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Author: Hemant Mahajan

5 Most Frequently Asked Questions about Education ERP / SIS – Answered

Posted on by Hemant Mahajan

The world of technology may seem confusing at first, but digitalization is inevitable and you need to be quick in adapting to the technology. As a technology maven, and globally recognized for our flagship product Academia, we would love to be of any assistance to you in understanding the Education ERP solution. 

Let’s start with the definition first. Education ERP or enterprise resource planning software for the education industry is an advanced software. It is an app suite that aims at handling all your tasks from a single software and brings seamlessness to your processes. It comes with an integrated SIS, or student information system that works as a backbone and centralizes all the student-related data for better working and seamless management. 

Since this generalized definition is not enough to clear all your doubts and queries, we have listed down the five most frequently asked questions on education ERP and have answered them to the best of our knowledge. If you have more queries, please feel free to connect with our consultant here. We are available 24*7 to support you in any way we can. 

1. Can a school management system or school ERP system automate all the operations and processes of a school? 

Automation is a buzzword in the tech industry, and downright amazing if you ask us. But, it is in a very nascent stage. That means yes, automation is possible but it has certain limitations. 

Tasks such as attendance management, timetable generation, fee collection, and important communication can be automated. And we believe, it is good enough. These are some of the most time-taking and repetitive activities found in the education ecosystem.

To answer your question, most administrative tasks can be automated easily. For anything that is too complex to automate, you may not find it in a pre-built tool. But you can always communicate your needs to the ERP experts and they may be able to help you with the customizations and add-ons. 

2. How to manage online learning using education ERP? 

Education ERP solutions are pretty robust and accommodating. They can be easily integrated with an LMS or any tool that you use for online learning. Also, there are some education ERP solutions that have in-built online learning features and you can run online classes on them. 

But most of the education ERP solutions would have faculty and student side features that support online assigning of the projects and submissions as well. Also, examination-related tasks can be done on education ERP solutions. 

3. How do Education ERP solutions provide error-free data, reports, and information? 

Education ERP solutions are designed to provide error-free working. They are built on modern technology that runs on various logic in the backend. Also, before the implementation, they go through intense testing and most Education ERP solutions follow the GIGO concept, and only the useful and crucial data is put to use, while other things are stored in the archive. 

4. Does implementing Education ERP mean no manual intervention? 

In the processes and functions where you have automated things, yes you don’t have to do anything. It would be an end-to-end automated process. Also, there would be some aspects of the institute that would be partially automated and would require some manual interventions. All in all, it would reduce a significant amount of workload on your employees in both conditions. 

5. Can a school ERP solution help in making decisions at various levels?

Yes, absolutely. This is the most dynamic feature of an education ERP system. You would find a host of reports that would provide you with predictive analysis on trends and you can use them to build strategies for improvement in problem areas. 

Also, these reports are generated through Machine Learning, Business Intelligence, and Artificial Intelligence, they are pretty robust and on point. If you go with an Education ERP / SIS solution such as Academia ERP there would hardly be any time when you would find any gaps in the reporting as we configure the entire product to meet your needs. 

Wrapping Up 

We hope, you have more clarity about Education ERP / Student Information System software now and that you were able to find the answer you were looking for. In case you have any more questions you can always contact us anytime, we are always happy to help you. 

Data Security is a Concern for the Education Industry

Posted on by Hemant Mahajan

Data privacy is a pressing issue for the education industry. But this is not something new. For any industry that is keeping its first step towards digitalization, security becomes a pressing issue and this time it is the education industry. 

How did it all start?

Now how did it start? Covid-19 has accelerated the adoption rate of technology across the globe. In a very short time, many institutes were forced to take hasty decisions and go with the available vendor without thinking much about security and the upcoming challenges pertaining to data and its mismanagement. 

Current Scenario

Now that the world is relaxing after a two-year-long harsh battle with Covid-19, it is time to rethink those choices. Now education institutes are thinking about the data that is being shared daily on online platforms by students, faculty, and school officials. This has made education institutes a primary target of cyber criminals as the proper security measures are still lacking. Frequent and high-intensity cyberattacks have become prominent in the education sector over the last two years. 

Moreover, even software that uses powerful data security regulations often becomes vulnerable to these attacks. Not always it is the fault of the product you are using. The problem may lie in the loosely integrated 3rd party software that gives cracks in your system to make a breach. The partner applications may not follow high standards of security and this may make you more prone to data theft. 

Furthermore, thousands of students use their personal devices to access the web and mobile applications and this may put the server at risk. Also, the students are at risk as the malicious code can be pushed to the devices, or phishing emails or messages may be sent easily to the students. 

Common security threats faced by EdTech companies 

In recent times, edtech companies have become a big target for cybercriminals. There have been instances of security breaches, phishing, stealing of data, and other instances. Here are some of the most frequent threats that are battled by edtech companies around the world:

  • Cloud Security Breaches: 

One of the most common threats for edtech companies is breaches in cloud-based applications. Cloud-based applications create a virtual depository of data that is very easy to access remotely. Data dissemination and analytics are also fairly easy in cloud-based applications as compared to on-premise applications. 

