Digital Transformation in Education: K-12, University and Vocational Levels

Vũ Khôi

Author at Wotech Electronics Blog

Applying digital technology to many areas of life is a global development trend, especially in the current era of Industry 4.0. However, most of us have only heard the term applied to business, economics, engineering and manufacturing. In education, digital transformation only truly became a process delivering a completely new face of education when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out across the world. Let's explore the methods, approaches, techniques, tools and resources needed in the digital transformation of education with SimERP.

Digital transformation in education and training

For the education and training sector, digital transformation will shift education away from lecture-style teaching and toward stronger development of self-study skills, encouraging students to explore and discover, and creating a society with a strong learning spirit. As a result, more and more smart education models are being built on IT application platforms, greatly helping to direct learning for each individual (providing suitable teaching methods and arranging lessons and knowledge for each person). Beyond that, the ability to store knowledge in cyberspace lets students proactively access and study it, and quickly discuss and exchange ideas with teachers over the Internet.

Digital transformation in education and training focuses on 2 main areas: digital transformation in education administration, and digital transformation in teaching, testing and assessing students. Specifically, in education administration this includes digitizing information to create a large database system, deploying online services, and applying Industry 4.0 technologies for fast, accurate management and governance. In teaching and testing, the common forms we see are the digitization of learning materials (e-books, electronic lectures, multiple-choice question banks, online mock exams and so on), digital libraries, and building smart schools and online training programs.

The current state of digital transformation in Vietnam's education and training

The explosion of the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of education in Vietnam. When students could not come to school to study, new teaching methods became necessary to replace the conventional classrooms of the past. In addition, digital transformation in education allows teachers and students to interact directly, unbounded by physical space, through internet-connected devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Specifically, online learning software such as Zoom, MsTeams and GoogleMeeting became familiar to a whole generation of students during the Covid year of 2020. In 2020, Zoom posted revenue of $2.65 billion, up 326%. What's more, Zoom's share price rose 191% over the preceding 12 months. In the near future, Zoom's revenue for 2021 is projected to reach $3.76–3.78 billion, corresponding to growth of 42–43%. In Vietnam, nearly every province and city nationwide adopted online learning during the social distancing periods of 2020. It is clear that online classes have become and remain a new wave of education in Vietnam and around the world.

As we can see, digital transformation in education is no longer just a stopgap measure; it is gradually becoming a new learning trend in the current 4.0 era.

Another aspect that also deserves attention is the degree to which both teachers and students are ready to embrace innovation in how they learn and teach. When the 2019-2020 school year was disrupted by the Covid-19 epidemic, a survey on "readiness for online learning" was conducted with university lecturers and students. The survey results showed that students' readiness for online learning was much lower than that of teachers.

More than 76% of the students surveyed (from many different majors, provinces and cities) were not ready for online learning, for many reasons. Beyond technical reasons involving equipment and telecommunications infrastructure, some problems stemmed from lecturers' teaching methods and techniques failing to convince learners. Therefore, learners need to be prepared in mindset, spirit and skills, and to be guaranteed the infrastructure and equipment conditions for online learning.

Digital transformation in higher education

Like the education and training sector, higher education is also orienting itself toward the global trend of digital transformation, which has unfolded very rapidly during the 4.0 era in general and the Covid-19 pandemic in particular.

The university environment can be seen as a miniature society, and students — young, dynamic and tech-savvy — are well positioned to build a digital society not only in learning but also in administration and daily life. That said, to achieve digital transformation in higher education, the first step is turning universities into miniature "digital nations." Specifically, all university activities — those of teachers and students alike — will be moved to the digital environment.

The current state of digital transformation in the university environment

Over the past year or more of Covid-19, social distancing requirements have made rolling out online learning programs mandatory for universities. Beyond that, universities and colleges have been and are joining the digital transformation process in many different ways.

Among these, the widespread use of Learning Management Systems (LMS) to support classes, courses and grading workflows is a basic part of a university's digital transformation. But that is only the beginning of a shift that will continue powerfully. With the ability to record lectures, build smart classrooms, digitize learning materials (e-textbooks, online exams, etc.), create digital libraries and virtual laboratories, digital transformation has made it possible for teachers and students to teach remotely and study at home. In addition, these recorded lectures can easily be assigned as homework, allowing teachers to focus more on interaction during teaching.

Looking further ahead, digital transformation is the development trend of education in particular and humanity in general. And this concerns not only how we live now but how we will live in the future — even after the pandemic ends. For students in particular — young people who work extensively with technology — digital transformation seems to be a fundamental requirement.

Digital transformation in vocational education

By definition, vocational education is a level of the national education system that trains workers at elementary, intermediate and college levels, along with other vocational training programs, in order to meet the demand for direct labor in production, business and services. It is delivered in two forms: formal training and continuing training.

