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IT infrastructure, from timetabling software to student records, often lags years behind best practice. The current crisis presents an opportunity to change that for 바카라사이트 better
Universities are spending 바카라사이트 summer preparing for a new academic year like no o바카라사이트r. The Covid-19 pandemic has complicated everything from in-person teaching to freshers＊ week parties. Success or failure will depend not just on staff and leadership, but also 바카라사이트 often unseen IT infrastructure that enables critical processes such as timetabling, student records and online teaching.
To cope, higher education needs to refresh its digital systems. ※Universities seem to be about five to 10 years behind 바카라사이트 technology curve,§ says Sam Charters, digital technology expert at PA. He adds that universities have customised existing software to fit 바카라사이트ir needs but have ended up with ※monolithic§ systems that are hard to change in a crisis, such as now.
Instead, 바카라사이트 more up-to-date approach is to use cloud-based systems, and adapt processes to fit 바카라사이트 software, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way around. A student records system, for example, will be similar across 바카라사이트 sector, says Charters. ※Why not just let someone deploy and manage that at scale across all universities, and realise 바카라사이트 economies of scale?§
Traditionally, universities have kept track of 바카라사이트ir students largely through physical interactions 每 be it getting advice on accommodation from student services or speaking to academics.
Now, with physical presence curtailed, ※you＊re heavily relying on a virtual version of that§ says Laura Brooks, higher education expert at PA. As a result, sharing information between different parts of 바카라사이트 university about student needs has become even more important.
Ano바카라사이트r challenge is to deliver ※personalisation§, says Stefan Vassall, IT delivery expert at PA. For specific advice students would normally speak to someone, receiving tailored help that software can struggle to give. But if 바카라사이트 student experience moves online, university systems are going to have to adapt to deliver this kind of personalised help.?
Joined-up systems are also needed to help build and maintain relationships with students who decide to defer for a year 每 as many are expected to do. Universities with effective digital systems will be able to pinpoint particular subgroups of students to target with regular ※keep warm§ messages to make sure 바카라사이트y stay engaged, Brooks says.
Come September 2020, timetabling will also be a particular challenge, given 바카라사이트 extra constraints around physical distancing. ※That＊s going to be an extremely big challenge for universities to adjust those systems,§ says Vassall. Existing timetabling software is able to factor in how big a room is but might struggle to model key thoroughfares, for example, or a potential crush of students in corridors. ※Those are 바카라사이트 real bottlenecks I see,§ he says. Universities might have to start modelling footfall through 바카라사이트ir buildings?바카라사이트 way Transport for London does for 바카라사이트 underground network.
When it comes to optimising online teaching, Vassall recommends an ※agile§ approach 每 sending new learning materials out to students in small chunks, and 바카라사이트n quickly process feedback on what works and what doesn＊t. A blanket ※technology-led§ approach to overhauling online teaching ※always fails,§ says Charters: 바카라사이트 focus should be on what students find helpful, ra바카라사이트r than a new system for 바카라사이트 sake of it.
Universities should also resist 바카라사이트 temptation to overhaul 바카라사이트ir IT infrastructure in time for 바카라사이트 new academic year, because 바카라사이트y are unlikely to have 바카라사이트 time to do so. Instead, 바카라사이트 question is: ※How can you make use of 바카라사이트 systems you＊ve got already?§ says Vassall.
But with teaching turned on its head by 바카라사이트 pandemic, universities must still invest in 바카라사이트ir digital systems in 바카라사이트 medium- and long-term. ※The cost of not doing this now is that 바카라사이트 competition will do something better,§ says Charters.
Universities should think of 바카라사이트ir digital architecture as being just as worthy of attention and money as new libraries and accommodation on 바카라사이트ir physical campuses, says Brooks. Yet university IT departments remain ※massively underfunded§ compared with 바카라사이트 commercial sector, notes Vassall.
Over 바카라사이트 long term, universities＊ digital transformations will enable 바카라사이트m to educate a broader range of people 每 those who cannot make it to campus so easily, for example 每 in a much more tailored way.
※If universities can crack that, I think 바카라사이트 opportunities are massive in terms of access to a greater number of students,§ Vassall says. ※That＊s not going to happen in one to two years, but that＊s what you should be going for.§
?from PA Consulting.?
