How will DX change university education and management? Introducing benefits and success stories in the educational field!

In recent years, DX has spread in Japan, and various companies have started promoting it. And now, the use of this DX has spread not only in the industrial world but also in the educational field .

In fact, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has announced a plan for promoting DX, and DX is being promoted at various universities, including those selected in the public offering.

In this article, we will introduce the benefits of promoting DX at universities, domestic and overseas cases, and expected changes.

What is DX in the first place? review the basics

DX stands for “Digital Transformation,” a concept that became known in the “ DX Report ” released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

The goal is to use digital technology to reform business models and operations, and ultimately to transform the organization itself.

Two plans for promoting DX at universities formulated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

From here, we will introduce two plans for promoting DX at universities formulated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, ” Scheem-D ” and ” Digitally-utilized university/technical college education advancement plan “.

1. Scheme-D

One of the DX promotion plans at universities formulated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is ” Scheem-D “.

Scheem-D is an abbreviation for Student-centered higher education ecosystem through Digitalization . It is a project announced as ” Creation of … “.

Scheem-D is aimed at universities (including junior colleges and technical colleges), where teachers and digital engineers work together to come up with ideas for using digital technology and incorporate them into actual classes.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) aims to maximize the value of classes under the “digitalization of university education.”

Along with this, we are holding a pitch event to match teachers and engineers .

At the pitch event, companies and teachers with digital technology that can be used in university classes will each present, and teachers, universities, and companies that agree with the content will be matched, and eventually adopted at the university to promote DX.

Quote: Specialized Education Division, Higher Education Bureau, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology ” Scheem-D | Digitalization Initiative for University Education Scheem-D ”

2. University/technical college education advancement plan using digital technology

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has formulated a plan for the advancement of university and technical college education that utilizes digital technology .

This is a plan to incorporate digital technology into education in order to realize “realization of learner-oriented education” and “improvement of the quality of learning” at universities and technical colleges . Through these environmental improvements, we aim to develop educational methods in the current post-corona era, and ultimately spread them to higher education institutions nationwide.

The implementing organizations were selected from public applications from January to February 2021, and 54 universities and technical colleges nationwide were selected. Efforts at each school are different, and the contents are specifically announced.

Advantages of promoting DX at universities

There are three benefits to the management side and two benefits to the student side in promoting DX at the university.

I will explain each.

Management Side | 3 Advantages

① You can streamline clerical work

In university management, a huge amount of data is updated every year and must be managed on a daily basis. Digitizing this data makes it easier to manage and frees up employees who were previously responsible for such tasks to work with higher added value .

(2) Data can be used to acquire new students and prevent dropouts

It will also become easier to digitize data, analyze them, and utilize them in management .

By analyzing the data on students who want to enroll, it is possible to use it to attract new students, and by analyzing the data on students who have dropped out, it is possible to prevent them from dropping out.

③ Meet the needs of digital native students

The students who enter from these are a generation called digital natives .

If we create a convenient and easy-to-learn environment for the users, students, and respond to their demands, it will become a new selling point at the university.

Student | 2 Benefits

(1) Wider choice of destinations

With DX, if classes can be taken on demand, there will be no time constraints .
Students who were previously restricted by classes during the day will be freed from such restrictions, enabling them to engage in off-campus activities and balance multiple schools.

Also, if you can take classes regardless of location, you will have more options to go on to a university far away .

These changes also have the potential to attract more students, thereby reducing tuition costs.

The cost of living alone to go to a distant university, tuition fees, and other expenses that have been incurred to go to university can be reduced, and more students will be given a new life option of “advancing education”.

(2) High-quality education can be received

By incorporating new digital technology, there is a possibility that the quality will not deteriorate even in online classes.

Due to the spread of the new coronavirus, there were voices that the quality of classes had declined from face-to-face classes due to the sudden switch to online classes.

However, by incorporating digital technology specialized in education, these issues can be resolved, and it will be possible to provide online classes with the same quality as face-to-face classes or even better .

Three steps necessary for promoting DX

The three steps necessary to promote DX are as follows.

1. Clarify your goals
2. Analyze the current situation and search for uniqueness
3. Develop a strategy to bridge the gap between the desired state and the current state

I will explain each.

Step 1 | Clarify your vision

DX is aimed at transforming an organization and increasing its competitive advantage.

Therefore, it is necessary to be clear about what you want to achieve in the end. It is necessary to have a strong competitive advantage and set a vision of what the organization wants to achieve .

Step 2 | Analyze the current situation and search for uniqueness

After setting the vision, you need to know your current situation deeply.

At this time, it is especially important to look for the strengths and uniqueness of the organization . Improving weaknesses and understanding strengths and developing them will lead to competitive advantage.

Step 3 | Develop a strategy to bridge the gap between the desired state and the current state

Once the current situation and goals are clarified, the promotion of DX will begin by formulating a strategy that can fill these gaps.

[Success stories] 6 examples of incorporating DX into education

From here, we will introduce 6 cases of incorporating DX into education, divided into “ universities participating in the plan to advance university and technical college education using digital’ ‘, “ universities incorporating DX in management ”, and “ overseas examples ”. I will continue.

Participating universities

①Kobe University

Kobe University has advanced the LMS system .

