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DIGITAL UNIVERSITY PRESENTATION

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Transformation

Introduction, conclusions.

The general set of rules of a civilized population includes the following criteria: ✓ Behave civilly online ✓ Live real life online ✓ Internet Trap Prevention

A digital citizen is a skilled person who uses information technology to communicate with others, engage in social, business and political activities on a digital platform. Digital citizens are skilled, knowledgeable, and able to access the Internet through computers, mobile phones and other digital devices to interact with individuals, organizations and communities.

BEHAVE CIVILLY ONLINE

So what's the population what would be the portrait of a civilized population.

Responsible for responding to Internet bullying.

Responsible for responding to bad and malicious information on the internet.

Principle of responabitily on media social

- Using the function to report bad, negative content to network administrators or inform authorities with violations affecting real life

- Using polite language, not using offensive language, not obscene language. Regardless of gender, attacking an individual or a group of people.

Although we know that there are always positive and negative sides to society, each individual needs to be aware of the proper delivery of information such as:

+ Positive behavior will bring together multiple sources of power, spread connectivity and sharing, bring value to the community.

+ The negative behavior will put the victim in the depths of depression.

Internet bullying prevention and response.

In this brief sharing, we look forward to sharing and encouraging teenagers to be ready, to take the initiative to face the challenges of the technology age, And have a safe and wonderful experience with the Internet

It is a job to build a civilized population to cope with all the unnecessary risks of digital transformation it's very important.

Deploy applications to enhance government-people interaction and vice versa; to be more active and accelerated in supporting digital transformation in all areas; to build a digital economy

Digital transformation is the process of overall and comprehensive change of individuals, organizations on how to live, work and manufacturing based on digital technology,"

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Transform to Digital University

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How Colleges and Universities Are Driving to Digital Transformation Today

What shifts in workforce, culture, and technology are underway in higher education today, and how do those shifts toward digital transformation relate to the EDUCAUSE 2020 Top 10 IT Issues?

Like the observation about the future often attributed to the science fiction writer William Gibson, digital transformation (Dx) is already here, but it's not yet evenly distributed. EDUCAUSE research shows that 13% of colleges and universities are engaging in digital transformation today, 32% are developing a Dx strategy, and another 38% of higher education institutions are exploring Dx. 1 With only 17% of institutions investing no time in Dx, higher education truly is driving to digital transformation. EDUCAUSE defines digital transformation as a series of deep and coordinated workforce, culture, and technology shifts that enable new educational and operating models and transform an institution's operations, strategic directions, and value proposition.

So, what shifts in workforce, culture, and technology are under way in higher education today, and how do those shifts relate to the EDUCAUSE 2020 Top 10 IT Issues? The 2019–2020 IT Issues panelists discussed each of these shifts in the context of the Top 10 IT Issues.

#1. Information Security Strategy: Developing a risk-based security strategy that effectively detects, responds to, and prevents security threats and challenges

Workforce Shifts The need for skilled cybersecurity leaders continues to outpace the supply in higher education. Some institutional leaders are applying more flexible solutions, such as hiring contractors. Others are recognizing that effective cybersecurity leadership requires strong change and people management skills. They are focusing on recruiting people with those soft skills and then providing cybersecurity training to help new hires acquire the needed technical skills on the job.

Culture Shifts Institutional leaders are realizing that they share responsibility for effective security. People are more accepting of added constraints and more willing to learn and act on what they've learned.

Technological Shifts Artificial intelligence (AI) is providing more effective network analysis and threat- hunting capabilities.

#2. Privacy: Safeguarding institutional constituents' privacy rights and maintaining accountability for protecting all types of restricted data

Workforce Shifts Colleges and universities are more likely to appoint privacy officers, a new role that was in little evidence several years ago.

Culture Shifts New compliance requirements like the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), along with the burgeoning use of people's data, have made faculty, staff, and students very aware of the privacy trade-offs of giving up information in order to gain a data-rich culture. People are bringing that consciousness to the workplace, where it is entering discussions and influencing decisions about the use of individuals' data.

The scope of data architecture and analytics oversight has expanded beyond enterprise data to departmental and other local systems and data stores. Data owners and administrators throughout the institution are being held more accountable for the data they create and manage.

