Abstract:

Context:
Digital platforms have accelerated business developers and the success of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), where they are now in the position to gain the extra market, and customer-relations channels and build an additional value proposition for the customers. However, a lot of business owners are still afraid of the possibilities and outcomes that digital platforms could generate because they are missing digital literacy about these platforms and the changes in the business models the platforms are generating.

Purpose or goal:
Findings of the survey we conducted at our institute reveal that many students believe that digital platform literacy should become a priority in modern curricula but is also needed in the context of usage and the fact that the Worldwide e-commerce share of retail sales is constantly growing. Digital platforms are vastly used on mobile platforms and mobile content market value worldwide has evolved to values higher than 80 billion USD in 2020 with a clear trend of further growth. That’s why in our paper we will shape a Comprehensive Model in Digital Platform Education where we will focus on the next generation of digital platforms that could have a profound impact on how students learn and teachers teach in the upcoming, but also how business owners are benefiting by properly using the platforms.

Approach:
Many universities are developing specific digital strategies, yet they lack the vision, capability, or commitment to implement them effectively. To complete this objective, we developed an intensive study program in the field of digital tools and methods on how to use digital platforms, data security, and innovative praxis, including professors, students, management and staff, industry, women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professions, and digital trainers for Higher Education institutions (HEI) and SMEs. Through this concept, our proposal boosts the internationalization activities, exchanges and shares existing practices, and develops new practices and methods, and ideas. With our education on digital platforms, we teach a broad range of people who work in education about modern and new digital tools and we also focus on the development of information technology and technical skills as ability and knowledge needed to perform specific tasks.

Actual or anticipated outcomes:
As the main outcome, we will describe a comprehensive education approach from all of the aspects of digital platform education – psychology aspect, managerial aspect, technical aspect, digital pedagogical aspect, and financial aspect. With this in mind, we are able to design some of the future jobs like Digital Product Managers and Internal Digital Trainers for SMEs and to boost the competitiveness of digital products and SMEs where they are developed. We are also able to educate current business owners who would need help in adopting the digital concepts and adapting to business platforms.

Conclusions/Recommendations/Summary:
It is important to emphasize that digital platform education within HEIs has been approached from different perspectives among researchers and industries. Industry sees it as an element disruptor that fundamentally changes industries and organizations. However, researchers recognized the need to focus on both the technology domain and social domain for a successful transformation. The development of an online learning environment is crucial in recommending the long-term implementation and sustainability of digital platforms.

Keywords:

Digital platforms education, Diverse Learning Communities, Digital Transformation.