It can be said that digital transformation in vocational education is regarded as a core solution for increasing adaptability in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Amid global integration, Vietnam's vocational education sector must go along with the general trend and needs to set directions for its digital transformation, or it will miss out on the employment opportunities the Fourth Industrial Revolution brings.

Opportunities for vocational education in Vietnam and development directions

Digital transformation will have multi-dimensional impacts on vocational education activities in many different forms, specifically:

• First, the way state management agencies manage, operate and direct will change. The trend in digital technology development will focus on promoting management and decision-making based on digital platforms and Big Data, ensuring speed and accuracy.

• Second, there will be direct effects on the participants in vocational education, most specifically students and teachers. The changes will reshape how vocational education activities are managed and how teachers teach traditionally, gradually shifting in-person learning at school to remote classes over the Internet.

• Third, the continuous development of information technology during digital transformation will open up many new occupations and new fields, bringing numerous job opportunities and future directions for the next generation. However, while this can be considered a potential development opportunity, it will also bring countless challenges — especially for Vietnam's vocational education sector.

According to the development directions set through 2030, Vietnam's vocational education will reach the level of the ASEAN-4 countries; nearly all public services related to vocational education will reach level 4, be capable of integration into the national public service portal, and be accessible through many different platforms and devices.

In addition, the number of vocational education institutions nationwide undergoing full digital transformation will be expanded, expected to reach 600 (about 30% of all vocational education institutions); 100% of vocational education institutions will deploy online vocational training platforms.

Digital transformation will be seen as an opportunity to boost growth momentum for the vocational education sector. Under the draft plan for 2021-2025, the whole country aims to enroll and train more than 19.8 million people in vocational programs, raising the share of trained workers holding degrees or certificates from 24.5% at the end of 2020 to about 28-30% by the end of 2025.

Which path should digital transformation in education take in Vietnam?

A correct strategic direction is needed

To achieve long-term, sustainable development in the digital transformation era, the education sector needs to combine forces with other industries. Moreover, since the methods and process of transformation have no universal formula for all countries and sectors, leaders and heads of institutions must know how to set their own strategy, direction, solutions and transformation roadmap — they cannot simply copy from countries that went before.

Telecommunications infrastructure must be developed to a certain level

Second, digital transformation in education is expected to maximize training effectiveness. However, if the technology solution equation and teachers' adaptability are not properly addressed, the "digital" learning experience can become a "disaster" for both teachers and learners. Without tight linkage between teachers and students, and with looser control than before, a chain of risks can follow: declining learning attitudes, students becoming unmotivated and drifting, and a serious drop in education quality.

Digital transformation must solve the problem of equality between individuals

The third issue relates to a story few people may think about: educational equality. As information technology develops and new platforms emerge, how will those who have long been left far behind catch up? We tend to think loftily that digital transformation in education will bring "digital equity" thanks to technology's advantage of unlimited access across space and time. However, when we dig into the differences in socioeconomic conditions (SES) between regions, it remains an enormous shortcoming.

For students in remote and isolated areas who already struggle just to get to school, how can changes in information technology reach them? Beyond that, cost issues will also mean that students from disadvantaged families lack even the minimum equipment, or cannot afford the basic data allowances needed to study.

Students with disabilities will also face difficulties as learning materials and teaching methods change. Limited hearing, speech, language expression, or sometimes limited use of their hands and feet will be major obstacles when these students are forced to adapt quickly to a new technical platform they have almost never heard of.

Educational institutions should use school administration software

To manage school operations effectively, many educational institutions have now started using school administration software. In general, this management software has the following outstanding advantages:

• Access anytime, anywhere: unlike in-person teaching, school administration software can be accessed from any mobile device (from computers and laptops to iPhones, iPads and more), ensuring seamless interaction between teachers and students.

• Data storage capability: allows administrators to upload many files, datasets and curricula to the system. Once uploaded, data is stored and updated in real time, helping teachers manage and search learning materials quickly and preventing information from being lost.

• All operations controlled in one system: from managing teaching staff, students and facilities, to timetables and teaching progress, grades and academic results, and tuition fees. This makes cross-departmental collaboration tighter and more effective.

• Reporting and activity monitoring: the software automatically updates teacher activities, compiles statistics on the school's income and expenses, and summarizes reports according to the manager's needs.

Conclusion

Now that "digital transformation" has become a global trend, change in the education sector to adapt is certain to happen. The education sector as a whole, and each individual in particular, should equip themselves with basic knowledge and proactively embrace the changes in how we teach and learn. Beyond raising the quality of education, solving the problems of equality and improving education quality for every type of learner are also important goals that digital transformation must aim for.

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