Top

TechTrends

Published in:

28-05-2024 | Original Paper

Research on Digital Transformation in Higher Education: Present Concerns and Future Endeavours

Author: Imam Fitri Rahmadi

Published in: TechTrends | Issue 4/2024

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config

AI-assisted search

Off

Abstract

The massive emergence of digital technologies requires not only enterprises but also educational institutions to transform their strategies and values for maintaining competitiveness. While research on digital transformation in higher education is becoming more available in the literature, structured examinations regarding their concerns are scarce. Through a systematic literature review with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) model, this standalone overview examines principal concerns of research on digital transformation in post-secondary education, nominates better practices and lines upcoming investigations. Results indicate that considerable attention has been paid to the strategies and barriers to digitally transforming universities whilst leadership was marginally explored. The practice of this transformation may be centralised in pedagogical innovations supported by organisational measures and led by transformational leadership. Digital transformation leadership, evidence-based maturity assessment and integrated technological, pedagogical and organisational measures are imperative areas for future research. The present review contributes to the early development of studies on digital transformation in higher education.

previous article ChatGPT for Teachers: Insights from Online Discussions

next article Advancing Gamification Research and Practice with Three Underexplored Ideas in Self-Determination Theory

Available only for authorised users

Aditya, B. R., Ferdiana, R., & Kusumawardani, S. S. (2021). Categories for barriers to digital transformation in higher education: An analysis based on literature. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 11(12), 658–664. https://doi.org/10.18178/IJIET.2021.11.12.1578. Scopus.CrossRef

AL-Ali, M., & Marks, A. (2022). A digital maturity model for the education enterprise. Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 26(2), 47–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603108.2021.1978578. Scopus.CrossRef

Alhubaishy, A., & Aljuhani, A. (2021). The challenges of instructors’ and students’ attitudes in digital transformation: A case study of Saudi Universities. Education and Information Technologies, 26(4), 4647–4662. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10491-6. Scopus.CrossRef

Almaraz-Menendez, F., Maz-Machado, A., & Lopez-Esteban, C. (2016). University strategy and digital transformation in higher education institutions: A documentary analysis. International Journal of Advanced Research, 4(11), 2284–2296. https://doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/2337CrossRef

Antonopoulou, H., Halkiopoulos, C., Barlou, O., & Beligiannis, G. N. (2020). Leadership types and digital leadership in higher education: Behavioural data analysis from University of Patras in Greece. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 19(4), 110–129. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.4.8. Scopus.CrossRef

Baker, M. (2015). Digital transformation. Buckingham Business Monographs.

Benavides, L., Tamayo Arias, J., Arango Serna, M., Branch Bedoya, J., & Burgos, D. (2020). Digital transformation in higher education institutions: A systematic literature review. Sensors, 20(11), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.3390/s20113291CrossRef

Bond, M., Marín, V. I., Dolch, C., Bedenlier, S., & Zawacki-Richter, O. (2018). Digital transformation in German higher education: Student and teacher perceptions and usage of digital media. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 15(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-018-0130-1CrossRef

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019). Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11(4), 589–597. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806CrossRef

Brdesee, H. (2021). A divergent view of the impact of digital transformation on academic organizational and spending efficiency: A review and analytical study on a University E-Service. Sustainability, 13(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137048. Web of Science.

Burns, J. M. (2004). Transforming leadership: A new pursuit of happiness. Grove Press.

Bygstad, B., Ovrelid, E., Ludvigsen, S., & Daehlen, M. (2022). From dual digitalization to digital learning space: Exploring the digital transformation of higher education. Computers & Education, 182(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104463. Web of Science.CrossRef

Carvalho, A., Alves, H., & Leitão, J. (2022). What research tells us about leadership styles, digital transformation and performance in state higher education? International Journal of Educational Management, 36(2), 218–232. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-11-2020-0514CrossRef

Giang, N. T. H., Hai, P. T. T., Tu, N. T. T., & Tan, P. X. (2021). Exploring the readiness for digital transformation in a higher education institution towards industrial revolution 4.0. International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy, 11(2), 4–24. https://doi.org/10.3991/IJEP.V11I2.17515. Scopus.CrossRef

