Abstract:

Digital transformation has emerged as a central focus across diverse sectors recently, with education occupying a prominent position. Originating in the 1980s and gaining importance in the 1990s, its acceleration was exponentially propelled by the COVID-19 pandemic [1]. Consequently, digital technologies have become indispensable for maintaining social and economic activities. Within this context, higher education institutions (HEIs) have been compelled to adapt and invest in new learning technologies to facilitate online classes and remote administrative operations. However, as underscored in the 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report on technology in education [2] and several scholarly studies, the perception of digital technologies as universally applicable tools unravels inherent paradoxes within the educational sphere. While information and communication technology (ICT) offers unprecedented opportunities for enhancing teaching and learning, they also pose challenges related to equity and pedagogical effectiveness [2,3]. In developing countries, limited access to the internet and adequate devices remains a significant concern. In contrast, in developed countries, technological infrastructure (TI) is not an issue, but the varying levels of digital skills among educators and students demand attention. This exploratory study aims to unravel the complexities of ICT integration and assess the digital skills of professors and students in higher education in Portugal. What are the benefits and drawbacks of incorporating digital technologies in teaching and learning processes in higher education (HE)? How do the digital skills and readiness of students and professors impact the effectiveness of digital transformation initiatives in higher education? It is theoretically underpinned by the New Media theory, which encompasses the internet and digital media’s evolving ways of communication. Employing a qualitative methodology, the empirical phase entails conducting semi-structured interviews via Zoom. Participants comprise ten students and seven professors from the Lisbon metropolitan area, the highest population density in Portugal. The study's scope is limited, excluding digital leaders, which will be addressed in doctoral ongoing research. The significance of this study extends to its contemporary relevance, actively contributing to the global discourse on effective strategies for harnessing technology in education. The findings reveal that the assumption widely spread that professors are digitally illiterate while young individuals, often labeled as “digital natives”, are proficient in leveraging digital technologies may not uniformly apply. A future research recommendation would be a study encompassing teachers, students, and leaders of schools in developing countries to address the digital divide. There is an array of perspectives to explore the implementation of ICT in education worldwide.

References:
[1] G. Rodríguez-Abitia & G. Bribiesca-Correa, “Assessing Digital Transformation in Universities,” Future Internet, vol. 13, no 2, 52,2021. doi:10.3390/fi13020052
[2] UNESCO, Global Education Monitoring Report 2023: Technology in education – A tool on whose terms? Paris, UNESCO, 2023. Retrieved from https://gem-report-2023.unesco.org/
[3] M. V. Pashkov & V. M. Pashkova, “Problems and Risks of Digitalization in Higher Education,” Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii=Higher Education in Russia, vol.31, no.3, pp. 40-57, 2022 doi:10.31992/0869-3617-2022-31-3-40-57

Keywords:

Digital skills, digital technologies, digital transformation, higher education, ICT.