Technological Shifts With this newfound awareness of and commitment to privacy, institutional leaders are more willing to invest in technologies to protect privacy, and end users are more willing to adopt data-protection practices that they would once have considered too onerous (e.g., tokens, centrally managed laptops).

Technologies, especially those that employ AI to identify and act on sensitive data, are getting more effective and automated.

#3. Sustainable Funding: Developing funding models that can maintain quality and accommodate both new needs and the growing use of IT services in an era of increasing budget constraints

Workforce Shifts Two widespread workforce shifts—shared services and cloud-first strategies—are changing the way staff work, enabling a reduction in and/or more effective use of funds. When done well, shared services can consolidate resources to deliver common services at consistent, negotiated service levels, freeing up staffing and funds to use for other needs or for savings. Cloud-first strategies can move IT staff closer to the end users as they transition from supporting technologies to supporting services and missions.

A sustainable IT funding model can and should include funding for training staff, again ensuring that staff are more relevant and productive.

Culture Shifts More institutional leaders are willing to make the often difficult decisions to sunset services that are duplicative or underused. Those decisions can help defray other funding needs without eliminating important services or reducing service levels.

Technological Shifts As noted above, cloud computing has significantly changed IT funding and service delivery. Although cloud infrastructure and services have brought new costs, they can make service levels and budgeting more predictable and enable institutional technology staff to focus more closely on mission-related needs.

#4. Digital Integrations: Ensuring system interoperability, scalability, and extensibility, as well as data integrity, security, standards, and governance, across multiple applications and platforms

Workforce Shifts Skill sets are changing. IT leaders are ensuring that their technical staff receive the training and opportunities needed to be able to work within the new technical environments. For example, recognizing that the development work is shifting toward integrations, institutional leaders are moving to hiring more solution-integration developers rather than application-specific developers.

Culture Shifts The institutional community sees that systems and data can no longer live in independent silos. Early data governance efforts that may have devolved into parallel, siloed data management activities are being reinitiated at campuses to achieve truly integrated data governance models. What goes for data also goes for organizations, and departmental leaders are beginning to see the necessity and the value of working collaboratively. This pertains to both business departments and distributed and central IT organizations.

Institutional procurement is partnering more closely with the IT organization to ensure that technology purchases, wherever they occur throughout the institution, are coordinated with IT staff to determine the need and potential for digital integrations before a purchase occurs.

Technological Shifts Integration tools are evolving considerably and rapidly to make digital integrations easier and more powerful. End users' needs are starting to move IT staff to adopt better processes and technologies. For example, end users are pressing for technologies, such as multifactor authentication, to better and more seamlessly manage and protect their digital identities.

#5. Student-Centric Higher Education: Creating a student-services ecosystem to support the entire student life cycle, from prospecting to enrollment, learning, job placement, alumni engagement, and continuing education

Workforce Shifts Institutional leaders are looking at ways to deliver lifelong learning at scale. Colleges and universities are offering flexible degrees and continuing education and are partnering with companies and organizations that can connect students directly to the workforce.

Culture Shifts Applications and services are being redesigned with the student experience in mind. More information and services for students are available via mobile apps. Institutions are creating integrated services to help students connect with their classes through the learning management system, find and enroll in classes, and pay their tuition bills.

Technological Shifts Institutions have better customer relationship management tools to help tailor the student experience from high school through graduation. These tools provide additional functions to track and assist students. Technologies and services are being reengineered to enable a consistent experience that onboards, educates, and connects students and that offers lifelong learning.

#6. Student Retention and Completion: Developing the capabilities and systems to incorporate artificial intelligence into student services to provide personalized, timely support

Workforce Shifts Student success initiatives are changing roles and responsibilities of faculty and staff alike. The need for business intelligence and analytics competencies is growing across roles. For example, faculty are spending more time advising students and contributing information about their work with students to student success efforts. All staff supporting students are learning how to respond to early alerts and warnings.

Culture Shifts Higher education institutions are building student success and retention cultures that hold all stakeholders accountable. For many colleges and universities, managing and measuring engagement is the starting point. This forces the institution to define engagement in measurable terms—for example, library visits, attendance at athletic or social events, time spent in dorms or cafeterias, or the colleagues with whom students are most likely to work in classes. Institutions are focused on becoming more responsive and nimbler in understanding and meeting students' needs, viewing students as customers.

