Page 23 - EngineerIt June 2021

DIGITAL SOLUTIONS

tools, so all students have the basic necessities for modern and accessible education.
But this is only the foundation of digitally driven learning resources, which must
be supplemented with determined efforts to enhance digital literacy skills for both
children and parents, to ensure that those without experience in this sphere are not
disadvantaged. This goes above and beyond on-site teaching methods and resources,
it’s about ensuring that all students can benefit from digital learning when they take the
technology out of the classroom.
Front seats in the future classroom
Once 5G is widely adopted, new technologies will come online, creating exciting
education opportunities not previously imagined – exponentially enhancing the scope
of possibility for educators and students.
Think about the possibilities of introducing VR into the digital classroom,
transforming the realm of educational content and entertainment, and making lessons
more engaging and immersive. Imagine AI augmenting the teacher’s role, while
assisting and supporting on both administrative and interactive tasks. When it comes to
higher education, high performance computing (HPC) and AI are already turbo-charging
university research, resulting in a data deluge and underscoring a real need for speed Chris Buchanan
when it comes to analysis. Incubating an ecosystem that manages and processes this
data more quickly will be critical to enabling future breakthrough discoveries – whether of stakeholders – from educational
that’s combatting the next pandemic at a lightening pace or transforming outcomes for institutions, to content providers, third-
cancer patients. party tech partners and NGOs.
The Khulisa Academy is a high performance computing (HPC) training academy We are standing at a unique
launched by Dell Technologies’ Dell Development Fund, designed to enable previously crossroad, with a clear vision and the
disadvantaged students to further enhance their IT capabilities. Khulisa Academy tools to achieve it. Bridging the digital
takes an innovative approach to HPC and empowers students by taking them divide has never been so crucial as we
through an intense two-year training program designed to challenge and stretch their look to close gaps in access to education
capabilities. and support an innovative, community
By harnessing new innovative technologies, leaders in education can do more focused, and future-proof economic
than simply sustain education – they can transform how students learn and teachers recovery that delivers on ambitious
are supported. What’s more, the impact of education can be better assessed in real- and long-term skills needs. Rethinking
time with data-driven technologies, making it possible to measure the impact and education can help us to build a more
gauge fresh insights. The digital foundations must first be in place before seizing the resilient world – and we all know that
next generation of opportunities and preparing robustly for the future of work. But starts with putting students first. The
it must be grasped with care – the successful application of a digital strategy for opportunity for technology to solve
education requires nuance, vision and collaboration as educators prepare for what is society’s biggest challenges is more
coming next in terms of hybrid/blended learning models. pronounced than ever. n

Getting the digital classroom right References
McKinsey analysis on the impact of technology on educational outcomes calls for a 1. https://data.unicef.org/resources/
thoughtful approach, rather than box-ticking exercise. It highlights the need for the correct remote-learning-reachability-
use of technology in classrooms, emphasising the benefits of augmenting teacher’s factsheet/
instructions and integrating with full lesson plans, rather than as an add-on. It also 2. McKinsey - https://www.mckinsey.
underscores the careful pairing of technology with instructional environment and context as com/~/media/McKinsey/About%20
a key factor to successful outcomes for students and teachers. The sweet spot for EdTech Us/COVID%20Response%20
occurs when the technology is fit for purpose and students and teachers are well versed Center/Overview/COVID-19%20
5
in using the tech, in order to get the most out of it. Much of this evolution is inevitable, but Education%20Response%20
when it comes to the digital classroom, getting it right is crucial, requiring an ecosystem Toolkit/202010_UNESCO-
McKinsey%20Response%20
Toolkit_Remote%20Learning%20
Strategy_VF.pdf
3. Save the Children - https://www.
savethechildren.org.uk/content/dam/
gb/reports/covids-kids.pdf
4. https://fsi.stanford.edu/news/using-
educational-technology-narrow-
chinas-educational-divide
5. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/
public-and-social-sector/our-insights/
new-global-data-reveal-education-
Khulisa Academy technologys-impact-on-learning

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