Gökalp, E., & Martinez, V. (2022). Digital transformation maturity assessment: Development of the digital transformation capability maturity model. International Journal of Production Research, 60(20), 6282–6302. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2021.1991020CrossRef

Gong, C., & Ribiere, V. (2021). Developing a unified definition of digital transformation. Technovation, 102(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2020.102217CrossRef

Gurevitch, J., Koricheva, J., Nakagawa, S., & Stewart, G. (2018). Meta-analysis and the science of research synthesis. Nature, 555(7695), 175–182. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature25753CrossRef

Hamdani, N. A., Maulani, G. A. F., Nugraha, S., Mubarok, T. M. S., & Herlianti, A. O. (2021). Corporate culture and digital transformation strategy in universities in Indonesia. Estudios de Economia Aplicada, 39(10). https://doi.org/10.25115/eea.v39i10.5352. Scopus.

Henderson, M., Selwyn, N., & Aston, R. (2017). What works and why? Student perceptions of ‘useful’ digital technology in university teaching and learning. Studies in Higher Education, 42(8), 1567–1579. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2015.1007946CrossRef

Hinterhuber, A., Vescovi, T., & Checchinato, F. (Eds.). (2021). Managing digital transformation: Understanding the strategic process. Routledge.

Imbar, R. V., Supangkat, S. H., Langi, A., & Arman, A. A. (2022). Digital transformation readiness in Indonesian institutions of higher education. World Transactions on Engineering and Technology Education, 20(2), 101–106. Scopus.

Jackson, N. C. (2019). Managing for competency with innovation change in higher education: Examining the pitfalls and pivots of digital transformation. Business Horizons, 62(6), 761–772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2019.08.002. Scopus.CrossRef

Johnston, B., MacNeill, S., & Smyth, K. (2019). Conceptualising the digital university: The intersection of policy, pedagogy and practice. Springer.

Jones, M. D., Hutcheson, S., & Camba, J. D. (2021). Past, present, and future barriers to digital transformation in manufacturing: A review. Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 60(1), 936–948. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmsy.2021.03.006CrossRef

Khalid, J., Ram, B. R., Soliman, M., Ali, A. J., Khaleel, M., & Islam, M. S. (2018). Promising digital university: A pivotal need for higher education transformation. International Journal of Management in Education, 12(3), 264–275.CrossRef

Kopp, M., Gröblinger, O., & Adams, S. (2019). Five common assumptions that prevent digital transformation at higher education institutions. INTED2019 Proceedings, 1, 1448–1457. https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2019.0445

Kraus, S., Breier, M., & Dasí-Rodríguez, S. (2020). The art of crafting a systematic literature review in entrepreneurship research. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 16(3), 1023–1042. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-020-00635-4CrossRef

Kuzu, Ö. H. (2020). Digital transformation in higher education: A case study on strategic plans. Vysshee Obrazovanie v Rossii, 29(3), 9–23. https://doi.org/10.31992/0869-3617-2019-29-3-9-23. Scopus.CrossRef

Laufer, M., Leiser, A., Deacon, B., Perrin de Brichambaut, P., Fecher, B., Kobsda, C., & Hesse, F. (2021). Digital higher education: A divider or bridge builder? Leadership perspectives on edtech in a COVID-19 reality. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00287-6. Scopus.

Liberati, A., Altman, D. G., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gøtzsche, P. C., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Clarke, M., Devereaux, P. J., Kleijnen, J., & Moher, D. (2009). The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate health care interventions: Explanation and elaboration. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 62(10), e1–e34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2009.06.006CrossRef

Limani, Y., Hajrizi, E., Stapleton, L., & Retkoceri, M. (2019). Digital transformation readiness in Higher Education Institutions (HEI): The case of Kosovo. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 52(25), 52–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2019.12.445CrossRef

Linnenluecke, M. K., Marrone, M., & Singh, A. K. (2020). Conducting systematic literature reviews and bibliometric analyses. Australian Journal of Management, 45(2), 175–194. https://doi.org/10.1177/0312896219877678CrossRef

Lukovics, M., & Zuti, B. (2017). New functions of universities in century XXI towards “fourth generation” universities. Academia. Edu, 9(1), 1–17.