But at the same time, the risk of data breaches concerning the personal information of students and educators, financial operations, and other tasks associated with an institution. Cybercriminals may use this information and redirect the payments to a fictitious account that hackers control. 

  • Phishing:

Phishing needs no introduction as it is one of the most common threats. Cyber attackers mask their identity as a trusted entity and lure the users into divulging into sharing private and sensitive information such as credit card numbers, etc. Mostly cyber criminals target children as they are gullible and easy targets. 

  • Denial of Service (DoS): 

This is a new type of cybercrime, wherein the cyberattack makes sure that data or the systems that are used by the user are not accessible and are denied access. The cyberattack involves flooding the network with information and this disrupts the existing services. 

Denial of Services (DoS) in the context of edtech may result in disruption of education, delays in getting the right information for efficient administrative operations, or unavailability of knowledge resources or study material. 

  • Malware:

Malware attacks are very common. The software gets installed on the computer or server without the knowledge of the user, they come in various types and are employed to steal sensitive information of the users or commit crimes such as extortion.

  • Zoombombing:

It is fairly recent, online video conferencing platforms are interrupted by intruders. Incidents such as hate speeches against students during online classroom sessions or exposure to unwanted, harmful media during virtual classes have been reported. 

How Academia ERP is beating cyberattacks and staying compliant with global security standards? 

  • General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): 

We are a GDPR-compliant organization. It is one of the biggest security standards for the countries in Europe, where the regulatory framework ensures we are assessing and processing the large volumes of data involving users securely and are not mishandling the data at all. We adhere to the framework very strictly and have by far never had any incidences concerning the mishandling of data or privacy breaches. 

  • Conducting Security audits: 

We timely conduct security audits and make sure there are no gaps in security with respect to our product. Furthermore, we go a step ahead and make sure the integrations that we do for our clients are not lost and do not provide any cracks through which the cybercriminals can make breaches.

  • Network and System Security

Network and system security are taken very seriously in Academia ERP. We take various measures to ensure the data and information is protected and shared through only secured channels through reliable access and network performance. Our well-designed network security solution ensures protection from a wide range of viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, adware, and ransomware. 

  • Cybersecurity awareness sessions

We are a big team of 200+ individuals, and we make sure each of our employees is adhering to the security standards and is following compliance. We regularly conduct cybersecurity awareness sessions and provide training to our employees about data protection and security protocols. 

  • Two-factor authentication & role-based access controls

Two-factor authentication and role-based access controls are implemented in the software solution. This allows us to make sure there is no unauthorized access to the system and that you face no situation where there is data leakage. 

Summing Up

Cybercrimes in the education sector are growing at a fast rate. As a decision-maker, the key to protecting yourself and other stakeholders using digital tools for administrative, academic, and non-academic operations lies in your hands.  

You can do right by choosing a reliable solution provider such as Academia Education ERP / Student Information System which adheres to the highest security standards and has by far had no instances of security breaches. We follow international standards of security and stay compliant with global regulatory frameworks. 

Know more about highly secure Education ERP called Academia ERP security by dropping a message. Also, get full-blown exposure to Academia ERP and its amazingness by requesting a live product demo. 

ABET Accreditation of Higher Education – All the Details

Posted on by Hemant Mahajan

ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) is a US-based non-profit organization that grades engineering programs at a college to ensure professional-grade education. It is a global standard in STEM education to assure that undergraduate and postgraduate programs like computing, engineering, applied science, natural science, and software engineering provide academically sound, skill-based education.  

ABET-accredited university

ABET accreditation is a global standard and works as a magnet to attract prospects for your university. It executes the accreditation process through a network of experts that have vast industry experience. These experts evaluate and validate the institute programs to be holistic, and quality-driven. 

For this, the team of experts closely scrutinizes the programs. The process provides academicians and management of the university with a deeper understanding of the gaps in the system. The procedure includes a review of the program material, several visits to the campuses, and more. The process is well-aligned with modern education needs and standards, and thus makes ABET one of the most sought-after accreditation till now in the world for technical courses.  

What does it mean to be ABET-accredited? 

ABET sets a global standard, and getting accreditation from ABET means adding extra value to your global reputation. Being ABET accredited testifies for:

  • International quality education
  • Best practices in education 
  • Faculty and staff self-assessment process and continuous quality improvement
  • Focus on learning outcomes rather than just teaching inputs

Programs that can be ABET Accredited

  • Distance Learning Technical Programs
  • Applied and Natural Science Programs 
  • Computing Programs
  • Engineering Accreditation Commission
  • Engineering Technology Programs
  • Several Alternative Programs

Why is ABET Accreditation in Higher Education important?

ABET is globally valued. Every individual wishing to make a career in engineering and computer sciences would wish that their degree is of a global standard and also have a conviction that they are at an advantage of being part of a quality-driven, skilled-based curriculum. 

