Navigating Digital Transformation in Higher Education: Priorities in Language Learning During the Pandemic

INTRODUCTION

Institutions of higher learning have been greatly affected by digital transformation at the point of learning. This however has provided new opportunities for innovation in the higher education sector. With the Covid-19 Pandemic, making it impossible to conduct personalized classroom lessons, many foreign language departments in most institutions of higher learning have increased their use of digital tools for teaching (Grajek,2020). Most institutions have embraced learning strategies for languages that promote innovative teaching and learning practices by providing high-quality instructional environments, informed by appropriate digital technologies, and current educational approaches (Barbero,2020).

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Higher learning institutions have a great obligation to stretch and enhance educational countermeasures to ensure smooth learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic. They are playing exemplary roles in ensuring students continue with their studies while protecting themselves against contracting the virus among those around them(Alshammari, 2020). Various platforms have been laid. Among the strategies put in place are; digital learning and offering education to the students to avoid contracting the virus.

Learning institutions have had to enforce changes in their administration strategies. Most institutions have closed down physical activities; full, and partial closure of the institutions has been experienced to curb the virus's spread. Physical learning has been suspended and replaced by digital learning (Leng et al.,2020). Digital learning involves online classes in which facilitators are teaching their students virtually. The attempts have reduced physical interactions in aid of keeping social distance among individuals.

Virtual learning success is much determined by factors such as the readiness of technology to be applied concerning the curriculum in place, support, and collaboration from various stakeholders, including schools, teachers, government, parents, community, and students (Grajek,2020). Considerations should be made among these key stakeholders before the implementation of the program.

These effective digital pedagogies will continue even after COVID-19. Language programs in the digital platform should ensure students become future leaders in digital foreign language teaching. The digital platform must enhance learning by ensuring students have opportunities to exploit their critical thinking abilities and in-depth interactions. Higher institutions of learning should play an active role in the digital transformation process.

1.1. Information Security Strategy.

All faculty members are required to use the right online tools used in digital foreign language learning and teaching. There are many threats when it comes to accessing information via the internet. Due to growing connectivity among users in the digital learning platform, information is exposed to many dangers and vulnerabilities(Alwi, 2010). There is a need to develop a risk-based security strategy that can effectively spot and react to security threats. Thus, there is a need to protect information used in digital foreign language learning and teaching to avoid the loss of its veracity and discretion. To come up with the appropriate strategies for information security we must understand the threats of information on the digital platform.

Some severe security threats that need to be addressed include deliberate software attacks and technical software botches. Any unknown loophole and acts caused by human error through reconnaissance or encroach should be dealt with. There is also the issue of technical hardware failure, breach of copyrights, and loss of equipment. Other threats include concessions to intellectual properties, technological uselessness, and acts of information exposé (Bagci,2018)

Internal and external security measures should be ensured to enhance and secure the digital learning platform. At the point of learning, there should be effective mechanisms for security and privacy control management (Cole et al, 2019). It is important to note that control without planning does not mitigate the threats of digital learning at the point of learning during digital transformation. Authorization should only be granted to a few in the learning process, and all parties involved should link capable updates when it comes to the sharing and distribution of information. Even with measures in place to combat COVID-19 at the point of learning, those involved must ensure information is not manipulated to benefit a few.

1.2. Privacy

Privacy at the point of language learning will involve processes that defend the institution's privacy rights, at the same time ensuring liability for all types of classified data.

Privacy and security are intertwined at the point of language learning and teaching in digital transformation. Information should be treated as the core asset of the higher institution. All users must steer away from manipulation as the functionality of the learning process in the digital transformation will depend on the integrity of information used in learning. While knowledge should be shared spontaneously throughout the learning process, complex information should be restricted to a few individuals. Learning materials should only be distributed to designated groups of learners, and all copyright protections and intellectual properties of information protected (Leng, Khieng& Water, 2020).

Privacy will be guaranteed in the digital transformation if and only the digital learning platform is accessible by authorized users. There should also be strategies to guarantee security for digital delivery, and collective education among users. Privacy officials can be appointed to ensure all regulations are adhered to. Compliance requirements must be made available to all staff, students, and the entire faculty in foreign language learning and teaching to ensure they are aware of the consequences of giving away information for personal gain. Institutions must regulate the use of personal data in the digital platform, and all data owners and administrators must be held liable for the data they develop and manage. Thus, leaders must invest in technologies that protect privacy and students should be willing to embrace data protection practices. Technologies that detect and act on sensitive data should be preset (Alwi, 2010).

1.3. Sustainable Funding

Institutions must develop funding models that uphold quality and accommodate new requirements, and the mounting use of IT technologies in the digital foreign language learning platform. Covid-19 has reduced fiscal resources in most institutions of higher learning, and with growing budget checks, institutions must seek grants and other sources of funding to cater for this transition (Martin,2019). The shared services and cloud strategies used in the digital platform of language learning must ensure the institution saves Funds.

When IT staffers are moved closer to the students, they are able to offer more supportive technologies and services at the point of learning in the digital transformation. Institutions should only use funding models that can be sustainable in the long term as COVID-19 is likely to linger around for some time. Teaching staff should be relevant in the content they use in learning. Faculty leaders should be willing to implement difficult decisions by eliminating services that are duplicative and underused in the digital transformation. This can save funds without affecting the quality of teaching foreign languages. While clouding technology can significantly raise the costs of learning, they can make budgeting and service levels more foreseeable, and this will enable the institution staff to use technology on task-related needs (Rapanta et al, 2020)

1.4. Digital Interactions

Faculty leaders must ensure the digital system used in language learning and teaching is interoperable and scalable. The integrity of data, security standards, and governance must be well synchronized across the various applications and platforms in the digital transformation (Grajek, 2020). All the faculty members must be willing to embrace training opportunities availed to them as skills are constantly changing. Teaching staff must recognize the fact that foreign language development is ever-changing towards integration. This is the main reason most leaders in higher learning institutions are employing more solution integration developers instead of application-specific developers

Students and teaching instructors know that data systems cannot survive in autonomous silos. To achieve cohesive data, timely governance data models are developed into corresponding siloed data management activities being implemented at the point of language learning across digital platforms. Working collaboratively enables departmental leaders and institutions to offer quality learning experiences in the digital platform (Leng et al, 2020). Procurement departments of institutions must partner with IT organizations to ensure the latest IT technologies used in teaching within the digital platform are procured at a cost-effective price. Only the obligatory technologies should be purchased. Modern integration tools at the point of learning make digital interactions easier, and to some extent more dominant. While most students are pressing for technologies such as multifactor validation to manage and protect their digital identities, faculty members should do the same.