Luna, F. D. S., & Breternitz, V. J. (2021). Digital transformation in private Brazilian higher education institutions: Pre-coronavirus baseline. Revista de Administracao Mackenzie, 22(6). https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-6971/eRAMD210127. Scopus.

Marks, A., & AL-Ali, M. (2022). Digital transformation in higher education: A framework for maturity assessment. In M. Alaali (Ed.), COVID-19 challenges to university information technology governance (pp. 61–81). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13351-0_3CrossRef

Matt, C., Hess, T., & Benlian, A. (2015). Digital transformation strategies. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 57(5), 339–343. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-015-0401-5CrossRef

McCarthy, P., Sammon, D., & Alhassan, I. (2021). Digital transformation leadership characteristics: A literature analysis. Journal of Decision Systems, 1(0), 0–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/12460125.2021.1908934CrossRef

Mikheev, A., Serkina, Y., & Vasyaev, A. (2021). Current trends in the digital transformation of higher education institutions in Russia. Education and Information Technologies, 26(4), 4537–4551. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10467-6. Scopus.CrossRef

Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis. SAGE.

Morgan, C. E., & Stanley, R. M. (2012). Exploring an approach to capability maturity assessment: Towards an evidence-based framework. 2012 IEEE/AIAA 31st Digital Avionics Systems Conference (DASC), 6E3–1–6E3–13. https://doi.org/10.1109/DASC.2012.6382401

Msila, V. (2022). Higher education leadership in a time of digital technologies: A South African case study. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 12(10), 1110–1117. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijiet.2022.12.10.1728. Scopus.CrossRef

Neuendorf, K. A. (2018). Content analysis and thematic analysis. In Advanced research methods for applied psychology (pp. 211–223). Routledge.

Newman, M., & Gough, D. (2020). Systematic reviews in educational research: Methodology, perspectives and application. In O. Zawacki-Richter, M. Kerres, S. Bedenlier, M. Bond, & K. Buntins (Eds.), Systematic reviews in educational research (pp. 3–22). Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-27602-7_1CrossRef

Nurhas, I., Aditya, B., Jacob, D., & Pawlowski, J. (2021). Understanding the challenges of rapid digital transformation: The case of COVID-19 pandemic in higher education. Behaviour & Information Technology. Web of Science. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2021.1962977CrossRef

Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., …, & Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. Systematic Reviews, 10(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-021-01626-4

Palfreyman, J., & Morton, J. (2022). The benefits of agile digital transformation to innovation processes. Journal of Strategic Contracting and Negotiation, 6(1), 26–36. https://doi.org/10.1177/20555636221079943CrossRef

Perevalov, V. D., Novgorodtseva, A. N., Sivkova, N. I., Korelin, A. V., & Korelina, E. V. (2020). Digitalization of Russian higher education: Educational process technologies (experience of universities of the Ural Federal District of Russian Federation). Perspektivy Nauki i Obrazovania, 46(4), 36–46. https://doi.org/10.32744/pse.2020.4.3. Scopus.CrossRef

Perkins, J. A. (1972). Organization and functions of the university. The Journal of Higher Education, 43(9), 679–691. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.1972.11776832CrossRef

Philip, J. (2021). Viewing digital transformation through the lens of transformational leadership. Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce, 31(2), 114–129. https://doi.org/10.1080/10919392.2021.1911573CrossRef

Reis, J., Amorim, M., Melão, N., & Matos, P. (2018). Digital transformation: A literature review and guidelines for future research. In Á. Rocha, H. Adeli, L. P. Reis, & S. Costanzo (Eds.), Trends and advances in information systems and technologies (Vol. 745, pp. 411–421). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77703-0_41

Rodríguez-Abitia, G., & Bribiesca-Correa, G. (2021). Assessing digital transformation in universities. Future Internet, 13(2), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi13020052. Scopus.CrossRef

Rof, A., Bikfalvi, A., & Marques, P. (2020). Digital transformation for business model innovation in higher education: Overcoming the tensions. Sustainability, 12(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12124980. Web of Science.