Technological Shifts Institutional leaders are building real-time, comprehensive data warehouses to support the data needs of student success initiatives. They are also investing in analytics and AI technologies to move into predictive analytics and geo-technologies to give students information based on the time, their location, and their interests and needs.

#7. Improved Enrollment: Using technology, data, and analytics to develop an inclusive and financially sustainable enrollment strategy to serve more and new learners by personalizing recruitment, enrollment, and learning experiences

Workforce Shifts Enrollment and student success initiatives are leading to new roles, expectations, and organizational structures. Institutions are centralizing more services, including advising. Student workers are valued not just for what they do but also for their ability to understand and advocate for students' needs.

IT professionals are more deeply involved with the business of enrollment than previously because they can provide analytics and AI solutions. Enrollment leaders are relying on technology professionals to help them develop, interpret, improve, and apply data models.

Culture Shifts Enrollment, recruitment, and student retention and success are becoming everyone's responsibility in higher education. Faculty and staff are encouraged to connect with and support disaffected or struggling students. IT staff have jobs and skills that students may desire; a conversation with an IT professional can thus help students get excited about their future and better understand the relevance of their education to attaining that future.

Institutional leaders are also encouraging staff to question both the status quo and the rationale for new initiatives. The result—whether it is a staff member's deeper understanding and acceptance or an organization's recognition that change is needed—is beneficial and empowering.

Technological Shifts Greater and more sophisticated applications of analytics and AI technologies are the primary technological shifts that institutions are making. Internet of things (IoT) technologies are among the sources of new data to help model student retention and apply that model to predict successful enrollment. Institutions are also meeting students where they are, by using social and mobile technologies to recruit and communicate with students.

#8. Higher Education Affordability: Aligning IT organizations‚ priorities, and resources with institutional priorities and resources to achieve a sustainable future

Workforce Shifts Affordability management is becoming a new competency. Leaders and supervisors are being asked to use initiative and creativity within their areas to reduce waste, increase value, and make higher education more affordable.

Faculty are no exception. Faculty are becoming co-owners of affordability and are being asked to prioritize it in their choices about educational materials. Some institutional leaders are taking a default approach to adopting open educational resources (OER) by advocating for their use whenever possible. When degree programs require specific equipment, such as iPads instead of textbooks, the equipment must be used in enough courses to offset the device cost by demonstrating the elimination of at least the equivalent expense in previously required textbooks. When faculty recognize such guidelines as strategies to increase affordability for students, rather than as strictures to reduce their pedagogical autonomy, they are motivated to change.

Culture Shifts Institutions are using two persuasive levers to change hearts and minds. When presidents personally address costs as a top priority, especially by using positive language (e.g., "Let's see how we can make our school an affordable school"), they help everyone in the institution to view the challenge not only as reducing costs but also as addressing many of the root causes of affordability (e.g., food and housing insecurities).

The student voice is the most eloquent of all. Student senates are voting to address affordability and are advocating directly to institutional leadership. Students are speaking up—and being heard—about both the traditional (e.g., tuition and expenses) and the nontraditional (e.g., transportation, childcare, planning and scheduling) drivers of affordability.

IT organizations are being viewed differently as well. Increasingly, they are being asked to help address cost issues in other departments or to partner in developing programs or implementing software services to facilitate scholarship matching or in enabling access to open digital materials. This is shifting the perception of information technology from a cost driver to a resource for affordability and cost management.

Technological Shifts Technology has much to offer in the realm of cost management and reduction. Students' suggestions can guide the choices, such as using technology to optimize scholarship distribution by auto-granting awards or matching student profiles to scholarships to ensure that all scholarships are awarded.

Many shifts entail more powerful uses of existing technologies. Online learning, of course, can be used to increase affordability, provided that is the focus rather than to increase institutional income. Online master's programs are particularly popular, to expand enrollment for working students who want to earn this additional credential without leaving the workforce for two years or incurring significant debt.

OERs, long advocated by libraries, are becoming key to an institutional affordability strategy. Some institutions are building zero-textbook-cost, known as "Z-degrees."

