Abstract:

Seemingly, we could easily conclude that the digitalisation of higher education institutions (HEI) has reached a high level, especially due to the experience and conditions to which many HEI had to adjust during the pandemic period. At the same time, minor number of HE institutions have a comprehensive approach reflected in the form of institutional framework for digitisation, primarily based on a real digital competencies as fundamental basis for all the other processes. Analysing the existing strategies of HEI, it can be noticed that a large number of them see digitalisation only as partial segment of institutional strategy, while a smaller number of them approached the context of digitalisation comprehensively by developing an institutional digital strategy. Due to the problems of unequal approach of teaching and learning in the digital environment looking from different perspectives the question of importance for creating institutional policies and framework aimed to monitor, evaluate and improve the process itself as part of quality assurance raises. This points out the question of the digital competencies of all stakeholders involved, which is as important as the HEI managing model itself. In the context of aforementioned, on the March 22nd 2022 European Commission launched new DigiComp 2.2 (Vuorikari, R., Kluzer, S. and Punie, Y., DigComp 2.2: The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens - With new examples of knowledge, skills and attitudes) with more than 250 useful examples as a solid basis for development of learning objectives explicit descriptions, content, learning experiences and their assessment. It also provides a solid basis for framing institutional digital skills policy.

Proficiency level of the 5 DigComp competences area:
1) Information and data literacy,
2) Communication and collaboration,
3) Digital content creation,
4) Safety and
5) Problem solving and by integrating artificial intelligence, remote working and digital accessibility could be one of the key elements for HE digital strategy structure.

On the other hand, HEI need to build their own digital capacities on the organisational level (for example, the European framework for digitally-competent educational organisations DigCompOrg Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, Devine, J., Punie, Y., Kampylis, P., Promoting effective digital-age learning : a European framework for digitally-competent educational organisations, 2015). Moreover, digital strategy could open the possibility to plan and design disruptive segments within the organisational model of the HEI with an aim to achieve higher level of quality assurance in overall and also, to achieve better strategic positioning. Hence, digital strategies could encourage HEI to devise their own disruptive models by creating a precondition to achieve those goals.

This paper analyses the organizational ex ante prerequisites for creating an institutional framework for HEI and provides examples of good practice in the context of digital strategy development by analysing several digital strategies at American and European universities.

Keywords:

Digital strategies in HE, digital competencies, institutional framework, HE disruptive models.