Beyond Implementation: Enabling Sustainable Transformations of Digital Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Abstract

This chapter examines how sustainable transformation of digital practices in higher education can be conceptualised and enacted. The COVID pandemic sparked what is often referred to as the largest digitalisation experiment in the history of higher education. On the face of it, this was a highly successful operation, giving large number of students the opportunity to complete their studies. However, many approaches to digitalisation during the pandemic were characterised by quick fixes and “solutionism”. There is therefore a need to address digitally mediated teaching in a long-term and more strategic perspective. We explore this issue in two ways: First, we theoretically delineate the concept of sustainable transformation of digital practices and develop an analytical framework aimed to support empirical research and educational development. Second, we illustrate the value of this analytical approach with reference to the experiences of one faculty at a research-intensive university in Norway, with specific attention to how this faculty addressed the COVID crisis over a period of nearly two years. We conclude by discussing implications for further research and practice.