The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt our daily lives, with higher education being no exception. As many universities approach their Spring 2021 semester, online teaching and learning are at the center of their focus to ensure academic continuity. EesySoft has been instrumental in helping institutions to transition to fully online learning.
We have highlighted five tips to aid institutional digital transformation as suggested by Liliana Camacho (2020) in her E-Learn Magazine article (5 Considerations to Start a Digital Transformation Plan at Your Institution), and how EesySoft can help you to achieve these goals!
Camacho's five tips and how we can help:
- Begin a Plan with End-Results in Mind
Setting both short and long-term goals will outline clear objectives for your institution. By setting clear goals, your institution has a coherent starting point. Share these goals with your EesySoft Customer Support Manager (CSM) so that we can work together to make these goals a reality. Not sure where to start? You can schedule a strategic planning session with your CSM and they will guide you through a goal-setting process with your overall objectives in mind.
- Adopt the Right Technology and Tools
Make sure that you are using your technology to the best extent possible. Often during a digital transformation, it is easy to focus on the breadth of technological advancements, but miss the mark on depth. However, with EesySoft, LMS admins can help users utilize their LMS systems and 3rd party tools by targeting them with EesyMessages and using the EesySoft data reporting tools to monitor activity.
Check out these examples of ready-made EesySoft campaigns that promote the use of the 3rd party tool Unicheck!
- Create Effective Online Courses
Camacho (2020) suggests that effective courses establish assessment tools, stipulate clear instructions, provide meaningful resources, and focus on effective activities. EesySoft helps make online assessment simple by creating awareness of the appropriate tools right within the LMS. You can create targeted in-line messaging campaigns which provide your users with support articles, resources or video guides to improve their EdTech tool usage.
Check out another EesySoft blog post about digital exams HERE!
Not sure if students are accessing the correct materials? EesyReports can give insight into pain-points for students and faculty. Utilizing data-informed in-line messaging can help users adopt new tools, provide support, and access the relevant materials within your LMS. Plus, messages can be pre-designed and placed on a timed schedule at any point in the semester.
- Create a Digital Culture
Institutions should strive to create a digital culture that embraces technology as a foundational element of learning. Even if students are not physically on campus, EesySoft can help remind them of the support services they do have access to. For LMS specific support questions, EesySoft provides out-of-the-box help content at the moment of need directly in your LMS for admins to deploy as needed.
Check out this EesySoft Universe example to promote virtual academic support services HERE!
- Develop or Enhance a Student-Centered Approach to Learning and Development
While LMS administrators may often focus on instructors, Camacho reminds us that learners need to be at the center of digital transformation, with pedagogy being the guiding force behind EdTech adoption. EesySoft allows you to create campaigns to communicate to specific users specifically to students to guide them through any tasks in your LMS. With the ability to get up and down votes on EesyMessages deployed by your LMS admins you can view the impact on this behavior and get instant student feedback!
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In an era where time and financial pressures are at the forefront of everyone’s mind, let EesySoft do the heavy-lifting. EesySoft can help you digitize on a budget and save valuable time with our “out-of-the-box” campaign materials.
Learn more about how EesySoft can help your institution in its digital transformation. Contact us at hello@eeysoft.com!
References
Camacho, L. (2020, October 11). 5 considerations to start a digital transformation plan at your institution. https://elearnmagazine.com/five-considerations-start-digital-transformation-plan/
About the authors:
Annelise Ewing Goodman and Katie van den Berk are Customer Success Managers at EesySoft. Annelise has a Bachelors and Masters of Science Degree in Communication and is currently finalizing an Ed.D in Higher Education Administration. Katie also has a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Arts Degree in Communication. Both Katie and Annelise have worked in higher education as instructors and administrators.