An LMS system is an e-learning system that is equipped with functions such as teaching material management, progress information, and functions as a communication tool between students and teachers.

Many universities now use their own LMS systems. Kobe University’s LMS system is equipped with a facial expression recognition function that analyzes the facial expressions of students, making it possible to visualize their concentration .

It also has unique features such as reflecting students in avatars. The data aggregated by these functions is analyzed and used for individual guidance and career support .

In addition, we have prepared classrooms for “hybrid classes” where online classes and face-to-face classes are held at the same time, made the classrooms smarter, and created an environment optimized for with and after corona.

② Dokkyo Medical University

Dokkyo Medical University has introduced 5G on the university campus to create an environment that can withstand all students accessing online at once.

We are also running 4 projects with AI. First, the LMS system is equipped with recommended videos by AI and a chatbot that allows you to ask questions at any time .

In addition, AI analyzed the voices and expressions of students in online classes and visualized the degree of participation, understanding, and proficiency .

In addition, there is a function that allows you to view various domestic and foreign lecture videos that AI automatically translates and creates telops .

We have also set up a system for early detection of students who need support in terms of living and mental aspects by analyzing data on students so far with AI .

Quote: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology ” Outline of efforts by the implementing agency for the “Digitalization-based University/Technical College Education Advancement Plan” ”

A university that has incorporated DX into its operations

③ Ritsumeikan University

At Ritsumeikan University, we have set a goal of improving our administrative processing speed by 30% from the current level, and have started working on it.

As a result, we digitized documents such as approval forms and application forms, and succeeded in creating an environment where staff in general affairs, human resources, and finance can make decisions even when working from home . In the future, they plan to digitize office work related to student life.

④ J. F. Oberlin Academy

J. F. Oberlin Gakuen has introduced notebook computers, teleconferencing systems, and a paperless system .

From the following year, we introduced a system that centrally manages information about students, and we are using it to support connections between graduates and students who are looking for a job.

We plan to further improve our operations over the next two years from fiscal 2021.

⑤Mie University

At Mie University, we are promoting paperless operations, and as part of this, we introduced RPA (Robotic Process Automation) in October 2018 .

RPA is a concept that substitutes routine work for AI etc. There is a lot of routine work at universities, and the number of universities introducing RPA is increasing.

The university has set up an “RPA promotion office” and is working on it in earnest, and as a result, in fiscal 2019, it achieved a cost reduction of about 10 million yen compared to the previous year.

The introduction of this system also saves time. It is expected that the time required for data entry will be reduced by approximately 1,150 hours in FY2020 and 2,000 hours in FY2021.

Quote: Nihon Keizai Shimbun ” The wave of DX spreads to universities to improve management power ”

Examples of DX promotion at overseas universities

⑥「MOOC」

The promotion of DX at universities has already spread overseas, and new services are being created.
One of them is ” MOOC “.

MOOC is an abbreviation for Massive open online course, and refers to a large-scale open online course .

This is a service that started in the United States in 2012, and by using it, anyone can take courses at higher education institutions, including universities, online for free .
You will also receive a certificate of completion after completing the course.

In 2013, the Japan Open Online Education Promotion Council (JMOOC) started the service in Japan, and you can take various courses from the website.

Quote: Japan Open Online Education Promotion Council ” JMOOC – Japan’s largest online university course (MOOC) where you can learn for free ”

How will universities change with the introduction of DX?

From here, I will explain how the introduction of DX will change the university by dividing it into ” changes in students ” and ” changes in hiring .”

student change

diverse student

As mentioned earlier, promoting DX will change the learning environment for students.

Until now, it was taken for granted that students would be able to come to campus at a set time as a condition for taking classes. However, by promoting DX, the course will be online, creating an environment where you can take it anytime, anywhere.

Therefore, it is possible to study at an overseas university while living in your home country, while keeping costs down . In addition, by increasing the number of students accepted, tuition fees will be reduced, and students who have had financial difficulties going on to higher education will have the option of advancing to higher education .

As a result of these changes, universities will be able to accept students from diverse backgrounds, leading to higher quality education .

Flexible course system

With this kind of environment where you can take classes anytime and anywhere, the lives of students will also change.

For example, it is expected that the number of students who work while attending university will increase, taking advantage of the fact that they can take classes at any time. There is also the option of graduating from university once, getting a job, and then going on to another university.

Due to changes in the environment due to the promotion of DX, it will be easier to wear two pairs of straw sandals, such as “college students and ○○” like university students and working people .

Recruitment transformation

Overseas, due to the promotion of DX in education, a wave of change is coming to the degree system.

Previously, a degree was conferred at the time of graduation by acquiring a set number of credits.

On the other hand, overseas, the concept of new degrees such as “ micro-credentials ” and “ nano-degrees ” has been born and is spreading. These are different from traditional degrees in that you can earn degrees in a finely divided area of ​​specialization in a short period of time.

As a result, the skills and knowledge possessed by students can be grasped accurately and in detail, and companies can accurately search for the human resources they need .

In addition, the introduction of digital badges that reveal one’s skills and qualifications online will further promote matching between companies and students .

summary

What did you think.

The introduction of DX at universities is a project that benefits both students and management, and many universities are actually taking steps to promote it.

These changes will also open doors to education. By having students with various backgrounds belong to the university, new learning is born .