Finally, laptop loaner programs are entering a new generation. For example, vending machines can dispense laptops to students for several hours at no cost, providing both convenience and affordability to students who can afford an inexpensive desktop more easily than a laptop.

#9. Administrative Simplification: Applying user-centered design, process improvement, and system reengineering to reduce redundant or unnecessary efforts and improve end-user experiences

Workforce Shifts Institutions are attracting fewer young staff than in the past. As administrative simplification efforts lead to modernization, the work environment will include fewer legacy technologies and more innovative technolgies that can appeal to younger workers.

Culture Shifts Simplification changes the work, and that changes the culture. Staff are becoming more open to initiating change, streamlining work, and working within teams. Many are motivated by the lack of resources. As budgets tighten, administrative hires are less likely to be approved than academic hires. Introducing efficiencies that save staff time can be just as helpful as adding new staff.

Change begets change. As staff gain experience with change, they are more open to the ongoing change that continuous improvement brings, which increases the likelihood that administrative simplification itself will evolve from a series of initiatives to simply the way work gets done.

Technological Shifts The dominance of the enterprise application portfolio by enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems is waning as institutions acquire and integrate new best-of-breed solutions. This diffusion of functionality across applications lends itself to adding useful special-purpose applications, provided the institution has sufficient integration resources and capabilities.

Data is more useful than ever. User-focused services that bring data to the end users, at the right time, empower both the institution and the end user. Institutions are revisiting end-user license agreements to ensure they meet today's newfound needs.

#10. The Integrative CIO: Repositioning or reinforcing the role of IT leadership as an integral strategic partner of institutional leadership in supporting institutional missions

Workforce Shifts Growing numbers of CIO job descriptions include the requirements and experience to serve as an integral strategic partner with institutional leadership in supporting institutional missions. Some colleges and universities are recruiting CIOs differently and are prioritizing strong business skills over IT skills. Some are hiring academic leaders, who bring an understanding of how the institution may and could work as a whole.

The IT workforce is also adapting. IT organizations are becoming more consultative, gathering requirements and needs from instructors, researchers, students, and administrators to identify "the best, brief solutions" rather than relying primarily on monolithic enterprise solutions. CIOs are asking their staff to develop business analytics and data competencies in order to grow the analytics capabilities of the IT organization.

Institutional leaders who hire integrative CIOs have started to think differently, which influences expectations of the entire institutional workforce. Everyone at the institution should have at least digital literacy, and perhaps digital fluency, to respond to the digital revolution. All institutional faculty and staff must also become comfortable with undertaking continual learning as a core component of their jobs and with adapting roles, jobs, and organizations as a core condition of the workplace.

Culture Shifts Partnerships and cross-functional teams are becoming commonplace, and much needed, to address institutional priorities such as student retention. Where partnerships thrive, silos dissolve, and the institutional culture becomes more flexible.

Innovation isn't possible without experimentation, involving trial and error. Continuous improvement is becoming an essential part of the culture at some higher education institutions, and many are adopting design strategy approaches and the mantra "fail faster" as shorthand for flexibility, learning, and innovation.

Technological Shifts Technological shifts (e.g., the move to cloud computing) have made it possible for CIOs to step away from the technical weeds and build teams and personal skills to focus on business and mission value. By itself, commoditizing IT services could have marginalized the IT organization. But thanks in large part to the explosion of analytics technologies, CIOs have a new super-power: they know how to harness data, predictive analytics, and AI for such core institutional priorities as management decisions, personalized admissions and student support, and research and scholarship. They know what's possible better than most other, or perhaps any other, institutional leaders. Analytics has helped CIOs position themselves strategically.

Additional Resources on the EDUCAUSE Top 10 IT Issues Website :

• An interactive graphic depicting year-to-year trends
• A video summary of the Top 10 IT Issues
• Recommended readings and EDUCAUSE resources for each of the issues
• More subject-matter-specific viewpoints on the Top 10 IT issues
• The Top 10 IT Issues presentation at the EDUCAUSE 2019 Annual Conference
• Preliminary results from the forthcoming EDUCAUSE study on the digital transformation landscape. ↩

Susan Grajek ( [email protected] ) is Vice President, Communities and Research, for EDUCAUSE.

