“Digital transformation is most impactful when universities prioritize tools that simplify workflows, foster creativity and collaboration, and adapt across the student lifecycle,” says Alex Battle, channel sales lead for Canva. “As technology evolves, especially with artificial intelligence, investing in intuitive tools that staff, faculty and students genuinely want to use is crucial. These tools not only enhance the learning experience but also equip students with the creative skills that are increasingly valued in the workplace.”
As technology integration continues to permeate not only higher education institutions but also K–12 classrooms, many students are already familiar with platforms such as Canva. According to Battle, Canva’s tools are designed to make learning more dynamic and engaging, with features that include shared whiteboards, real-time design collaboration and AI features to enhance creativity.
“Gen Z, in particular, values visually engaging and fun platforms that go beyond functionality, inspiring creativity and enabling them to produce standout work, whether for academics, clubs or personal projects,” Battle says. Offering the tools students have experience using can help them further hone their skills.
DISCOVER: Innovative classroom design can help increase student engagement.
Battle says investing in these platforms can have an impact on enrollment and retention.
“Adopting modern platforms has a direct impact on how institutions are perceived by prospective students,” he says. “Students are drawn to universities that provide cutting-edge tools to support academic success and prepare them for professional life.”
Remote Learning Tools Have Applications in and out of the Classroom
According to the CHLOE 9 report, 69% of institutions are prioritizing the development of online versions of on-campus courses to meet demand. Hybrid and HyFlex courses can be a huge draw for incoming students, but institutions should invest in classroom technology that enhances these learning experiences.
Rosalie Hamernik, higher education program manager at Promethean, says students today expect a certain level of technology in their learning environments. The days of relying on a friend’s notes when missing a lecture are fading. Modern students anticipate access to recordings, slides and other materials through their learning management systems either during or shortly after a lecture. This shift not only offers multiple ways for students to engage with content but also empowers them to decide how and where they learn.
RELATED: Selecting the right technology can create a seamless learning environment.
One solution gaining traction is the portable HyFlex classroom setup from Promethean, which includes an interactive flat panel mounted on a mobile cart, an all-in-one pan-tilt-zoom camera system and advanced audio capabilities. These tools enhance in-class learning and support collaboration outside the classroom. Students can use mobile stations in various campus spaces for group projects or collaborative assignments.
Hamernik points out that many campuses feature huddle spaces of different sizes designed for student collaboration. Interactive flat panels are an ideal fit for these spaces, enabling both in-person and hybrid collaboration. Features such as annotation, wireless screen sharing and brainstorming on an infinite digital whiteboard, along with the ability to save work to the cloud, help ensure an equitable learning experience for all students, regardless of location.
Digital Transformation Efforts Extend Beyond the Classroom
Elsewhere outside of the classroom, colleges and universities are investing in technologies that make life easier across campus, while also keeping safety in mind. According to Bruce Canal, executive lead for education at Genetec, AI technologies and analytics are gaining traction in this arena by monitoring areas on campus for efficiencies and security.
“Transformation really, now, is going to be utilizing analytics,” he says. “Analytics that can see weapons before they're actually used, analytics that can detect when people are in certain areas and that can make announcements to move them out of those areas, analytics that count people at a concession stand at a football game.”
Analytics, efficiency and security also go hand in hand in parking garages, Canal says. For example, analytics can monitor the number of open spaces in a particular lot or garage and notify drivers of the capacity before they enter. But analytics can also read license plates, notifying campus security or the local police if a suspicious person or wanted vehicle is on school grounds.
READ MORE: Bowie State University adopts a modern physical security solution.
Mobile credentials are another area of transformation that extends across campus. Currently, many institutions allow students to use their physical ID cards to access campus buildings and residence hall rooms, swipe to pay for their meals and ride public transportation. But this technology can also be built into students’ smartphones.
“Mobile credentialing is going to allow them to buy performing arts tickets on Friday night and tickets to the football game on Saturday morning,” Canal says. “The rest of the time, they can go to the food courts, swipe their phone and buy their food. It’s also the same credential that allows them to open doors where they have a privilege to go, and others don't.” This is an added security benefit, he says.
While academic programs are still the top reasons students choose to go to a particular institution, Canal says, security has moved up the list in recent years. Parents and students will likely feel more comfortable knowing their institution has prioritized student safety by investing in tools such as AI-enabled cameras and mobile credentialing — even if they don’t understand the specifics.
“I think officials at these institutions are realizing that security is in that top five or six things that students and parents are thinking about,” he says. “I don't think they really care to know how access control works, but they might want to know that you have a full-time police department, you have a full-time security operations center, and the police have access to 5,000 cameras on campus.”
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