Digital Transformation is part of the era in which we live and Virginia Cabrera, Telecommunications Engineer, is aware of this, which is why she works to “awaken the digital being that we all carry within.”
How are the new relationships?
I’m glad you’re starting with this question because if something has changed the digital revolution, it’s our values. And with them, the relationships that sustain them. Today, in a global and hyper-connected world, where space and time blur, we all have a capacity that, in my opinion, changes everything: today, we can choose. And people have decided to “tune in” only to what informs us, entertains us or excites us.
To what extent do you think Digital Transformation improves education?
I think there are two dimensions to consider. On the one hand, digital tools are provided for learning, making it more prosperous, more interactive, and more personalized. And above this, the capacity that the digital revolution offers us access to information and educational resources. To everyone, at all times and in any place. That everyone has access to education is not an improvement, it is a dream come true!
What are the technologies that you think are and will be transforming the educational reality and its future?
I would almost tell you that all new technologies, without exception, have found application in the field of education. Videos and interactive devices, online courses, chats and learning groups, collaborative projects, virtual reality, Internet of things, Big data, artificial intelligence. Even blockchain arrives to support certification and evaluation issues. With this present, still almost unexploited, the future is difficult to imagine.
How have e-learning platforms evolved?
Well, from a first “version” where they were almost pure content repositories to an experience where the level of interaction with teachers, resources and classmates is such that you forget that you are not in a classroom. I believe that the challenge (for teachers and students) is to improve that digital empathy that allows us to listen and communicate remotely with all the power of face-to-face.
What is the importance of “digital literacy” in the 21st century?
Being functional, digitally speaking, is a must. Anyone who cannot use digital media to search and manage information and communicate is already out of the game. However, we should understand that knowing how to use digital tools does not necessarily build us a “digital mindset.” And that is why we must also work on developing new capacities, such as continuous learning, the management of uncertainty and error, and our collaboration networks’ development.
What are the phases of the digitization of an entity?
I believe that the starting point should be a deep analysis of who we are and who we can become, always with an eye on what we can contribute to our clients, who have needs and expectations typical of the 21st century and who expect them to Let’s meet with 21st-century media. And from this point, establish a plan at all levels that includes changes in processes, new tools, and change management in people because people are the engine of digital transformation. Which, by the way, has a lot of cultural change.
What is Big Data, and how is it related to Digital Transformation?
Big data is a tool that allows us to infer behavior patterns from massive data collection. It is a tool that will change the way we make decisions.
What obstacles do you think there may be when digitizing a classroom?
I believe that “each teacher has his booklet”? Each classroom is different, but as in companies, the most significant obstacles always come from the people and not from the tools. I think it is essential to work on the value of change, the “what do we win” and “what is the use of” each change you introduce.