Perspectives on disruptive change in higher education. A critical review of digital transformation during COVID-19

Figures & data

Table 1. Overviews over papers included in the analysis (n = 22).

	Generalizability	Theoretical underpinning	Empirical underpinning	Disciplines	Geography	Publication period
High (n)	7	6	5	Education; Business and Economics; Computer Science; Social Work; Geography; Educational Technology; Health Sciences; Library Sciences	United Arab Emirates; Australia; Austria; Bangladesh; Canada; China; Egypt; England; Italy; Japan; Norway; Philippines; South Africa; Spain; United Kingdom; United States	May 2020–February 2021
Partly (n)	12	10	10
Low (n)	3	6	7

Table 2. Themes and polarities.

Theme	Polarities: extremes and common/middle grounds
Definitions of DTHE	Common ground: An ongoing/long time process contingent on digital transformation in other sectors
The role of the pandemic for DTHE	Common ground: A disruptive event, requiring rapid adjustments, exposing weaknesses in DTHE pre-pandemic, instigating change in a change-resistant environment
	Accelerating transformations already set in motion before	Diverting transformations in new directions	Igniting transformations
The role of technology for DTHE	Supporting (non-technological) transformation happening in other areas	Interdependency between technology and transformation as mutually affecting	Driving transformation due to technological progress
Assessment of DTHE under the pandemic	An opportunity for transformation of the higher education sector		A threat to equality and inclusion
Objects of transformation	Broad and varied		Narrow and focused

Table 3. Objects of transformation.

Category	Codings total (n)
Modes of delivery of teaching and learning	65
The role of higher education	25
Collaborations	21
Professional roles	17
Standards/rules/regulations	16
Organization/organizational culture	11
Student support	3
Society as a whole	2
Sustainability in HE	2
Digital skills	1
Digitalization policies	1
HE's economy and stream of revenue	1
Learners	1
Students’ lives	1