploring digital transformation. One relatively simple way they are doing this is by digitizing periodicals and books so they can be available online to more than one student at a time. This increases the library’s value and convenience to students and staff.