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Your Educational Digital DNA – Get Ready for Edtech Innovation

Educational digital DNA is an overview of how well a school or institution makes use of data, tools, and technology to improve itself. But once you understand your own digital DNA with the help of our step-by-step guide,l you’ll be able to overcome the challenges of keeping up with an ever-accelerating digital world.

Keep reading to learn about your educational digital DNA and how to overcome the challenges of a digital education environment.

Is your school ready for the EdTech revolution? Edtech promises to bring learning from chalkboards to slick computer screens and more. Many transformative technologies are concentrating on education innovation such as virtual reality, online classrooms, E-books, and interactive display technologies. In the US alone $1.45 billion was raised in 2018 by EdTech startups, which will continue to inject more innovative technologies into schools. Fast-forward to today, when in early 2021 Congress passed a bill to inject $126 billion into the education sector, and it’s easy to see that this is not something that is going away.  How will your school adapt? How ready is your school? Will your school be blindsided? Understanding your school’s current technology and future needs is vital. Today we will introduce you to understanding your school’s digital DNA, its components, and its impact on your school’s future.

What is Digital DNA?

Let us start with defining Digital DNA. It is the ability of an organization to absorb and use digital information, tools, and technologies for the betterment of its members and progress. Therefore, it creates a strong synergy between the organizational, human, and technological factors in an organization.

Understanding an organization’s digital DNA is key to understanding where you are now and creating a plan for the future. It is even more vital for educational institutes to understand their digital DNA as education is a major driving force in bringing up pupils who are ready for major technology disruption at their future jobs. McKinsey & Company estimates automation technologies alone will affect 1.2 billion employees in the near future. Schools need to be ready to accept and adapt to technological trends.

Understanding Educational Digital DNA

Digital DNA applies to educational institutions in similar ways as to any other organization. Educational Digital DNA is defined as the ability of an educational institution to absorb and use digital information, tools, and technologies for the betterment of its educators and students for a strong synergy between the organizational, human, and technological in an educational institution.

The Building Blocks of a Digital DNA Profile

Many factors in education need to be understood for a school to comprehend its digital DNA profile. Each digital DNA component is created by the linkage of many other factors interconnected to create a whole sequence. There are three main components: administration technologies, classroom technologies, and individual teacher/student technologies. These are further broken down into smaller components including:

● Student devices
● Teacher devices
● Classroom software
● Classroom hardware
● Course management programs
● Campus internet connection
● Campus security (cyber and location) 
● Online/digital learning platforms
● Assessment solutions
● Digital course content
● Administration technology

To understand your school’s current educational digital DNA you need to assess where each component currently stands and how they work together to build your educational digital DNA. Only afterward can you start to think about your strategy for future changes.

Digital_DNA

Implementation of Educational Digital DNA Editing

To be ready to create change at your school you must first create a clear understanding of your school’s current educational digital DNA. This starts with an internal assessment of your school’s digital DNA building blocks. Once this analysis is completed you can start to take steps to edit and transform your digital DNA makeup.

Our suggested Educational Digital DNA Editing Sequence:

Step 1: Conduct an internal educational digital DNA building block analysis. 
Step 2: Review current and future trends in EdTech and their likely impact on the school.
Step 3: Define current weak points, missing components, and other needed changes.
Step 4: Come up with a total educational digital DNA strategy and get support from all stakeholders including administration, teachers, students, parents, and outside partners. 
Step 5: Start defining the implementation plan of your educational digital DNA changes. This can include the additional needed for human resources, budgets, expected results, and timelines. 
Step 6: Create a plan of action by selecting solutions providers and partnerships

Educational Digital DNA Editing Challenges

It is not a small feat to implementing change in how a school is managed, how teachers educate, and how students learn. There will be many setbacks and arguments.

Some challenges schools face will come from:

  • Developing Budgets: Implementing new technologies requires a hefty investment of human resources, time, and funding. The Learning Counsel estimates that schools in the US spent over 16 billion on hardware, networks, and major systems software in 2018. Preparing for heavy investment in technological upgrades will be vital to driving change.
  • Implementing Training: New technologies require training, practice, and acceptance into general use before they can be considered successfully implemented. Many of these resources need to be provided by solution providers who have expertise in individual EdTech fields. ViewSonic offers education solutions in digital whiteboards and software. Find out more here
  • Developing High Technology IQ: Many new technologies are complicated and will need much explaining and convincing before people can fully understand their need, use, and application.
  • The Readiness of Acceptance: To create change is not a one-person game. To instill lasting change you will need the help of the school, the administration, teachers, students, and parents. Schools must ensure that the EdTech they implement actually gets used.

How to Get Started in Understanding Your Educational Digital DNA?

Before starting any major EdTech projects your school should start by clearly understanding your current educational digital DNA. ViewSonic offers a free 5-minute online quiz to start you on your journey. Start today!

Learn more about Digital DNA by downloading our Whitepaper.