If your university is ABET accredited, you have a major edge in the market, as: 

  • It shows the compelling quality standards in the science and technology field.
  • It gives you a competitive edge in beating private and government institutes in your area.
  • It helps establish you in the global market.
  • It is a confirmation of high quality in terms of curriculum, assessment, and development.
  • It helps you in continuous improvements as ABET conducts regular reviews.
  • It ensures better student outcomes 

Note:

ABET accreditation may also help your institute to get a PE or Professional Engineer License.

ABET criteria and eligibility 

ABET promotes excellence in technical education and thus puts quality improvement at the center of all accreditation activities. The accreditation criteria is built by academic experts and technical professionals with years of experience in various industries, academic professions, and government organizations. The criteria is built to evaluate programs on three factors: 

  • Quality
  • Content 
  • Relevance

Important details of the ABET accreditation criteria

  • Eligible programs

Not every program is eligible for ABET accreditation and hence you must carefully go through the list of programs for which you apply for accreditation. Furthermore, the institute should be nationally and regionally accredited in the USA.  Also, doctoral and certificate programs are not accredited by ABET. ABET only accepts accreditation requests from degree-granting educational institutions. 

  • Minimum of one graduate is mandatory

Programs become eligible only if they have at least one graduate passed out. 

  • Program name clause

The program name should convey the objective and should not be misleading. 

  • SSR 

It is essential to submit an initial SSR before the on-site visit. The report needs to be accurate, to the point, updated, and error-free. 

ABET Accreditation Process & Timeline

ABET accreditation is a time-intensive process and can take up to 18 months. Step by step we can divide the accreditation process into: 

  • Readiness review 
  1. Collecting samples of syllabus, assignments, curriculum  
  2. It starts in October and must end by January 31st
  • Evaluation request 
  1. Assigning the assessment team 
  2. Between April and May, based on the review
  • Submission of SSR 
  1. Self-study report submission, followed by review by the assessment team
  2. Submission before July 1st
  • On-site visit
  1. Documents should be filed and ready before the on-site visit
  2. Panel interviews conducted with faculty, students, administration
  3. Usually scheduled from September until December, the on-site assessment lasts 3 days.
  • Decision-making process
  1. The review team may notify if they found any gaps during their visits 
  2. Within two-three months, formal communication starts to inform the findings
  3. Institute may be required to produce an explanation for the shortcomings within 30 days 
  4. The decision comes around July
  5. The final verdict notified to the institute by August 31st

ABET Assessment Planning

  1. Establish mission Statement
  2. Define Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) and Student Outcomes
  3. Evaluate Assessment findings 
  4. Plan Assessment design and execution
  5. Use data for decision-making

How to get ABET accredited successfully?

Here are some useful tips to get ABET accredited successfully:

  • Stick to the time frame

There is a reason why we have mentioned the months in the timeline. It is an 18-month-long process and you would get a sufficient time window to finish all the formalities and meet the expectations and standards of the assessment team. 

  • Eligibility check

Before you begin the process, it is necessary to map the eligibility criteria to your institute’s offerings. It is very common for people to apply for the accreditation of a course that doesn’t fall within the eligibility criteria. 

  • Request Application

To confirm your eligibility you are required to make a request for the same and submit the SSR, within the timeline for ensuring the process starts. 

  • ABET Review 

Based on your submission, the committee will evaluate your SSR and conduct an onsite visit to proceed with the evaluation process and give a final decision. So, make sure SSR is well-built with no errors. 

Cost of ABET Accreditation 

Based on 2021-2022:


Note: 

Fees for the programs outside the US are different, get more info on this here. 

Re-accreditation

Yes, re-accreditation is possible. And you need to submit RFE (Request for Evaluation) on the official website of ABET. RFE is a general formality for visits, interim visits, or interim reports. 

How does Academia ERP Solution help with ABET Accreditation?

ABET accreditation requires precision analysis of the institute on various factors. With the advanced report management system offered by Academia, you can generate a host of reports and analyze where you need to improve and how you can achieve ABET accreditation. Also, the reports help you in presenting the right data to the assessment committee at ABET in the SSR and allow you to leave no gaps unfilled. Request a live demo of Academia ERP to learn more.

Can a new-age education ERP help reduce operational costs & improve performance?

Posted on by Hemant Mahajan

Education institutes around the world are trying hard to improve their operational capabilities. But they have a severe challenge in front of them. The more they try to solve their problems through traditional methods, the more they end up spending. In this scenario, digitalization gives high hopes. 

However, just because some tool claims to solve your problem does not mean it is a perfect solution for you. Education institutes must go out of their way and get into the nitty-gritty of the solution to accurately calculate how the product reduces operational costs and enhances performance. 

In this blog, we would chart out a plan through which you can calculate the cost reduction and ensure improved performance through the Education ERP solution. 

Also, Academia ERP understands how much ROI means to you, and we love to answer that question. Take a free demo of the product, and request our tech experts to support you in calculating the ROI on implementing Academia ERP Software at your institute – absolutely free!  Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity. 