Ronzhina, N., Kondyurina, I., Voronina, A., Igishev, K., & Loginova, N. (2021). Digitalization of modern education: Problems and solutions. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 16(4), 122–135. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v16i04.18203. Scopus.CrossRef

Seres, L., Pavlicevic, V., & Tumbas, P. (2018). Digital transformation of higher education: Competing on analytics. 12, 9491–9497. https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2018.2348

Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039CrossRef

Tangi, L., Janssen, M., Benedetti, M., & Noci, G. (2020). Barriers and drivers of digital transformation in public organizations: Results from a survey in the Netherlands. In G. Viale Pereira, M. Janssen, H. Lee, I. Lindgren, M. P. Rodríguez Bolívar, H. J. Scholl, & A. Zuiderwijk (Eds.), Electronic Government (Vol. 1, pp. 42–56). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57599-1_4

Thái, D. T., Quỳnh, H. T., & Linh, P. T. T. (2021). Digital transformation in higher education: An integrative review approach. TNU Journal of Science and Technology, 226(09), 139–146. https://doi.org/10.34238/tnu-jst.4366CrossRef

Van Veldhoven, Z., & Vanthienen, J. (2022). Digital transformation as an interaction-driven perspective between business, society, and technology. Electronic Markets, 32(2), 629–644. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-021-00464-5CrossRef

Verhoef, P. C., Broekhuizen, T., Bart, Y., Bhattacharya, A., Qi Dong, J., Fabian, N., & Haenlein, M. (2021). Digital transformation: A multidisciplinary reflection and research agenda. Journal of Business Research, 122, 889–901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.022CrossRef

Vial, G. (2019). Understanding digital transformation: A review and a research agenda. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 28(2), 118–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsis.2019.01.003CrossRef

Vicente, P. N., Lucas, M., Carlos, V., & Bem-Haja, P. (2020). Higher education in a material world: Constraints to digital innovation in Portuguese universities and polytechnic institutes. Education and Information Technologies, 25(6), 5815–5833. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-020-10258-5. Scopus.CrossRef

vom Brocke, J., Schmid, A. M., Simons, A., & Safrudin, N. (2020). IT-enabled organizational transformation: A structured literature review. Business Process Management Journal, 27(1), 204–229. https://doi.org/10.1108/BPMJ-10-2019-0423CrossRef

Wessel, L., Baiyere, A., Ologeanu-Taddei, R., Cha, J., & Blegind Jensen, T. (2021). Unpacking the difference between digital transformation and IT-enabled organizational transformation. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 22(1), 102–129. https://doi.org/10.17705/1jais.00655CrossRef

Westerman, G., Bonnet, D., & McAfee, A. (2014). The nine elements of digital transformation. MIT Sloan Management Review, 55(3), 1–6.

Xiao, J. (2019). Digital transformation in higher education: Critiquing the five-year development plans (2016–2020) of 75 Chinese universities. Distance Education, 40(4), 515–533. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2019.1680272. Scopus.CrossRef

Xiao, Y., & Watson, M. (2019). Guidance on conducting a systematic literature review. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 39(1), 93–112. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X17723971CrossRef

Zhang, Y., Adams, D., & Lee, K. C. S. (2022). Assessing academic staff’s ICT integration in higher education: Instrument development and validation. Journal of Computers in Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40692-022-00248-6CrossRef

Title: Research on Digital Transformation in Higher Education: Present Concerns and Future Endeavours
Author: Imam Fitri Rahmadi
Publication date: 28-05-2024
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: TechTrends / Issue 4/2024
Print ISSN: 8756-3894
Electronic ISSN: 1559-7075
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-024-00971-0

Springer Professional

Research on Digital Transformation in Higher Education: Present Concerns and Future Endeavours

Abstract

Premium Partner

Springer Professional

Abstract

Please log in to get access to your license.

Other articles of this Issue 4/2024

Essential Elements of Digital Citizenship: Insights from the Literature

Perceptions of Teaching and Social Presence Between Face-to-Face, Web Conferencing, and Mozilla Hubs Learning Modes

In their Ideal Future, Are Preservice Teachers Willing to Integrate Technology in Their Teaching and why?

Why is There a Picture of Me on Snapchat?: Educational Approaches to Overposting

ChatGPT for Teachers: Insights from Online Discussions

A Pilot Study Exploring Interaction and Student Satisfaction in Asynchronous Courses in Higher Education