TY - BOOK

T1 - Investigating digital agility

T2 - Using a chatbot to scaffold learning opportunities for students

AU - Armstrong, Niamh

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - This research investigates how humanities students develop digital agilitythrough targeted digital supports throughout their degree. Ensuring highereducation students are digitally agile is of interest to academics in other degreeprogrammes. Based on students’ prevalent use of text messaging, a chatbotwas chosen as the platform to provide these supports. This research found itvaluable to think through a self-regulated learning lens to ascertain the varietyof needs and competencies that support students in their studies and in thefuture. The synthesis of digital competencies frameworks and policy documentsprovide an understanding of the diversity of competencies needed in thisevolving landscape. Incorporating learning agility and design provides a holisticunderstanding of evolving digital needs. My definition of digital agility is theagency to use technology to create, design, communicate, collaborate andthrive in a changing digital landscape. A design-based research approach waschosen as it provides a balance of theory, artefact design and practice. Designbased research facilitated collaborating with students and academic staff over three iterative cycles of design, development, and evaluation, that shaped and aligned the chatbot to provide students with timely digital supports. The findings present that this collaboration with students and academic staff is needed to ensure alignment with disciplinary digital needs. Findings also highlighted the significant role assignment requirements play in driving digital agility. The main contributions to knowledge are: a digital agility framework incorporating: management of learning agility, research, communication, collaboration and data agility; design principles for future researchers to create their own intervention; and an improved understanding of the needs of students in support of their digital agility. Recommendations for practice and policy are also discussed. A limitation of the study is that it is confined to one degreeprogramme in one institution during one academic year.

AB - This research investigates how humanities students develop digital agilitythrough targeted digital supports throughout their degree. Ensuring highereducation students are digitally agile is of interest to academics in other degreeprogrammes. Based on students’ prevalent use of text messaging, a chatbotwas chosen as the platform to provide these supports. This research found itvaluable to think through a self-regulated learning lens to ascertain the varietyof needs and competencies that support students in their studies and in thefuture. The synthesis of digital competencies frameworks and policy documentsprovide an understanding of the diversity of competencies needed in thisevolving landscape. Incorporating learning agility and design provides a holisticunderstanding of evolving digital needs. My definition of digital agility is theagency to use technology to create, design, communicate, collaborate andthrive in a changing digital landscape. A design-based research approach waschosen as it provides a balance of theory, artefact design and practice. Designbased research facilitated collaborating with students and academic staff over three iterative cycles of design, development, and evaluation, that shaped and aligned the chatbot to provide students with timely digital supports. The findings present that this collaboration with students and academic staff is needed to ensure alignment with disciplinary digital needs. Findings also highlighted the significant role assignment requirements play in driving digital agility. The main contributions to knowledge are: a digital agility framework incorporating: management of learning agility, research, communication, collaboration and data agility; design principles for future researchers to create their own intervention; and an improved understanding of the needs of students in support of their digital agility. Recommendations for practice and policy are also discussed. A limitation of the study is that it is confined to one degreeprogramme in one institution during one academic year.

U2 - 10.17635/lancaster/thesis/1847

DO - 10.17635/lancaster/thesis/1847

M3 - Doctoral Thesis

PB - Lancaster University

ER -