The need for ROI calculation  

ROI is a very important metric when it comes to calculating process transformation and business profitability. 

When it comes to the education sector, the need becomes even dire because there are limited resources and there is a very tiny budget involved. Especially when it comes to public-funded schools, colleges, and institutes, budgetary limitations are even bigger. In our vast experience, we have found careful deliberation by administrators and higher management while finding out digitalized solutions to their problems. 

But in their analysis, management is seen keeping a unidirectional approach. They see the initial cost of the set-up and the decision to digitalize their processes through education ERP takes a back seat. 

Modern education ERP solutions should be scrutinized with a futuristic approach. It is a complete suite of applications that transforms the processes and overall working of the institutes. It helps you reduce the operational cost and time significantly from various processes and allows a higher return on investment. 

Reduced reliance on papers

The world is moving towards sustainable development. We are developing global policies and digitalization sits at the center of the goals as it is bound to reduce the dependency on papers for office work and record maintenance. 

With an education ERP solution, you can completely digitalize your processes and reduce the cost associated with paperwork to a minimum. This includes reduced need to buy papers, reduced need to spend money on managing and safeguarding paper-based records, reduced time to work on a paper-driven system, and more. 

Automation 

There are a number of tasks performed on a daily basis in an education institute. This includes attendance, assigning work to students, collection of assignments, payment collections, and more. 

With digitalization, you get the power to automate most of your work, and allows you to focus on the tasks which are more critical for the functioning of the institutes. With automation, you can eliminate manual data entry, and errors, and reduce time taken to maintain the paperwork for various operations. Monitoring becomes easier, and reporting is accurate. 

Added benefits of digitalization are automated reminders, receipt creation and dispersal, accounting, ledger posting, and more. Digitalization also safeguards student information. 

Management

Vendor management is another task that is highly optimized through digitalization. It includes the use of a master vendor list and tracking vendor performance. It also helps you in identifying gaps in the supply chain. Furthermore, integrated predictive analytics can allow you to predict market change and optimize decision-making. Demand and supply forecast is highly improved as it is backed by data. 

Routine purchase reminders, better use of resources and budget with the purchase discount information and more are some of the added benefits. Education ERP solutions also, help in the management of human resources and allow you to bring more seamlessness in class and schedule management. 

Examination costs

Grading and reporting are two other aspects that are associated tasks of teachers. Conducting examinations and producing reports is a resource-intensive and time-taking process. Communication between teachers and parents is limited and there is a dire need for transparency in the process so that parents and teachers can cohesively work to improve the performance of the student. 

Using education ERP you can create a secure testing environment for the students and improve the communication between various stakeholders, especially teachers and parents. Also, instead of report cards, you can configure an official email address and electronically release the reports to the parents and students. 

Academia ERP recently integrated a QRcode-based marking system for Indus University. We helped them eliminate errors completely from the marking system and reduced the time significantly in the process, here is a full case study. 

Accuracy in statutory reporting 

Compliance and statutory reporting become difficult tasks when things are done manually. With an advanced solution such as the Academia ERP solution, you can enjoy an AI-driven report management system, so robust that it helps you score a grade ‘A’ NAAC accreditation.

The centralized data repository in education ERP serves as an easy tool to keep the information updated, provide automated reports on taxes, allows you to generate on-demand reports on several things, and make it easy for stakeholders to access information based on their role to perform tasks fast. 

Improved decision-making 

Business intelligence and reporting tools help you in bringing more transparency to the system. They give you data-backed suggestions to make optimal decisions. Technologies such as AI and ML have advanced to a great extent, they are efficient and reliable in tackling a variety of tasks, including predictive analysis. This allows decision-makers to have strong reasoning behind their decisions and also calculate the results in real-time to reinforce learning to optimize their strategy. 

Wrapping Up 

Education ERP solutions pave the way for digitalization in your institute. They are advanced solutions that can perform various tasks for your institute. As much as it is good to be excited about the changing dynamics of the institutes with digital tools, it is equally important to calculate the efficiency of the tools in reducing operational costs and time with improved performance. The mentioned points in the blog would help you factor in the same. 

As mentioned earlier, the team at Academia is highly-focused on maximizing the ROI for the institutes. And hence, we have curated an advanced calculator that takes into account specific details of your institute to provide a tentative report on the expected ROI on implementing Academia ERP. Leverage the opportunity while it lasts, and get a free report today. Contact us here.

Benefits of Teaching Diversity in Education

Posted on by Hemant Mahajan

Diversity is a primary goal of modern educational institutes. Diversity has suddenly become an important thing for education institutes, as the world becomes more aware and tolerant of the varying perspectives, views, and approaches of individuals. People are more accommodating to a variety of ideas and have become more respectful towards the apparent differences in ethnicity, gender, age, race, religion, gender identity, and more. 

