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Outlining Challenges & opportunities of Higher Education digital transformation (45 min)

The digital transformation of higher education presents both challenges and opportunities for institutions, students and educators in terms of improving the quality and accessibility of education. Universities are increasingly faced with the challenge of adapting to the changing capabilities brought about by technological affordances, but they are also recognising the opportunities that the new scenario brings from an educational perspective. However, addressing the associated challenges is essential to ensure that the benefits of digital transformation are realised while minimising potential pitfalls. The main aim of this presentation is to outline the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation in higher education, providing guidance, examples and ideas for decision makers with different roles in the educational institution. In this sense, the strategy of the institution should take into account all the actors involved in this transformation process and also accurately analyse the specific context if it wants to be successful and maximise its benefits.

Lourdes Guardia
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)

Lourdes Guàrdia is Deputy Dean of Teaching and associate professor of educational technology at Psychology and Education Faculty at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). She was the former director of the Master in Education and ICT (e-learning) for almost 10 years, and she is a member of Edul@b research group. Her areas of research include e-assessment, e-portfolio, competency-based learning, learning design methods and tools, teaching professional development, and emerging digital pedagogies applied to different educational scenarios. She is also Chair of the Curriculum & Course Design field of expertise at EMPOWER initiative led by the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities. She has been involved in more than 15 funded European projects and 10 research national projects since 1996.

Participants' prior knowledge / Potrebno predznanje: General understanding of the concept of digital transformation in higher education.

Learning outcomes / Ishodi učenja: Participants will have the ability to understand the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation in higher education, along with strategies for decision makers to navigate this transformation effectively.