Transformation to Digital Learning in Higher Education Sector and its Future in the UK

Digital learning and teaching, skills and literacy have never been that important in the HE education sector as in the pastfew years or decade the most. Educators and learners had to implement and learn the new ways of learning and teaching across the HE education sector. Presently, to adapt and to become familiar with technological features in education is crucial by maintaining pace with digital developments in HE education by theory and practice.The pandemic of Covid-19 further highlighted the fundamental role of technology in our daily lives especially forteaching and learning(Seufert, Guggemos, &Sailer, 2021).

The whole landscape of digital learning transformation is facing the new challenges and experiments in the nearly future. Over the next years the digital teaching and learning in HE education will be transformed into the new settings and levels.

What is digital education?

There are numerous of definitions from academics and researchersabout digital education. Although, the key idea of digital education is continued innovation of IT during teaching and learning. While the academics supports the idea that digital education is of many elements integrated to comprehend digital education.

Digital education often is mentioned to as Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) or e-learning, is the creative use of digital resources and innovations while teaching and learning.Exploring the use of emerging technology offers teachers the ability in the classes they offer to design interactional learning environments, which can take the form of mixed or entirely online programs and courses (Delgado Kloos et al., 2017), (Banerjee et al., 2015), (Celeste McLaughlin, 2018).

Where digital education is now in terms of innovation and transformation of digital teaching and learning.

Probably the utmost period and challenges in the HE education was experienced during pandemic. The importance of digital teaching and learning was reminding about the future of transformation and revolution in the HE education across the Globe. This period has thought the education itself about the future developments, enhancements, and challenges across the HE sectors in the future ahead.

To be a successful in the education these days you have to understand digital education environment. Schools, Colleges and Universities across the UK are tied up with current technology innovations in education and this transformation is making IT skills more essential among educators and learners.

Digital media are also creating new opportunities for digital teaching and learning. People working in the HE education should meet the challenges of digitalization and take advantage of the opportunities it presents by using an inclusivemethod. Digital education unable learners to grow and contribute further to self-development and social life as well.  Additionally, enhanced Digital Education will ensure the competitiveness in the education market.

There are more than 370 million internet users in the world. Technology is used to deliver lectures and to give knowledge and to develop skills
in innovative ways. Additionally, Students can access exclusive online study modules of various subjects, which help them to enhance their knowledge even without a teacher.

Transformation to digital learning provides the education sector with a great opportunity to rethink how they design and deliver university courses in their institutions. All higher learning institutions aim to offer parity of experience to all learners, whether they study in person or online, from abroad or locally (Bonfield et al., 2020). Thus, digital transformation in higher learning institutions will enable learners to benefit from a better choice of place and pace of learning.

The wide adoption of digital learning in the UK means that the ideas of what it means to be in a university will have to be reconsidered. Proactive and personalized digital transformation will help create and nurture a long-lasting relationship between university staff and learners. However, higher learning institutions will need support to enhance the digital skills, resilience, and confidence needed to succeed in the new environment (Barth, 2014). The use of digital tools to support and enhance learning may happen during, after, or before a learning session and support various pedagogic purposes. Therefore, effective use of digital learning tools is essential in helping to ensure learning continuity, meeting future and current social distancing needs, and positively engaging with students.

In a nutshell, the higher education landscape is changing and will continue to change. As a result, the available learning models may not be practical or appropriate. The higher education sector will have to reflect on how online learning can be used in delivering modules. Also, it has to reflect on how the existing curriculum models will need to be changed to fit the new learning future.

Mr. Ben Bander Abudawood. Mr. Giedrius Zilionis

References:

Kaur, A. (2019). One Day National Seminar “DIGITALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION” Digital education -Scope and challenges. [online] Available at: https://www.allresearchjournal.com/archives/2019/vol5issue4S/PartD/SP-5-4-42-835.pdf [Accessed 27 Jan. 2022].

Seufert, S., Guggemos, J., & Sailer, M. (2021). Technology-related knowledge, skills, and attitudes of pre- and in-service teachers: The current situation and emerging trends. Computers in Human Behavior, 115, 106552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106552

Delgado Kloos, C., Rodriguez, P., Velazquez-Iturbide, A., Gil, M. C., Fernandez- Manjon, B., & Tovar, E. (2017). Digital education in the classroom. IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference, EDUCON, November, 31–32. https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON.2017.7942818

Banerjee, P. M., Belson, G., & Clugston, D. (2015). Digital Education 2.0: From Content to Connections. Deloitte Review DELOIT, 16, 130–145. https://dupress.deloitte.com/content/dam/dup-us-en/articles/future-digital-education-technology/DR16_digital_education_2.0.pdf

Celeste McLaughlin. (2018). What is digital education? INSTITUTE FOR ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT (/INSTITUTE- ACADEMIC-DEVELOPMENT), University of Edinburgh.
https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.3412.2960

Barth, M. (2014). Implementing sustainability in higher education: Learning in an age of transformation. Routledge.

Bonfield, C. A., Salter, M., Longmuir, A., Benson, M., & Adachi, C. (2020). Transformation or evolution?: Education 4.0, teaching and learning in the digital age. Higher Education Pedagogies, 5(1), 223-246.