In the past, institutes dreaded diversity, but not today. Students feel it is very important that institutes don’t have bias and are catering to all segments of society equally. They need to know if the institute is strengthening intercultural tolerance. Surprisingly, technology can help you create a more inclusive environment for students hailing from a variety of places, having their views, and perspectives to create a diverse environment at your institute. 

Why is teaching diversity in education important for advanced institutions?

Many educational institutions, businesses, and organizations across the world are operating on international standards and scale. Teaching diversity to students helps them become global citizens and provides exposure to different cultures, religions, and belief groups. 

There are various benefits of promoting diversity at your institute, let’s have a look at a few of them:

  • Diversity Enriches Educational Experience

Teaching cultural diversity in institutions helps in providing a wider opportunity to learn from peer groups that hail from different cultural backgrounds. This gives them an enriched learning experience and makes them more flexible towards adopting new things, sharing knowledge, improving communication, and increasing collaboration.

Various institutions are being more diverse than ever and creating experiences, perspectives, backgrounds, and beliefs. 

  • Diversity Improves learning 

Diversity helps in improving communication and provokes the feeling of brotherhood. This, in turn, results in an exchange of new ideas, beliefs, thoughts, knowledge, skills, etc. .  It brings peace and harmony to the campus and promotes a positive attitude toward learning new things. 

  • Diversity Challenges Stereotypes

The modern generation of students often gets raised around people of similar socioeconomic, racial, or cultural backgrounds. In the development process, they create several stereotypes that can be a hindrance to their growth and do not allow them to mingle with people that do not share cultural or economical commonalities. Thus, diversity can challenge their restrictive approach toward the world and help in creating a positive atmosphere among students. 

  • Diversity Helps in Leadership

With various other benefits, cultural diversity also helps in thought leadership. They also get the chance to see and experience various leadership styles along with faculty, staff, administrators, and all the stakeholders. It’s a chance to see someone from other cultures and backgrounds and even emulate them. It is also impactful for students from various communities, considering the initial qualities of students along with their leadership skills.

  • Diversity Foster Creativity

Diversity in institutions encourages solving various problems and brings in creativity. Creating collaborative groups is an excellent tool for classroom and overall institutional management. Students can also bring various perspectives that can challenge their peers to think creatively and find easy solutions to complex problems. It also provides students with the opportunity to work with a diverse group of peers along with confronting creativity in all ways.

  • Diversity in the adoption of technology

With the increased competition, it is also crucial to adopt a digital tool. It is imperative to know that innovation is needed to diversify with the ability to utilize the right digital tool that can engage, communicate, and collaborate. Along with increased opportunities, students and faculty members need a platform that can keep them connected and more focused on their end goal i.e, uninterrupted learning. 

Conclusion

Diversity in education is a crucial aspect on which modern education institutions need to focus on. Hope this blog helps you in having a better understanding of the same. Various techniques can be used to implement the same using good technological support. If you need any tech assistance we can help!

Edtech is an essential component of India’s education system

Posted on by Hemant Mahajan

The COVID-19 pandemic has led various educational institutions to opt for remote learning solutions. Various digital tools and software helped in continuing the academic and non-academic activities at the institutes. 

Now as the world copes with the COVID-19 pandemic, institutions are resuming operations from campuses, but it is crucial to understand that tech-savvy students need more engaging teaching methods that fit their learning patterns. Hybrid learning thus evolves as a prominent solution. 

How Edtech plays an important role in the Indian education system?

EdTech platforms in India are playing a vital role, providing seamless support to education institutes to enhance learning and teaching styles. Solutions such as ERP are allowing institutes to fight some of the biggest challenges of the education industry, such as; low student outcomes, low knowledge retention, inefficient resource management, and more. 

Let’s look over some of the key EdTech solutions:

  • Immersive Learning

The modern student demands resources that can enrich real-time experiences of what is being taught. Immersive learning environments are learning solutions that are constructed using a variety of technologies and software tools, along with game-based learning, simulation-based learning, and virtual 3D worlds.

  • Personalized Management

Personalization is one of the primary focuses of every industry. Leaving no stone unturned, the education sector is using technologies to the best of its potential to offer personalized experiences to all stakeholders. This not just includes students, but also faculty and administrative staff. 

Software solutions such as Education ERP / SIS (Student Information System) are providing personalization in all the management of academic and non-academic tasks. It provides personalization in managing enquiry, admission, assignment, fee, examination, and all other operations. One example of this is a student checking their assignment details or submitting assignments through a web or mobile application. 

There are a lot more features and functionalities that can be managed by an ERP/SIS in an institution. 

  • Fun-Learning

In the world of online learning, students often get bored with the traditional form of learning. Education institutions must accustom technology that can boost students’ interest in learning. Various tech concepts like gamification, augmented reality, and more can be considered the best options for the same. Adding these flavors to Indian education can level up the interest of students, faculty members, and students to enjoy the learning experience and teaching processes.

  • Bridging the Gap between Stakeholders

Effective communication is one of the crucial elements that most Indian institutions lack. In the traditional pattern of teaching, learning, and operational management, students often stay back in asking questions and raising queries, and likewise between the faculty members and higher authorities. This creates a gap among stakeholders creating various issues in the overall functioning of the institution.