EDUCAUSE Review Special Report (January 27, 2020)

© 2020 Susan Grajek and the 2019–2020 EDUCAUSE IT Issues Panel. The text of this work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License .

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Digital transformation initiatives in higher education institutions: A multivocal literature review

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• Volume 28 , pages 12351–12382, ( 2023 )

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• Beatriz Gómez   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7142-9942 2 ,
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Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are involved in an evolution to a new model of university called digital university . This model implies not only adopting new technologies but also developing an organizational strategic transformation which includes information, processes, human aspects, and more. Because an organization’s digital maturity correlates with the scope of its digital transformation efforts, this study aims to identify digital transformation initiatives (DTI) taken by HEIs, defining the new processes and technologies used to implement them. The main motivation is to have a real and clear vision of how universities are transforming themselves, discovering the most relevant DTI that they have applied and if they are doing it through an integrated plan aligned with a digital strategy, as recommended by experts. We conducted a Multivocal Literature Review, as methodology research, to include both academic and grey literature in the analysis. Main results show that the DTI implemented are primarily focused on providing a quality and competitive education (24% of 184 DTI from 39 different universities analyzed). Emerging technologies most frequently used are advanced analytics (23%), cloud (20%) and artificial intelligence (16% of total DTI). We conclude that HEIs are in the first steps to digital maturity as only 1 in 4 have a digital strategy and 56% have launched isolated DTI that are not integrated in a plan and do not have a high strategic return value to the organization.

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1 Introduction

Higher Education Institutions are involved in an evolution to a new model of university. Cawood ( 2018 ) and Wildan Zulfikar et al. ( 2018 ) describe some of the drivers of change that will shape the university of the future: increasing competition, digital behavior, changes in work, global mobility, democratization of knowledge and access, continuous learning, and removal of boundaries within industries. Similarly, Bloomberg ( 2018 ) and I-SCOOP ( n.d.-b ) include cultural change, customer-centric changes, and overall business-ecosystem changes. Chapco-Wade ( 2018 ) and Prasanna and Choudhury ( 2013 ) point out that this necessity is also influenced by the university customers (students) who, due to the era in which they live, have high digital expectations from the university. So, universities are facing a very competitive environment, and they feel the need to leverage new digital capabilities to stay relevant.

Adopting new technologies is not enough for universities, but it implies a great change because, as stated by McCusker and Babington ( 2015 , p. 2), “it means a strategic transformation which includes information, processes, technologies, human aspects, and much more”. According to Hess et al., ( 2016 , p. 3), digital transformation (DT) “involves changes in an organization’s business model caused by the adoption of emerging digital technologies, which result in changes in organizational structures, its products, or its services”. Therefore, new, and emerging technologies present opportunities to improve and transform the university’s business processes to create value through transforming the use of technology into value by attracting more students and improving student and staff experiences to obtain the anticipated benefits and results.

Given the interest raised in recent years by digital transformation in universities, there are few studies that address this issue and that expressly identify the activities carried out in this area and their level of transformation. Our purpose is to discover how universities began their digital transformation, whether by designing a digital strategy and a plan to achieve it before implementing their digital transformation initiatives, by describing all strategic processes which may be empowered by emerging digital technology (Castro-Benavides et al., 2020 ; Hess et al., 2016 ), or by launching isolated DT initiatives that are not integrated in a plan (Iyengar et al., 2020 ). Given that there is no fixed path to achieving digital maturity, this study aims to identify the first initiatives taken by several universities and HEIs, defining the new processes and technologies used to implement such DT initiatives. To that end, we performed a literature review on digital transformation initiatives adopted by universities and HEIs. We selected a multivocal literature review (MLR) as our research method, which is a systematic literature review (SLR) including both formal academic literature and grey literature (e.g., internal reports, strategies or plans, web pages, blog posts, presentations, etc.) (Garousi et al., 2019 ), because we considered that there is valuable data that may not be in academic articles.

The remainder of the paper is structured as follows: Section  2 presents related work about digital maturity, digital transformation and digitalization applied to universities, followed by Section  3 where we describe the research method used (MLR). In Section  4 , all the results of our literature review are explained. Then, in Section  5 , we present the main results to our research questions, and in Section  6 , we discuss our observations and indicate future research that could be conducted, concluding our study.

