What’s Digital? Factors of perceived Digital Transformation of Higher Education in Germany

Abstract

Higher education (HE) institutions in Germany are driven to address chances and risks, as well as methods to guide digital changes. Naturally, all leaders set their own agenda and define within their responsibilities an individual meaning of “digital” as “the ideal mix of useful, safe, practical and affordable” digital tools and processes. Do they all share a common understanding, and what is the core of this understanding in the context of HE? Based on the dataset of a national survey, the factors of Educause’s Self-Assessment questionnaire on the Digital Transformation (Dx) are evaluated. A quantitative analysis of responses from one third of all universities in Germany was conducted to focus on the potential of the various topics and extract systematic patterns: Which group of topics or factors offer a potential to observe the change? Which factors might have the potential to drive the change? In addition, which factors appear not to have sufficient influence on the change and are not modulated by the perceived digital changes in HE? The four most prominent factors measured by effect size concern the topics “dealing with change”, “flexibility of staff deployment”, “new jobs and functions”, and “importance of soft skills”. Those topics are expected to gain further attention in the strategic discussions among leaders in higher education.