Opting for a robust EdTech solution can process the best in this regard. Solutions like an ERP/SIS can help bridge the gap among stakeholders. It can provide an easy platform to connect with all the stakeholders to manage any of the academic, non-academic, and administrative tasks. A good ERP system provides a mobile application and web portal through which any stakeholder can raise his query and find a solution accordingly from anywhere and anytime.

How do you think your institutions would fare?

With technological advancements, it is a must that Indian educational institutions should attain advanced tools and software. However, understanding the advantages of different EdTech tools and software is important before finalizing one. In this digital era of learning, institutions must attain & equip EdTech as much as possible. 

So is your institution still working on operational methods? If so, then it is the correct time to switch to a highly responsive EdTech solution that can entail student retention, stakeholder satisfaction, and a lot more. Want to have expert advice on this? Contact us now!

 

The Top 5 Priorities for Higher Education in Cybersecurity

Posted on by Hemant Mahajan

Education organizations are easy targets for hackers, but institutions must opt for techniques that can make them manageable and efficient. With a proactive approach, it is the right time for educational institutions to prioritize security as an important issue and find a solution for it. 

The institutions are easy targets of cybercriminals. Whether internal or external, there are various types of data hacking practices like phishing, data breaches, ransomware, and IoT vulnerabilities present in the system. It creates a lot of risks and reduces students’ rights and wreaks havoc on the lives of students, staff, faculty, parents, and administrators.

  • Data Encryption

Data hackers today can obtain and damage institutional data by intercepting it while actively in transit. Institutions must opt for technologies that can automate all institutional tasks, along with the prevention of stealing real-time data. A good ERP system can provide you with data encryption as using it, institutions can attain automation of all the institutional tasks and update data into a single system that is highly secure and safe.

  • Network and Data Monitoring

An educational entity involves multitudes of data that need to be restored efficiently. It needs to be the top priority of institutions to monitor the data and network. Proper monitoring and tracking with the right tool can help prevent security breaches and plays a vital part in the cybersecurity of the business. 

  • Comply with Cyber Protocols

With the security improvements in institutions, most of the institutions are strict with all the stakeholders, particularly for adherence to data security. Meanwhile, institutions must adopt advanced technical support that can monitor stakeholders’ actions, and bring transparency. You can aim at creating a centralized channel to manage and protect any kind of information initially. It is also crucial that institutions should bring transparency to the rules in all departments, sections, and locations.

  • Backup Your Data

There are chances that any data in an institution related to admission, enquiry, or maybe examination needs to be accessed and used multiple times by different groups of individuals. In this case, institutions must generate the backup of the data regularly. It can also prevent data in ransomware-style attacks and help in securing data and continuing the functioning of the institute. 

  • Protect Your Devices From Physical Attacks

Whether an institution has security software that has zero tolerance for cyber crimes, it is equally essential to secure data from physical damage. For this, institutions need to secure automating all the institutional tasks that can reduce the chances of physical theft, malware attacks, and more. 

Why only Academia ERP for Securing Your Institution?

Cybercrime is becoming very common nowadays, and the world is finding ways to fight it.  As a leading ERP / SIS solution provider, Academia fights cybercrime with modern security solutions to enhance and improve the overall functioning of the institution.

Academia features data encryption, and GDPR compliance and focuses on regular security updates. Ensure security with multi-factor authentication, log reporting, and many more. One of its main functions is to deliver a next-level security environment to all the stakeholders in an institution.

Did you know that security compliance is a crucial aspect to get a higher NAAC accreditation? Contact our technology experts to get full details on how you can achieve the grade “A” in your next evaluation through Academia. Don’t forget to request a free product demo.

False Bay College, South Africa – The First TVET College In South Africa to Implement Student Information System

Posted on by Hemant Mahajan

Education institutions around the world are adopting digital transformation to overcome challenges and adapt to digital infrastructure. Technologies like ERP/SIS and others are helping with digital transformation and removing old processes that restrict growth and achievements.  

False Bay College from South Africa also moved ahead adopting Academia SIS as their advanced tech companion to achieve digital transformation. With the ongoing enhancements in technology, institutions need to be agile to keep up with the ever-changing demands and needs of the education sector. A modern, fit-for-purpose Student Information System should not only support the attainment of the College’s strategic goals but also be flexible (configurable) enough to accommodate changing needs of the businesses with time and support new or changing strategic objectives/direction. 

In 2021, False Bay Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College broke new ground. It was the first TVET College in South Africa to implement Academia Student Information System (SIS) and go live for applications and registrations. It has been an accomplishment as all project meetings, workshops, and training were delivered remotely during the pandemic and global lockdown. 

While this was no easy feat, it illustrates the pioneering journey that also Bay TVET College undertook to adopt a robust SIS and replace its existing systems. 

