Not all in the same boat: As per the research, countries in the region reacted quickly to the demand for online learning during the pandemic, but levels of maturity in edtech adoption still vary
Singapore, November 9th, 2021 — D2L, a global learning technology leader, in collaboration with Times Higher Education, has published a study titled “Digital transformation in education” exploring how digital transformation is progressing in higher education institutions around the world and what was the impact of the pandemic on education. The study finds that APAC countries have an overall positive approach towards digital transformation in education with over 93 per cent of respondents from India agreeing that technological developments enhance the quality of higher education, followed by 81 per cent in the Philippines and 74 percent in Singapore.
The study suggests that for the surveyed markets in the APAC region, which includes Singapore, India and the Philippines, the maturity and adoption rate is particularly varied. This is apparent both in their reactions to the necessary shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in their planning and implementation of digital transformation strategies.
Singapore has a relatively mature market, India and the Philippines are following the lead
The study finds that Singapore has a relatively more mature market when it comes to digital transformation in education as compared to India and the Philippines. A high number of institutions moved courses and assessments online to ensure continuity when lockdowns were imposed, with 72 per cent of institutions in India and 71 per cent in the Philippines open to moving courses online compared to only 43 per cent in Singapore. This data supports the knowledge that institutions in Singapore had already made much of their teaching available online prior to the pandemic.
However, despite different levels of maturity, digital transformation strategies are being increasingly embraced in India and the Philippines with 40 per cent of Indian institutions and 42 per cent of Philippines institutions considering this a core part of their strategic plan moving forward.
“India and the Philippines saw benefits from digital transformation during the pandemic, whereas advanced institutions such as most higher education institutions in Singapore had already started incorporating online education before the pandemic hit,” says Nick Hutton, regional director for Asia at D2L.
Future-proofing education by leveraging technology with the Learning Platform at the core
According to the study, virtual classroom technologies are considered the most important tool to best support digital transformation strategies across all APAC countries.
Learning platforms (LMS) play an important role in digital transformation, allowing institutions to successfully deliver remote teaching. They can also act as a catalyst for pedagogical change, according to Nick. “When we see universities move from just using LMSs to store and move content, to a more explicit value proposition, this can create a ‘big bang’ that drives transformational change,” he adds.
Preferences in LMS features vary depending upon the maturity level in each market. For instance, institutions in India and the Philippines tend to prioritise content delivery, flexibility and accessibility in an LMS over features such as analytics or peer evaluation. Tools specifically for personalisation are comparatively low on the list of priorities for respondents in the Philippines at 26 per cent and Singapore at 15 per cent, while in India this figure was 32 per cent, closer to the 33 per cent of institutions globally that prioritise tools for personalising learning.
Singaporean institutions feel that being able to monitor students’ progress is a key feature; this is cited by around a fifth of respondents. Polytechnics in Singapore are most likely to value reliability in an LMS. Institutions in the Philippines are most likely to say they use their LMS often, around 63 per cent, but the features they consider most important are accessibility, flexibility and communication.
Additional key findings from the research include:
| APAC Country | Key drivers of digital transformation of education | Main challenges in the transition online cited by respondents who took measures to ensure educational continuity during national lockdowns |
| Singapore |
|
|
| India |
|
|
| The Philippines |
|
|
These findings are part of a survey of 4,830 higher education respondents commissioned by D2L. Conducted in the first quarter of 2021, the survey was given to respondents working in 11 specific job titles in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), Benelux, Brazil, Colombia, India, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, Singapore, and the UK. In Asia, the survey included around 500 participants from India, Singapore, and the Philippines.
Register to download the eBook here.
ABOUT D2L (TSX: DTOL)
D2L is transforming the way the world learns – helping learners of all ages achieve more than they dreamed possible. Working closely with clients all over the world, D2L is supporting millions of people learning online and in person. Our more than 1000 global employees are dedicated to making the best learning products to leave the world better than where they found it. Learn more about D2L for K-12, higher education and businesses at www.D2L.com.
ABOUT D2L BRIGHTSPACE
D2L Brightspace is a cloud-based learning platform built for organisations that value continuous investment in people to drive their business success.
D2L Brightspace is powering smarter upskilling and reskilling of workforces around the world. It is the one place that supports all aspects of learning with better engagement and productivity through personalised learning. It gives your teams the tools they’re going to love and makes it easy to support exceptional experiences face-to-face or fully online.
D2L Brightspace is designed in close collaboration with clients around the world – building a rich set of features to improve engagement, retention and learning outcomes. And it makes it easier to give feedback. It’s worry-free with 99.9% reliability. It’s highly accessible and looks beautiful on any mobile device, making it easier for you to reach every learner.
Like many of our clients, D2L uses its award-winning Brightspace learning platform to support onboarding, compliance training, leadership development, and upskilling of its own employees. This has led to back-to-back #1 in North America awards for new hire and onboarding experiences. To learn more, visit D2L for Higher Education.
Media Contact for India
Media Graphix PR on behalf of D2L Asia
Tanya Bhatia: 8860336642, [email protected]
VVihan Gulati: 9999148748, [email protected]
Media Contact for Singapore and the Philippines
SYNC PR on behalf of D2L Asia
Name Hemaranjenee K, Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @D2LAPAC
© 2021 D2L Corporation
The D2L family of companies includes D2L Corporation, D2L Ltd, D2L Australia Pty Ltd, D2L Europe Ltd, D2L Asia Pte Ltd and D2L Brasil Soluções de Tecnologia para Educação Ltda.
All D2L marks are trademarks of D2L Corporation. Please visit D2L.com/trademarks for a list of D2L marks. ALL other trademarks are property of their respective owners, registered in the U.S. and other countries.