BGA | BUSINESS IMPACT
I n a digital world, there are fewer social cues and fewer resources at hand. This Having a strong internal system in place to engage students and ensure they have all the information they need is vital. But what should that system look like? Interestingly, a system similar to a social media platform could have a positive impact on students’ wellbeing and social lives. This article explores these possibilities in further detail and discusses what Business Schools could be doing to look after the digital wellbeing of this generation of remote and/or blended learners. rings true for students as well, meaning that universities and Business Schools have a responsibility to make sure their graduates are well equipped and ready to thrive in an increasingly online environment. New ways of learning are thriving Traditional approaches to education have evolved rapidly over the last decade. Technology-mediated learning has helped unlock whole new ways of studying, communicating and interacting, providing the flexibility for students to work in a way that suits them best – whether that is on campus, at home, or in their neighbourhood coffee shop. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, this switch was on the cards. The rise of technology-mediated education had long been in the works with the development of online and blended learning degrees offering students the opportunity to study when and where they want – all they needed was access to a laptop and a half-decent internet connection. These options were thriving for good reason. From an academic perspective, digital tools can empower students to study flexibly, communicate with other students across the world and open up access to a whole host of research and information tools. Professionally, digital literacy is one of the most important employability skills students can possess – it is increasingly sought after by employers and has been cited in some quarters as crucial to the success of the fourth industrial revolution. ‘A system similar to a social media platform could have a positive impact on students’ wellbeing and social lives’
The line between being switched ‘on’ or ‘off’ From an accessibility perspective, it makes sense that the world would move in this direction, as the population becomes increasingly enthralled with its smart devices. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, research has found that around 88% of people use smartphones, and around 95% of these smartphones are used every day, according to Deloitte’s Global Mobile Consumer Survey 2019 . Many of us reach for our phones shortly after waking up in the morning, while younger age groups are known to find it hard to put their phones down when they go to bed at night. And while many traditional Business Schools emphasise the development of skills and the importance of ensuring the population is confident in using technology for both academic and professional uses, less emphasis has been placed on how students can use technology to promote personal wellbeing and ensure they are looking after themselves when studying remotely. The danger is that while students may be able to use this technology to catch up on pre-seminar reading on the train home or listen to a lecture at 3am, the line between being switched ‘on’ or ‘off’ can be distorted. This same issue has been reported in workplaces up and down the UK over the last 18 months as the pandemic altered the working practices of professionals across a whole
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