Digitalisation is of growing importance at all higher education institutions. Studies confirm increased general acceptance of digital learning and a growing trend towards more strategic and mainstreamed use. This entails the integration and scale-up of learning and teaching innovation, which usually emerges bottom-up, and a gradual transformation of the institution. It requires leadership, participatory approaches and investment in order to establish well-functioning digital learning ecosystems that serve the entire institution and all members and stakeholders and that are able to respond to change. (Trends 2018, p. 60; Changing Pedagogical Landscapes 2018; Digitally enhanced learning and teaching in European higher education institutions, 2021).

This has been demonstrated during the Covid-19 pandemic and is expected, beyond the temporary push, to lead to a medium- to-long-term enhancement of digital learning.

The DIGI-HE project aims to support these processes, by gathering data and information on the strategic development of digitalisation and organising peer learning for knowledge and experience sharing among institutional leadership from across the European Higher Education Area.

The initiative relates to EUA’s prior work on digital learning and contributes to its ongoing initiatives on learning and teaching.

1) Inception and information gathering (January 2020 – January 2021)

Digitally enhanced learning and teaching in European higher education institutions

The survey maps the situation of digitalisation at European higher education institutions and inquires about their strategic uptake of digitalisation, its impact and challenges in various areas of institutional life, their experiences in this area and their expectations for the future. The survey results are compiled in “Digitally enhanced learning and teaching in European higher education institutions”. They are also presented in a webinar on EUA’s YouTube channel and slideshow.

Developing a high-performance digital education ecosystem: institutional self-assessment instruments

The analysis of self-assessment instruments focuses on their impact in key areas of higher education institutions’ activities, including governance and management, learning and curriculum, research and innovation, collaboration and outreach. It includes practical guidance on how such instruments could be used in an institutional setting. The results are compiled in Developing a high-performance digital education ecosystem: institutional self-assessment instruments. They are also presented in a webinar on EUA’s YouTube channel.

2) Thematic peer groups (March 2021 – November 2022)

The project aims to run two cycles of thematic peer groups on digitally enhanced learning and teaching. The Learning & Teaching Thematic Peer Groups have been a very successful strand of EUA’s learning and teaching activities, designed to strengthen a bottom-up approach in engaging European higher education institutions to foster community building around learning and teaching. Institutions take part in a series of online meetings and activities and produce their findings in a report. 30 institutions have been selected to take part in the first cycle thematic peer groups.

3) Validation and dissemination (October 2022 – December 2022)

Workshop series on self-assessment instruments

Self-assessment instruments will be further explored through a three-part workshop series in 2021, which will provide some advice on how to choose the instrument that best corresponds to the institution’s needs, as well as how to carry out a self-assessment and act on its results.

Self-paced training resource on the institutional self-assessment of digitally enhanced learning and teaching

Based on the review of self-assessment instruments and exchanges during the thematic peer groups, the project aims to develop and deliver a digital self-paced training resource, which includes case studies, best practices and instruments for institutional self-assessment of digitally enhanced learning and teaching.

Validation conference

The validation conference in Brussels aims to gather a mixed audience of institutional representatives, policy makers and any other stakeholder with an interest in digitalisation in higher education. The institutions that participated in the thematic peer groups can share their experience and present the impact their involvement in the thematic peer groups has had at their institution. Also, as part of the conference, small breakout sessions and workshops on thematic issues are planned.

Final publication

An online publication is due to be published at the project’s conclusion. This publication aims to gather highlights from the summary report, testimonials from institutions that have participated in the thematic peer groups, as well as lessons learnt on how to organise effective thematic peer groups on digitally enhanced learning and teaching in a higher education setting.

DIGI-HE Webinar series: A strategic reflection on digitalisation in higher education

• Webinar 1: Developing a high-performing digital education ecosystem: institutional self-assessment instruments, 26 January 2021
  • Recording available here
• Webinar 2: Results of the survey report “Digitally enhanced learning and teaching in European higher education institutions", 5 February 2021
  • Recording available here

DIGI-HE Workshop 1: Developing a high-performance digital education ecosystem: strategy and organisational culture, 19 October 2021

DIGI-HE Workshop 2: Developing a high-performance digital education ecosystem: institutional self-assessment, 24 May 2022

• Dublin City University (DCU)
• Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (DHBW)
• Jÿvaskyla University (JYU)
• Vytautas Magnus University (VMU)

• EDEN Digital Learning Europe
• European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE)
• Irish University Association (IAU)