WHAT IS A DIGITAL STRATEGY?
A digital strategy in education is a school's approach to using technology, like computers, mobile devices and internet services, to enhance the teaching and learning experience. It aims to further support the school system to ensure that all learners have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills they need to successfully navigate in an ever evolving digital world. This plan can help schools provide ways for easy and fast communication with each other, their students and parents. A school's management team may design and adjust its strategy based on new or popular technological innovations and ideas or platforms and current performance or requirements. The team develops the document incorporating the 3 major elements of the digital strategy. They then set out clear goals based on each pillar.
Here are the three major facets of a digital strategy:
Digital Literacy and Capacity
This pillar focuses on ensuring that digital technologies are embedded into teaching, learning and assessment in our schools in a way that helps you to learn. It also aims to support teachers in effectively using technology to support learning and to support the development of a range of digital skills.
Digital Infrastructure and Procurement
This pillar involves the technology itself. It answers the questions:
How many devices do we need?
Which type of devices are appropriate for my school for both staff and students?
What are the apps and programmes that can enhance learning
Are the internet facilities adequate in the school and if not how can fence to fence connectivity be gained?
What support can we garner from corporate Barbados or the Ministry of Education in buying and maintaining digital devices and other technology related items?
Digital Leadership
This pillar focusses on changes in digital technologies. It aims at helping schools to integrate technology with other strategies and policies that are important in education. Because technology is often evolving, digital leadership will help schools stay abreast of new programmes and apps, faster devices and new opportunities and challenges that arise when stakeholders are using the internet and other digital technologies.
Here you may see an example of St. Lucy's Primary Digital Strategy
References
Indeed Editorial Team (Ed.). (2021, June). Just a moment. . . What Is a Digital Strategy? Definition, Benefits and Tips. Retrieved December 3, 2022, from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/digital-strategy