2 Increasing the digital maturity of a HEI

The greatest pressure on universities to change comes from today's students who demand a flexible, personalized, and real-time educational experience. University vision must place the student experience at its heart (Hoskins, 2018 ; Yesner, 2020 ). University leaders interviewed in Stokes et al. ( 2019 ) study reinforce the idea that at the core of digital transformation are its customers (students) and that technology is merely the tool (94% of those interviewed think that the most important outcome of digital transformation is improving the student experience and after that, 84% believe in meeting students' demands). Prasanna and Choudhury ( 2013 ) indicate that satisfied students are the best advertisement for a university. Moreover, Spies ( 2017 ) and Seres et al. ( 2018 ) indicate that the goal of digital transformation of higher education is creating new ways of working to deliver services focused on users. Hoskins ( 2018 ) and Kane et al. ( 2017 ) emphasize that a university can be competitive if it leverages technologies to determine the needs and behavior of students, staff, and researchers and to create the best experience for them.

Accordingly, digital transformation is an organization shift on all levels (Grajek, 2020 ; Orellana et al., 2019 ), a creation of a new business model (Powell et al., 2015 ), a redefinition of the whole business model (Berman, 2012 ; CISCO, n.d. ), a new business model driven by the changes (Minina & Mabrouk, 2019 ; Wildan Zulfikar et al., 2018 ). The result of the digital transformation is to enable new processes (Grajek, 2020 ; Orellana et al., 2019 ; Powell et al., 2015 ), to offer a product or service with new features (Limani et al., 2019 ), through smart integration of digital technologies, processes and competences (I-SCOOP, n.d.-b ) and a cultural, organizational, and operational change of an organization (Grajek, 2020 ; I-SCOOP, n.d.-b ; Orellana et al., 2019 ). The goal is to achieve value proposition, beyond technology (Grajek, 2020 ; Kane et al., 2015 ; Orellana et al., 2019 ), a strategic manner to impact the society adding value to stakeholders (Berman, 2012 ; CISCO, n.d. ), transforming in a strategic way (I-SCOOP, n.d.-b ). Schallmo and Williams ( 2018 ) reviewed digital transformation definitions used in literature and, regardless of the different terms used, we can define digital transformation in a few words as the process of creating a new strategic business model for the organization, using the latest digital technologies, adding high value for all stakeholders.

Digital transformation usually requires a digital strategy that may include several digitalization projects (i-SCOOP, n.d. ; Muro et al., 2017 ). Digitalization is related to the improvement of business operations (functions, models, processes, activities) or the creation of new revenue streams using digital technologies and data (Chapco-Wade, 2018 ; i-SCOOP, n.d. ; Muro et al., 2017 ). In fact, Limani et al. ( 2019 ) and Muro et al. ( 2017 ) claim that at the heart of digitalization is the change in people's jobs through the implementation of digital technologies. In contrast to digital transformation, digitalization is focused on technology as support of the efficient business process. Kane et al. ( 2015 , p. 12) explain that “a digitalization project like automation of processes or training workers to use computers may improve the processes, being faster and more efficient”. Similarly, Bloomberg ( 2018 , p. 6) concludes that “digitalization is about technology while digital transformation is about the customer”. According to Herri et al. ( 2019 ), digitalization requires continuous changes while McCusker and Babington ( 2015 ) and Faria and Nóvoa ( 2017 ) state that a digital transformation strategy is more comprehensive, considering interactions with clients, competitors, and suppliers. Furthermore, digital transformation is a broader concept that includes all aspects of the business, as well as many bridges that are built related to data, processes technology, information, human aspects, and much more (I-SCOOP, n.d.-a ).

