Digital Transformation in Education

The Objective

Execute a digital transformation at the Orientale that will enable it to more effectively leverage technology to advance its educational mission.

The Challenges

1. Connectivity. Initial internet infrastructure required a full upgrade.
2. Applications. Disjointed application infrastructures or productivity suites made collaboration and communication a challenge.
3. Digital Tools. The digital tools required for live streaming and digital classrooms were entirely absent.
4. Training. Faculty and staff had very little experience or exposure to the technologies that were required and had to undergo training.
5. Unprecedented. Virtually no examples existed in the Pontifical college system for the comprehensive digital transformation desired.

The Insights

1. Installation. The technological tools required to achieve the desired digital transformation were readily available, but installation required on-the-job training for nearly all the local technicians.
2. Speed. It became immediately clear that Gigabit Internet would be required to ensure optimal system performance. Fortunately, such speeds were just becoming institutionally available in Italy.
3. Local Experts. In the end, only one staff member was required to undergo advanced training on the technologies and application infrastructure utilized. Local IT experts were engaged for some of this training and Longbeard covered off the rest. This staff member became the local IT Administrator and oversaw training of others.
4. Leadership. The speed and extent of this digital transformation required a leader at the Orientale who could effectively communicate and ease concerns of some faculty and staff. Fr. Nazar masterfully navigated these complexities and ensured everyone was onboard with the transformation which made its success possible. It takes strong and visionary leadership to see these transformations through.

The Outcome

1. Digital Education. A five camera, remote live streaming system was installed in the main conference hall to permit more engaging conferences and symposiums. Digital classroom technologies were installed in all main classrooms to allow for both remote and local engagement. This two-way capability for remote and local students to engage with professors was unprecedented.
2. Connectivity. A Gigabyte WiFi mesh system was installed throughout the college providing seamless, fast, and stable internet throughout the building.
3. Application Infrastructure. A new cloud-based application infrastructure or stack was implemented at the college for both faculty and staff. This revolutionized operations.
4. Communications. A new website was designed and launched by Longbeard as well as a new content marketing strategy allowing the Orientale to leverage social media to grow its audience and build a digital community.