“We wanted a customizable solution as per the needs of our vocational & occupational programs. Academia ERP was the system of choice as it provided us with rich functionalities and customization as per the College SIS requirements. We are very satisfied with the implementation and post-implementation services provided by Academia that helped us achieve automation and digital transformation”.

Mark Cramer 

Acting Deputy Principal, False Bay College

Muizenberg, South Africa

Challenges Faced & their Solution with Academia

  • Mismanaged Enquiry & Admission Management

The admission season is one of the busiest times of the year for all stakeholders in the institution. In COVID-19 it became a lot more difficult for institutions across the world to manage admissions. False Bay also witnessed difficulty in managing the enquiries & applications in moving ahead with the admission process. 

Solution:

Academia proved to be a true solution to solve this issue. It automated the complete enquiry and application process. It streamlined and processed more than a hundred thousand applications. This helped institutions efficiently manage the entire admission process during the COVID-19 period.

  • Improper Communication

Effective communication is the key to success for modern educational institutions. It is crucial to create a clear chain of communication among all the stakeholders, departments, and locations. False Bay faced gaps in communication in various processes throughout the organization.

Solution:

With the advancement in technology, institutions need to create a crystal clear line of communication among stakeholders. Academia provided a robust solution for this – a feature-rich mobile application and an easy-to-use portal! 

Using Academia, it became so easy for False Bay to create a smooth communication channel with facilities like easy notifications on mobile apps, SMS, emails, and more to circulate any information among stakeholders. The students and faculty members also get it easier to connect from anywhere and anytime according to their needs.

  • Manual Intervention among Multiple Locations

There are various branches of False Bay college in South Africa. It was difficult to manage all the departments altogether manually. There were a lot of files, documents, and multitudes of data and information that they had to exchange regularly. 

Solution:

To this, Academia offered a robust feature, i.e., Multi-centre Capability. All the data associated with all the departments, campuses, and locations remain centralized in a single system that can be accessed according to the authorities. 

It also provided a facility for students, as a TVET student, students can remain active in multiple campuses, batches, and courses at a time.

  • Problem in managing data with legacy system

The False Bay college was using a legacy system that lacked various features like multi-center capability, effective data management, and more. The administrators and higher authorities were unable to organize and track huge amounts of data associated with students.

Solution:

Academia provided efficient management of all the data associated with each student. It also generated and transferred data of approx. one million students easily leading to bringing a level of transparency and accountability.

Major Benefits with Academia

  • Efficient & streamlined enrollment and admission processes
  • Chatbot integration benefiting students with a rich conversational experience
  • Various efficient module-leading automation, for example, task management to generate minutes of meeting (MoM) and details related to any task.
  • Separate portal for faculty members to reduce the workload of administrators and faculty members.
  • A specific module to track inward and outward courier services.

Features that Attracted the Most

  • Interoperability with integrations like Sage X3, LMS (Moodle), Chatbot, Koha, and a lot more.
  • Multi-center capability provided a balance and connectivity between all the campuses around different locations.
  • Boost in enquiry and admission during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Academia ERP/SIS – A Feature-rich ERP/SIS Platform for Advanced Institutions

Being the core of multiple institutions from across the world. Academia is proud to provide automation and digital transformation to institutions for more than a decade. 

Just like Academia found solutions to major problems for False Bay College South Africa, it is helping various other institutions, providing them with configurable solutions according to the number of students, the number of campus locations, and various other aspects. 

Your institute can also become the next one to overcome all the hurdles through a digital transformation! Reach out to us to discuss your major challenges and how Academia can help efficiently solve them!

5 Ways to Create Productive School Culture

Posted on by Hemant Mahajan

Managing a school means juggling various tasks and managing various stakeholders in the system. They need collaboration, connection, and a balanced atmosphere to grow, and stay productive

You need to make various social and cultural reforms, along with better process and operation management for the seamless function of academic, non-academic, and administrative tasks. 

For this, you can adopt modern techniques that encourage a positive atmosphere in a school and strengthen the integrity of various stakeholders at the school. 

Why is a Positive or Productive School Culture Important?

To inculcate positive culture at your school you have to work on bringing more inclusivity to your institution and win the trust of your stakeholders.

Education leaders in a school need to make strategies effective and focus on stakeholders’ satisfaction. For this, they can initiate an efficient routine for the institution with proper rules and regulations, good practices, real-time feedback, and efficient planning targeting a productive environment.

5 Ways to Create Productive School Culture

  • Use all the data efficiently

If you are using the web and mobile applications you can generate a large scale of data that can provide you in-depth insights on various aspects of the school’s functioning. Not only is it good to perform management-related tasks, but you can also create a centralized database for the same and allow your employees to access it based on their role and improve their functioning.  

  • Create an engaging atmosphere for faculty members 

Improvements in day-to-day operations can help you in creating a positive environment at your school. You must ensure your employees have ease of work and can manage the workload easily. School Management System (often known as ‘School ERP System’) would allow you to optimize your work processes by streamlining them. People can have more transparency in their work and hence they would be able to match the requirements of the institution and contribute to its common goals. 

