Transforming higher education: How technology innovates, shapes learning

Technology is vital in higher education.

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In the world of higher education, the incorporation of technology has become essential. Institutions are faced with relentless competition for top talent not only in the resident country, but across the globe, enabled and supported by rapid pace of technology research and innovation.

The ease with which institutions can effectively identify, attract and register students has become a game-changer. Integration of administration with hybrid teaching and learning methods has increased access to education and forced institutions to review their infrastructure investment and modes of delivery. With the rise of data-driven methods, the promise of 4IR technologies has accelerated Edtech investment in basic as well as post school education across the African continent, and beyond. Increase in student and employee self-service applications has spurred increases in demand and use of internet of things services and devices. Concerns regarding mental wellness of students has expanded the scope of providing a total solution for superior student experience.

Pressure on budgets is also placing demands on institutional leadership to explore third stream sources of income. Capacitating of academic and administration staff have become essential building blocks for adoption and embedding of technology in education.

Adapt IT, a member of the Volaris Group, has been a company of choice for public and private universities and colleges for over 37 years, through its leading enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, the ITS Integrator. Since inception, higher education processes, as well as compliance and reporting requirements from the governing authorities, have been fully embedded in the ITS Integrator system in South Africa, Namibia, Ghana, Rwanda, Ireland and Asia Pacific. At the core of ITS Integrator is a commitment to addressing the challenges faced by higher education institutions. It offers solutions designed to effectively align student experiences with institutional processes. Core integration capability enables information to be entered once and shared between, inter alia, applications, registrations, residence administration, student loans and bursaries, learning management, assessments, examinations, graduation and alumni management.

The Adapt IT Student Information System, born from merging Adapt IT’s ITS Integrator 4.1 and the next-generation ITS Infinity, embodies the pinnacle of evolution in the education sphere. Through harnessing technologies and uniting user-friendly interfaces with backend support, these platforms provide a smooth and all-inclusive experience for managing students throughout their academic journey. Certification by Moodle enables Adapt IT to provide seamless integration of administration with digital teaching and learning processes for a uniform student experience.

A simplified admissions process can expedite the enrolment of students, reducing administrative burden and paperwork for both students and institutions. The intuitive digital application system in ITS Integrator facilitates data-driven student selection through intelligent algorithms. Prospective students can easily submit applications, upload documents and make fee payments online, while institutions benefit from automated application review and streamlined selection processes. This efficiency ensures that students are able to start their academic year promptly without delays caused by cumbersome administrative processes.

From course administration to fee management, ITS Integrator offers centralised solutions that streamline operations and enhance efficiency. Institutions can manage class schedules, track attendance, process fee payments and generate financial reports seamlessly ensuring smooth operations and financial transparency.

In-depth reporting tools provide valuable insights into student performance, course popularity and institutional performance, empowering institutions to make informed decisions. This alignment can contribute to higher student retention rates and ultimately a more successful start to the academic year, with fewer students dropping out due to mismatched expectations or academic challenges.

The architecture enables the solution to scale in line with changing needs of our customers. Our capability allows Adapt IT to support varying hosting and security requirements of our customers, whether cloud-based or on-premises. We have capability and partnerships with leading OEMs for hosting and support, including mitigating the risk of data breaches, identified as a top concern for CIOs in higher education.

Technology is at the centre of the Adapt IT research and innovation agenda. The speed to market sets the leaders apart from the pack. Adapt IT is a proudly African leader in higher education technology solutions. As a trusted partner and adviser, Adapt IT encourages collaboration with its customers, enabling it to develop solutions that go to the heart of the most pressing challenges, delivering value and ensuring that institutions continue to focus on their core mandate, which is teaching, learning and research output.