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Digitalised higher education: key developments, questions, and concerns

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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Digitalised higher education: key developments, questions, and concerns. / Komljenovic, Janja; Birch, Kean; Sellar, Sam et al.
In: Discourse, Vol. 46, No. 2, 30.04.2025, p. 276-292.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Komljenovic, J, Birch, K, Sellar, S, Bergviken Rensfeldt, A, Deville, J, Eaton, C, Gourlay, L, Hansen, M, Kerssens, N, Kovalainen, A, Nappert, P-L, Noteboom, J, Parcerisa, L, Pardo-Guerra, JP, Poutanen, S, Robertson, S, Tyfield, D & Williamson, B 2025, 'Digitalised higher education: key developments, questions, and concerns', Discourse, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 276-292. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2024.2408397

APA

Komljenovic, J., Birch, K., Sellar, S., Bergviken Rensfeldt, A., Deville, J., Eaton, C., Gourlay, L., Hansen, M., Kerssens, N., Kovalainen, A., Nappert, P.-L., Noteboom, J., Parcerisa, L., Pardo-Guerra, J. P., Poutanen, S., Robertson, S., Tyfield, D., & Williamson, B. (2025). Digitalised higher education: key developments, questions, and concerns. Discourse, 46(2), 276-292. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2024.2408397

Vancouver

Komljenovic J, Birch K, Sellar S, Bergviken Rensfeldt A, Deville J, Eaton C et al. Digitalised higher education: key developments, questions, and concerns. Discourse. 2025 Apr 30;46(2):276-292. Epub 2024 Sept 25. doi: 10.1080/01596306.2024.2408397

Author

Komljenovic, Janja ; Birch, Kean ; Sellar, Sam et al. / Digitalised higher education : key developments, questions, and concerns. In: Discourse. 2025 ; Vol. 46, No. 2. pp. 276-292.

Bibtex

@article{b9603ffbc7b74eafb39c6f28c0444686,
title = "Digitalised higher education: key developments, questions, and concerns",
abstract = "Higher education is already profoundly digitalised. Students, academics, and university administrators routinely use digital technologies, many of which rely on data, including artificial intelligence. Universities aim to operate as data-powered organisations to support institutional efficiency and the personalisation of learning and student experience. These developments are occurring against the backdrop of university digital infrastructure moving to the cloud and the increasing role of {\textquoteleft}Big Tech{\textquoteright} in the sector. However, there are many unknowns about the aggregate impact of digitalisation on the sector, and hence, questions about potential risks and harms remain unanswered. Our approach in this collective piece is to reflect on particularly relevant and impactful dynamics of higher education digitalisation. We first identify assetisation as an emergent mode of governance linked to the digitalisation of HE, which brings new temporal, relational, and lock-in challenges for universities and their constituents. Second, we examine the macro-level structural transformation of higher education with the increasing role of Big Tech and Big EdTech. We conclude by discussing the consequences of the identified macro power dynamics.",
author = "Janja Komljenovic and Kean Birch and Sam Sellar and {Bergviken Rensfeldt}, Annika and Joe Deville and Charlie Eaton and Lesley Gourlay and Morten Hansen and Niels Kerssens and Anne Kovalainen and Pier-Luc Nappert and Joe Noteboom and Lluis Parcerisa and Pardo-Guerra, {Juan Pable} and Seppo Poutanen and Susan Robertson and David Tyfield and Ben Williamson",
year = "2025",
month = apr,
day = "30",
doi = "10.1080/01596306.2024.2408397",
language = "English",
volume = "46",
pages = "276--292",
journal = "Discourse",
issn = "0159-6306",
publisher = "Routledge",
number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Digitalised higher education

T2 - key developments, questions, and concerns

AU - Komljenovic, Janja

AU - Birch, Kean

AU - Sellar, Sam

AU - Bergviken Rensfeldt, Annika

AU - Deville, Joe

AU - Eaton, Charlie

AU - Gourlay, Lesley

AU - Hansen, Morten

AU - Kerssens, Niels

AU - Kovalainen, Anne

AU - Nappert, Pier-Luc

AU - Noteboom, Joe

AU - Parcerisa, Lluis

AU - Pardo-Guerra, Juan Pable

AU - Poutanen, Seppo

AU - Robertson, Susan

AU - Tyfield, David

AU - Williamson, Ben

PY - 2025/4/30

Y1 - 2025/4/30

N2 - Higher education is already profoundly digitalised. Students, academics, and university administrators routinely use digital technologies, many of which rely on data, including artificial intelligence. Universities aim to operate as data-powered organisations to support institutional efficiency and the personalisation of learning and student experience. These developments are occurring against the backdrop of university digital infrastructure moving to the cloud and the increasing role of ‘Big Tech’ in the sector. However, there are many unknowns about the aggregate impact of digitalisation on the sector, and hence, questions about potential risks and harms remain unanswered. Our approach in this collective piece is to reflect on particularly relevant and impactful dynamics of higher education digitalisation. We first identify assetisation as an emergent mode of governance linked to the digitalisation of HE, which brings new temporal, relational, and lock-in challenges for universities and their constituents. Second, we examine the macro-level structural transformation of higher education with the increasing role of Big Tech and Big EdTech. We conclude by discussing the consequences of the identified macro power dynamics.

AB - Higher education is already profoundly digitalised. Students, academics, and university administrators routinely use digital technologies, many of which rely on data, including artificial intelligence. Universities aim to operate as data-powered organisations to support institutional efficiency and the personalisation of learning and student experience. These developments are occurring against the backdrop of university digital infrastructure moving to the cloud and the increasing role of ‘Big Tech’ in the sector. However, there are many unknowns about the aggregate impact of digitalisation on the sector, and hence, questions about potential risks and harms remain unanswered. Our approach in this collective piece is to reflect on particularly relevant and impactful dynamics of higher education digitalisation. We first identify assetisation as an emergent mode of governance linked to the digitalisation of HE, which brings new temporal, relational, and lock-in challenges for universities and their constituents. Second, we examine the macro-level structural transformation of higher education with the increasing role of Big Tech and Big EdTech. We conclude by discussing the consequences of the identified macro power dynamics.

U2 - 10.1080/01596306.2024.2408397

DO - 10.1080/01596306.2024.2408397

M3 - Journal article

VL - 46

SP - 276

EP - 292

JO - Discourse

JF - Discourse

SN - 0159-6306

IS - 2

ER -