With the increased penetration of the Internet, a majority of people are using a digital medium to get their work done. Especially the post-Millennial generation is conversant using social media and the Internet for all their works including admissions.
The teenagers and youths of today are increasingly becoming tech-savvy, thus it is important for educational institutions to make use of the available digital resources.
The digital technologies help students to simplify and fasten their decision-making capacities and they rely on the digital technologies to do most of their educational-related searches. In fact, students are relying more on their cellular devices and hand-held devices to research on the educational institutions and colleges.
The lack of digital technologies in the higher education sector is unable to attract the highly qualified students, who prefer doing most of their search and admission process via online. The lack of digital technologies also fails to train the students for tech-savvy professions.
The higher education sector is facing considerable technological challenges, however, by using digital technologies in these three ways universities and colleges can cater to the tech-heavy students.
1. By digitalising the admission process
In spite of the remarkable development in digital technologies, the college admission process is still rudimentary and basic. This inhibits the interested students to apply for the admissions in many colleges. Although the students can go to a web page of a college and discuss with the present students of the colleges or their classmates, they still face difficulties to make a thorough research on the colleges they intend to apply for admissions. Moreover, many colleges are not using revolutionary digital systems that enable them to forecast admission rates. By using the digital technologies, colleges can enhance evaluation abilities by reducing the administrative problems and budgetary setbacks. Colleges are required to use more digital tools such as mobile applications to appeal more and more interested students as well as determining their interest to enroll themselves in the colleges.
2. Using imaginative digital and online strategies
Colleges and institutions offering higher educational courses need to use the available digital systems to witness a spur in the admissions process and attract tech-savvy and technologically-adept students. It has been found that a large number of students use their hand-held devices to visit college websites and many students have used mobile devices to submit their college applications. Moreover, these digital tools have resulted in positive student outcomes as they manage to pique the interests of tech-savvy students and enhance their engagement level. Many colleges have still not adopted digital tools to connect with students and they desire to do so. This shows that how many colleges are foregoing the opportunity to engage and connect with prospective students. To attract more tech-heavy students, the educational institutions must have a gripping mobile and online presence. Using good digital systems will allow the colleges to connect and relate with more tech-savvy students.
3. Utilize new marketing strategies
Colleges and educational institutions need to focus on using the new marketing strategies to make the cut in the contemporary times. Colleges have started devising roles for branding and marketing experts to study the market and innovate the right strategies. Some colleges are taking advantage of mobile marketing, social media, and other digital tools to find the interested students as well as to attract students’ applications. With the popularity of various social media platforms, many colleges have been using one or more social media sites for reaching out to prospective students. With more and more students using several digital devices, colleges need to consider multi-channel communications and marketing strategies for better student outreach.
Justin Goh is a former teacher and prolific writer, penning blogs to help the parents, students and the educators alike. Regularly contributing articles for MyPrivateTutor Malaysia, he prefers to write on varying aspects of education ranging from learning strategies and preparation tips to the ways to reach out to the students better.
