July 21, 2015 04:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--From the quill to the pen to the tablet device, education has long been at the forefront of innovation. This appetite for constant improvement not only creates more advanced and vibrant institutions, it helps to embed a desire within students to challenge the status quo. Yet while universities across Europe continue to embrace technology-led change and the raft of benefits it brings, they face the ever-growing challenge of how to adequately prepare students for life beyond the classroom.
As it should, the spotlight continues to shine on teaching quality, tuition fees, and accessibility. However, as we move further into the digital age, the need to prepare students for the modern workplace has become more crucial than ever before. It’s a difficult lesson to teach, let alone learn. How can educators ensure that students have the skills needed to not just survive but thrive in a rapidly evolving digital workplace?
As digital natives – having grown up with the latest tools and platforms at their fingertips – Generation Z is perhaps best placed to adapt to changing work environments. As more businesses look to maximise the full potential of social media and adopt more powerful internal collaboration platforms, Gen Z students will feel right at home in the modern workplace. But as with any academic discipline, educators need to lead by example when it comes to digital. Powerful collaboration tools such as interactive whiteboards and unified communication systems – which link people and information from anywhere in the world – not only enable instant cross-border working, they prepare students for a future workplace where automation and smart technologies are rife. For students and educators alike, it’s a win-win situation – driving collaboration today while developing technological expertise that will serve them so well into the future.
But while advanced devices which aid learning, encourage more effective teamwork, and develop digital competencies are essential, the underpinning processes which ensure that institutions get the most from their investments is paramount. What’s more, these processes need to be optimised regularly to ensure systems which are no longer fit for purpose are updated or retired. The good news is that education is leading the way.
Research commissioned by Ricoh1, conducted by Coleman Parkes, found education to be the most progressive sector when pursuing digital maturity – where an organisation uses sophisticated tools to drive performance and demonstrates an on-going commitment to technology, technology-led initiatives and digitally managed processes. Education leaders clearly see digital maturity as a key priority, with 80 per cent of respondents stating that it’s on their agenda. They are also confident they can reach digital maturity soon, with 34 per cent believing they will complete the move by 2016 and 71 per cent expecting to have achieved the goal by 2019.
Yet despite the value clearly placed in digitisation, almost a third (29 percent) of education leaders admitted to not having a clear vision for achieving digital maturity. Today, the big questions facing education leaders are; what does digital maturity look like for my institution, and how can I ensure that our people and processes are working in harmony with this vision?
There is also the dilemma of tech-savvy Gen Zers being deterred from employers who don’t share their passion for all things digital. We’ve moved on from the days when job seekers only sought a good wage, scope to progress, and an employer who shared their personal values and beliefs – the technological sophistication of the organisation is now a key part of the criteria.
The bottom line is that regardless of their respective funds, history, and prestige, institutions across Europe need to be ahead of industry when it comes to the provision of advanced technology. After all, by the time students complete their studies, the workplace will have evolved even further. That’s why the lesson for today’s educators is faster continual innovation. It’s not unimaginable to think that hologram-led tuition and wearable technology –which allows data to be stored instantly and processed later – will one day be common sights in the classroom.
The education industry has no choice but to evolve at an unprecedented rate. And while many of today’s students have an eye on tech-rich employers, their immediate demand is for an institution that is a true digital pioneer.
By David Mills, CEO,Ricoh Europe
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| About Ricoh |
Ricoh is a global technology company specializing in office imaging equipment, production print solutions, document management systems and IT services. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in about 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ending March 2015, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,231 billion yen (approx. 18.5 billion USD).
The majority of the company's revenue comes from products, solutions and services that improve the interaction between people and information. Ricoh also produces award-winning digital cameras and specialized industrial products. It is known for the quality of its technology, the exceptional standard of its customer service and sustainability initiatives.
Under its corporate tagline, imagine. change. Ricoh helps companies transform the way they work and harness the collective imagination of their employees.
For further information, please visit www.ricoh-europe.com
1 Digital Maturity, conducted by Coleman Parkes Research, July 2014
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