  • Build a highly valued learning environment

The new age learning environment needs an interesting and engaging curriculum for learning and teaching patterns. It is crucial to create a highly valued learning environment that can not only attract students’ interest but also provide them with a worthy learning environment. A well-planned curriculum and learning environment indicate the values and mission of your institution.

To a good start, institutions can start automating institutional tasks to set that standard and build a great sculpture among stakeholders.

  • A communication channel between faculty members and parents

Effective communication is the secret source to success in any organization. You must make a crystal clear line of communication between faculty members, students, and parents. Creating a centralized platform for the same like a robust mobile application and a portal can be a very good option through which faculty members can share any update with the students and parents from anywhere and anytime.

An effective chain of communication among all the stakeholders creates a productive atmosphere and promotes an enthusiastic culture in all ways.

  • Set coherent expectations

Often, institutions create rules and regulations to set a level of discipline that are not always acceptable to stakeholders. It is a must to adhere to rules and regulations that can be followed by all with ease. Boosting transparent and positive rules can be an encouragement to this. 

To this, institutions can initiate transparent and unified laws using tech solutions that can help in the easier processes from both ends, like performing the action and tracking the same. 

Setting clear and coherent expectations can boost productivity with the completion of actions expected from any stakeholder in the organization.

Wrapping Up!

The process of improving school culture takes time. Using a centralized process with strategic decision-making can help in making it more productive and efficient. Targeting students and faculty members as end-users and opting for processes to make their lives easier can help in this way. 

An easy step to check the accuracy of your action for improving school culture is to run different kinds of surveys. By receiving real and immediate feedback from different stakeholders, you’ll be able to make improvements and changes to your actions or perhaps announce their success.

So, I hope the article helped you get an understanding of productive school culture. If you still have questions and doubts, we have a team of experts that can guide you through this. Just contact us here and one of the product experts from our team will get back to you as soon as possible!

7 ways machine learning is changing the education domain

Posted on by Hemant Mahajan

Although late but education industry has finally started to shed its old ways of operations and is embracing technology happily. There are various schools, universities, and training institutions that have completely digitalized their processes. It is a great achievement as it is a need of time, but half the players in the education industry still struggle to find the right solution or don’t have the resources planned for it. 

Since the technology domain is fast-paced, new technologies emerge regularly and tech enablers go gaga over these technologies to be utilized in the best possible ways for various industries. You would be surprised, how some industries have completely automated their processes, and artificial intelligence has grown so smart that you may not even realize when you are interacting with an AI. 

Similarly, the education sector is showing great enthusiasm in adapting to the tech buzzwords such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. Today, I want to introduce you to some of the larger aspects that can be transformed through ML. 

Machine Learning by definition

It is an advanced field of computer science where data is closely analyzed statistically and used to train an AI algorithm for performing various tasks.

Ways ML is transforming the education industry

  • Support teachers 

Machine learning mines data that is collected regularly from the web and mobile applications. Using this data you can learn a lot about the student’s behavior and devise teaching styles that are most helpful for the student. Using it teachers can also access data of all students in one place and carry out administrative tasks. It thus helps in streamlining the process and identifying the gaps in teaching and learning styles to abridge it. 

  • Predict student performance 

One of the best abilities and what makes ML a smart tool is predictive analysis. Machine learning is not just great at crunching data but also at providing useful predictions on various aspects of your institutes. It allows you to counter them with data-backed strategic decisions. In short, you can have a hint of the risk you may face in the future. 

  • Test Student 

For a long time, educationists have scrutinized the process of assessments. A stop and test assessment are not enough to evaluate the students, claim many teachers and education theorists. 

In replacement of this, AI-driven assessments are getting very popular. These assessments not only evaluate a student’s performance but deep dive into finding how a student learns. It demystifies the unique pattern of learning for the student and informs teachers and parents about it. 

  • Personalized learning 

Once the unique pattern of learning is understood by teachers they can develop unique content and use various teaching styles to provide personalized learning to the students. Also, there are various AI-infused learning devices available on the market, they use machine learning to adapt to the learning pattern and progress of the student to customize the content further. 

  • Content organization 

By identifying the weakness and strengths of the student you can develop the content accordingly. It also gives insights into the pre-found knowledge and skills in a student and utilizes it for organizing content and structuring it for faster and higher knowledge retention. 

  • Improves retention

Machine Learning offers learning analytics that allows for improving student retention rates. It helps you learn about student risks and allows you to reach out to students before they drop out to retain them and help them. 

  • Group Students and Teachers 

Based on the learning style and student profile, machine learning can help you assign students to the teachers that can be best suited for them. This advanced match-making is the perfect tool for improving student outcomes and assigning the right counselors for them

Wrapping Up 

Machine learning is becoming more and more dominant in the working of education institutes. With a little effort and the right partner in the digitalization process, you can achieve great heights with these futuristic technologies. We can be that for you. Know more about Academia ERP from our technology expert, and get a free demo here. 

 

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