71% of Higher Education Institutions Are Adopting Digital Pedagogies for the post-COVID-19 world

VMware shared the results of its India-focused research report, titled ‘Future of Education Survey,’ based on a survey of close to 100 higher education institutes across India. The national study, which was conducted in early 2021 in association with The Guild Media, revealed that 71% of the higher education institutions surveyed are looking to invest in digital transformation and integration of new technologies. Additionally, the survey captured insights into the key concerns and trends in the adoption of technology in the higher education sector in the country.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the largest disruption of education in history, having already had a near-universal impact on learners and teachers around the world, across schools, institutions, universities, and skills development establishments. More students are now more than ever before learning online– expanding the physical boundaries of digital learning in real-time. The VMware Future of Education Survey focuses on the changes that have made education student-centered and how education institutions are coping up with this change.

The key findings and highlights of the survey concluded:

• 71% of the respondents are looking into investing in digital workspaces/remote in near future.
• Over 52% are looking to improve practical education by adopting virtual labs.
• 84% of the respondents have a current institution-wide strategic plan, which includes the adoption of digital technologies. However, only 68% have the budget allocated to support the digital transformation.
• New learning pedagogies followed by information governance and online learning are the digital transformation priorities currently.
• Faculty and Leadership are primarily pushing the digital agenda forward at the universities.
• 46% of the respondents shared that their IT budget will remain the same in the coming year, whereas 48% shared that there will be an increase, and 6% highlighted that there could be a decrease in their respective budgets.
• Almost 81% shared that the pandemic has changed the importance of key business goals in their IT plans in the new year.
• Majority of respondents foresee an increase in spend on online learning systems and IT Infrastructure. 

Mohit Arora, Senior Director – Commercial Business, VMware India, said, “Over the last year, educational institutions had to rapidly shift the medium of learning to digital, ensuring students had access to learning virtually, almost overnight. This adoption is only set to increase as the situation evolves while the sector looks at new ways to deliver e-learning through interactive sessions, bite sized modules, Q&A sessions and further master personalized learning experiences. The next phase will explore the possibilities of delivering education through a hybrid learning model which will be both highly experiential and intellectually stimulating and we are so excited to be a part of this journey. The survey has given us insights on the areas that have potential and helped us work towards building the right set of tools that will support the future of learning for both the teaching and the learning community.”

Dr. Dhanamjaya M, Vice Chancellor, REVA University, said, “REVA University has been a forerunner in delivering modern education, and VMware as our technology partner has steered our digital-first approach. During the pandemic, REVA transitioned to online learning from offline classes in a span of 3 days. We have been able to provide relevant content via virtual desktops and applications to support our students with the transition to remote learning, along with access to all our on-campus services. During this period, VMware helped us meet the academic needs of our students. With the help of VMware Horizon, we were able to set up virtual lab environments to ensure students have uninterrupted access to college apps and other resources from a remote location. As we move towards offering our students a resilient, scalable and hybrid learning model that includes remote and in-person classes, we will continue to work with VMware to enhance our technology requirements in the years to come.”