Abstract:

Digital technology has significantly changed almost every aspect of our lives including educational. A huge potential offered by digital technologies, still to be fully explored, ensures the digital transformation (DT) of higher education. The aim of this article to contribute to the discussion of an effective digital transformation in the context of higher education based on the latest education trends and frameworks of leading global vendors and to explore the main aspects of DT process implementation. It also intends to analyze the essence of digital transformation listing main challenges, problems and key principles. A literature review about the digital transformation was made, basing on the analyses main aspects and key principles were listed. The emphasis is on the theoretical implications for the effective digital transformation in the context of higher education.

Methodology:
The research undertaken for this study is theoretical and based on a study and overview of the existing literature in the topic. Within the scope of the research the literature consulted includes articles specifically on the essence of digital transformation, digital transformation in the context of higher education, DT frameworks of leading global vendors and pedagogy of higher education institutions in the digital age. Mentioned terms are transdisciplinary fields considering many disciplines such as economics, education, information technology, philosophy, communication studies, pedagogy, psychology and others, but the focus of this article is on educational aspects.

Results and conclusion:
According to the preliminary results of the analyses the definitions of DT of organization and DT in education have been specified. It is concluded that DT in the context of higher education is observed within two directions: strategy of higher education institution and student-centered service.
Key principles for DT cover the following aspects have been listed and explained: consistency, update of learning objectives, update the content of education, update of organizational forms of educational work and update assessment of education results.
The research results offer theoretical implications and main aspects for the implementation process of effective digital transformation in the context of higher education.

Acknowledgment:
This article is the part of the applied research "Implementation of Transformative Digital Learning in Doctoral Program of Pedagogical Science in Latvia" conducted by RTA Research Institute for Regional Studies.

Keywords:

Digital transformation, digital technologies, higher education, educational trends.