Introduction

Technology is evolving at a rapid pace in today’s digital economy. It has seeped into the cracks and crevices of each and every industry imaginable, making any industry that hasn’t been digitized obsolete. The same can be said for the education sector as well. There have been massive changes taking place in the field of education over the past couple of decades and keeping up with them requires an imminent amalgamation of the two. However, this cannot be done without the incorporation of a solid digital infrastructure. The importance of infrastructure in the education space is becoming increasingly apparent, and steps need to be taken toward improving it. Here we will discuss what digital infrastructure is, what it means for schools, and what its importance is in the digital education sector.

Importance of Infrastructure in School

School infrastructure is a concept that is quite easy to get behind. School infrastructure refers to the system of buildings that make up a school complex. This includes all the buildings and associated amenities that come with the school complex such as classrooms, laboratories, library, storage units, playgrounds, and so on. In effect, it encompasses all the resources that the school requires to function properly and efficiently throughout the course of an entire academic year. Schools often invest a lot into setting up and maintaining their infrastructure, even expanding it from time to time. This brings up an important question - what is the importance of infrastructure in a school?

Better Enrollment

One of the most important aspects parents take into consideration before enrolling their children in a school is its general visual appeal. The more grandiose the school looks and feels, the more the parents will be willing to enroll their children in the same. Therefore, the aesthetics of the infrastructure of a school play a very important role in the decisions that a parent makes with regard to their child’s school.

Sufficient Number of Buildings & Amenities

The infrastructure of the school should be such that there is enough room for all the students in that school. This includes the number of buildings required to house the students, the laboratories required for all the students, an infirmary in case of medical emergencies, and a library with all the books required for the students, among other things. The school management should also take into consideration the spacing between the different buildings and make sure that they are easily accessible by all the students at all times.

Drives Better Attendance

With better aesthetics within the school, children as well as teachers will be motivated to come to school. The more elaborate the infrastructure is, the more likely the attendance will be higher in all respects.

What does Digital Infrastructure Mean

Digital infrastructure refers to the set of tools and technologies that form the foundation for an institution’s information technology and operations. This is a broad definition that includes all organizations and institutions that are in the 21st century. However, the question we are trying to answer today is regarding what it means for educational institutions. Digital infrastructure for schools can be defined as the tools and technologies that a school would require to set itself up in the digital space of the internet. They should not only be able to continue operations as smoothly as they did when they were in a brick-and-mortar setup, but they should also be able to improve and enhance their overall efficiency and effectiveness in the short term as well as in the long term. Having a solid digital infrastructure for your school is one of the most basic and fundamental things to consider when considering expanding your school into the online world.

Importance of Infrastructure in the Digital Education Space

Now that we have an idea of what the infrastructure of a school is and what it means to have a digital infrastructure for a school, it is time to delve into the importance of infrastructure in the digital education space.

Ease of Management

With the infrastructure for the school becoming dependent less on corporeal aspects and more on its management side, the importance of infrastructure in the digital education space becomes more apparent - making management simpler. With libraries, classes, and so much more becoming hybrid, the management side of things also has to evolve to meet its expectations. For example, let us take the example of fee management. Traditionally, fee collection used to be done manually with the students paying according to their convenience and the office keeping a record of it either on paper or on a laptop. However, with the help of something like an integrated school platform, all the operations become automated, hence making it simpler to carry out and execute.

Replacing Bricks with Broader Mindscapes

With an ever-evolving education system, it becomes important to make use of something that is as fluid and malleable as change itself. This is where an integrated school platform like Teachmint comes in. Teachmint offers schools all the digital infrastructure they would need to set up, run and manage the school. This includes everything from dedicated content for students and teachers to follow to learning management systems and ERP solutions to make management of the school and the classroom easy. For example, instead of using the traditional brick-and-mortar classroom where there is a space restriction, it can be replaced by Teachmint Live Class, where there is no physical space restriction in terms of seating capacity. By virtue of it being virtual, it also has several other features that would not be possible in a traditional school setup such as creating assessments within seconds, interacting with the class using Live Polls and other interactive features, and being able to share notes, videos, etc. with little to no hiccups.

Much More Scope for Expansion

Digital infrastructure essentially also means that there is room for expansion as well without expanding the physical space required for the same. For example, in the case of adding an extra division to a class in school, Teachmint’s Comprehensive School Structure feature makes it easier for the management to add or remove classes and divisions as required.

Conclusion

The importance of infrastructure for the digital education space lies in the fact that there is a need to upscale the traditional school landscape as time progresses, making room for technology to bring about the changes necessary whenever and wherever required. This is aided by the fact that newer and more robust technologies are being created specifically for solving the issues of the current generation of educational technology. Teachmint is at the helm of that revolution leading the way towards a safer, more inclusive future for education. Teachmint offers an integrated school platform that contains all the tools necessary to make the process of teaching and learning more fun and interesting as well as managing educational institutions easier and more efficient. With dedicated software solutions for fee management, admission management, library and hostel management, as well as giving teachers better control over their class with the help of attendance tracking, live classes, Live Polls, live class recording, and so on, Teachmint brings together all the aspects of running a school under a single roof.