Every educational institution should have as its overall objective achieving technology interoperability. Sadly, this is frequently overlooked. Interoperability in technology: what is it and why is it so important?

System and software application interoperability, such as EdFi API is the seamless exchange of information. In other words, real-time information exchange occurs across compatible systems. This becomes more crucial as more and more organizations adopt a digital-first strategy. Interoperable edtech solutions will result in information silos that make it difficult to track students’ progress or conduct data analysis.

Technology interoperability, such as through, has advantages for students and academic institutions. It is simpler for educational institutions to connect with their stakeholders when data is instantly exchanged in real time. This also enhances efficiency and saves time by streamlining workflows between teams and departments.

Let’s examine five crucial steps we might take to achieve technological interoperability.

Get Rid Of The Silos To Encourage Interoperability In Technologies.

The most important step is this one. Siloed data and technology systems are the main obstacles to technological interoperability. This indicates that several divisions within your organization retain independent systems and software programs that are frequently disconnected from one another.

These silos must be broken down to achieve IT interoperability, and all stakeholders must be brought into a single platform. Since different departments are accustomed to running their data systems and processes, it might not be as simple as it seems.

Your instructors and students use various learning environments, databases, and tools that aren’t interconnected. One of the main causes of this is insufficient communication across different departments, including IT, HR, Accounting, and others. This results in a lack of system interoperability. The trick is to switch from thinking of your company as a silo to an interconnected system that can cooperate with other organizational units.

Lay The Foundation First.

It’s time to start creating the roadmap toward interoperability once you have a shared goal in mind, which is to eliminate the silos: where are you going? Interoperability is important, but why? What does achievement entail? How will it affect your institution of higher learning? Do you need to involve anyone this procedure might impact before you start? Before looking for interoperability solutions, you should ask yourself these crucial questions. Additionally, you should conduct thorough research on the most cost-effective options.

Find Ways To Let Your Students Use Their Learning Records And Exchange Data Throughout Their Academic Careers.

Every learning environment (elementary, middle, or high school) or college or university a student attends requires a distinct skill set from them, so they need tailored help based on the things they know or don’t know.

To provide students with relevant educational experiences moving forward throughout all academic levels — K–12 and higher education alike — it is essential to have a clear understanding of where they are coming from in terms of their abilities and knowledge. This will ensure they have access to personalized learning experiences and seamless connections across various institutions throughout their academic careers. Sharing information on student achievement enables more precise student assessments and better-informed choices regarding their education.

As Part Of A Collaborative Process, Including Product/Tech Competence Among All Your Stakeholders.

Educational institutions have many different stakeholders, including students, families, teachers, and administrative employees. It’s critical to make sure that everyone understands technology and its uses before you begin integrating it into your organization’s ecosystem.

Offering frequent training sessions and seminars where you may outline the justification for including various technologies in the system and their advantages is one method to do this. Users will get a greater appreciation for new tech tools as a result of a better understanding of how their main duties might or might not alter as a result of their introduction. This will also assist students in getting the most benefit from these tools and maximize their and your educational institution’s performance while using a particular tool.

Only When The Full Student Learner Journey Is Covered Can Digital Transformation And Technological Interoperability Be Successful.

When edtech is used for student management throughout the entire learner journey, from the time of inquiry until the student graduates, it transforms from effective to empowering. Most educational institutions invest in solitary, segregated, and incomplete edtech technologies. You depart from this strategy to make tech interoperability practicable.

Tech interoperability becomes extremely difficult to achieve. This is due to two factors. First, if you buy various solutions for various stages of the learner journey, you end up with too many silos. The second argument is that segmented solutions are more expensive over time.

You can efficiently achieve technology interoperability by using a platform like Ed-Fi Alliance, which provides Edfi visualization tools, Edfi Dashboards, and Edfi Standards, among other things. This platform gives a comprehensive solution encompassing the complete learner journey.