Digital Transformation in Higher Education in Times of Artificial Intelligence: Setting the Emerging Landscape

Abstract

Digital transformation (DT) has become a top priority for higher education (HE), driven by technological advances such as artificial intelligence (AI), artificial general intelligence (AGI) and Generative Open AI. It serves as a catalyst for the reshaping of mainstream processes in academic institutions, emphasizing teamwork, collaborative projects and critical thinking in research, learning and assessment strategies. In this chapter, the authors contextualize the use of this DT, highlighting its potential to improve learning experiences, business efficiency and upskill students and faculty. The holistic approach to DT as an enabler of excellence in HE is based on four pillars of excellence and impact: Business process reengineering, learning excellence and skill building, research capacity and innovation and partnership and outlook. DT needs the development of efficient, resilient, flexible and adaptable strategies and a strong collaboration between all the actors involved in the process to ensure the coherence, the sustainability and alignment of the objectives, means and targets with the real needs of the learners, tutors, labor market and society as whole. The authors’ bold proposition consists of a model for the strategy design of DT in universities and colleges organized in three dimensions: understand, strategize, deploy and exploit. Each dimension emphasizes different stages of the process: understanding emerging technologies and their impact on HE, collaboration between stakeholders, strategy and priorities formulation, roadmap of implementation, deployment and exploitation of digital technologies, etc. The ongoing DT in HE will continue to create an extensive shift in educational processes – learning, teaching, research and management. Institutions around the world are taking bold initiatives to adapt to this rapidly changing environment, emphasizing the importance of readiness for technological changes, system development, inclusive and sustainable transformation.

Citation

Lytras, M.D., Serban, A.C., Alkhaldi, A., Aldosemani, T. and Malik, S. (2024), "Digital Transformation in Higher Education in Times of Artificial Intelligence: Setting the Emerging Landscape", Lytras, M.D., Serban, A.C., Alkhaldi, A., Malik, S. and Aldosemani, T. (Ed.) Digital Transformation in Higher Education, Part A (Emerald Studies in Active and Transformative Learning in Higher Education), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83549-480-620241001