Instead of digital transformation, Kane ( 2017 , p. 223) prefers to express it as “digital maturity” or the “ability to respond to the emerging digital competitive environment in an appropriate manner”, noting also that the “response is generally learned rather than instinctive”. Brown ( 2018 , p. 12) claims that “digital maturity doesn’t necessarily mean the organization will have all the answers to all digital things, but it does mean that the people within the organization will have the skills and the tools to find those answers quickly and act upon the business needs of the organization rather than just talk about the digital needs”. Thus, reaching digital maturity is a gradual process that unfolds across the organization over time, and no organization can become digitally mature overnight, either. There are different digital developmental stages throughout an organization. Even though different companies may be at different stages of digital maturity, there are always ways that they can continue to grow and adapt to become more digitally mature. It is never too late to begin becoming more digitally mature, and the process is never complete. Kane et al. ( 2017 , p. 6) propose that “achieving digital maturity is an ongoing process; technology shifts and advancements, new business models, and changing market demands will continue to push companies to evolve and grow”, while Brown ( 2018 , p. 2) claims that “you want to fundamentally do things differently using technology. That’s what digital maturity is”.

Leaders in digitally maturing organizations understand that they should take a long view, because the end point of digital change is continually being updated. They should craft strategies that account for what is on the horizon and make the objectives real through technology and processes innovations. D’Antonio ( n.d. , p. 3) claims that “the path to digital maturity consists of two interweaving processes: the first one is about achieving digital performance, while the second involves the conversion of the organization’s DNA. Characteristics, performance, and essence are necessary for a sustainable digital future”. Therefore, if “digitalization used to be an indicator of business maturity fostering competitive advantage”, then “digital maturity is becoming nowadays a criterion of business health” (Grealou, 2020 , p. 7). Thus, “assessing the maturity of the digital initiatives help to understand where the organization overall stands in its industry’s competitive landscape, and to understand how to address shortcomings” (Kane et al., 2017 , p. 9).

Assessing IT use maturity at HEIs becomes useful and necessary for two main reasons (Đurek et al., 2018 , p. 5): “it can determine how digitally mature a university is based on how ready it is for different IT challenges” and it “can determine what IT areas and fields need improvement”. There are many frameworks for measuring digital maturity in other industries, (e.g., Iyengar et al., 2020 ; Kane et al., 2017 ), but very few for HEIs (Doneva et al., 2019 ; Duarte & Martins, 2011 ; Đurek et al., 2017 ; Molina-Carmona et al., 2019 ; South Australian Government, 2015 ). Furthermore, Molina-Carmona et al. ( 2019 ) propose that digital maturity is a continuous process that grow with the contribution of each digitalization (that could be a digital management or innovation initiative), IT governance and digital transformation initiatives (Fig.  1 ).

Digital Maturity Model for Universities (md4u) grid (Molina-Carmona et al., 2019 )

We can then summarize that the digital maturity (DM) of a HEI will grow by adding the implementation of: a) digitalization initiatives (DI), which are technology-driven initiatives whose purpose is to optimize a business operation to achieve a specific benefit, mainly related to cost reduction, or to make processes faster and more efficient; b) IT governance best practices (ITGI), whose goal is to support better strategic decision-making about IT; and c) digital transformation initiatives (DTIs), which are business-driven initiatives whose purpose is to create new business processes that require overall strategic organizational change, using the latest digital technologies, and adding high value to all stakeholders. If HEIs want to increase their digital maturity, they should work in all these areas, but if they want to accelerate their digital maturity, they should invest its efforts in DTIs. Thus, according to Gurumurthy and Schatsky ( 2019 , p. 11), “an organization’s digital maturity correlates with the scope of its digital transformation efforts” and “organizations that are more digitally mature are deriving greater benefit from digital transformation efforts […]. In other words, the more comprehensive and coordinated an organization’s digital transformation efforts are, the more likely it is to be digitally mature”.

Thus, in this paper we analyzed DTIs launched by HEIs to discover whether they are increasing their digital maturity to be as competitive as they need. We focused on whether HEIs defined a digital strategy in advance to be used as a reference to align their implemented DTIs, whether they designed a plan that integrates all the DTIs or they are isolated initiatives, what processes have been digitally transformed first and more frequently by universities, which are the most widely used technologies used by DTIs to implement new processes, and which are the most widely used technologies that have been used to implement each new process.

3 Research questions

To achieve our objectives, we formulated five research questions (Table 1 ).

In this study, by answering these research questions, we aim to determine the digital transformation level of HEIs, contributing to the awareness of universities and their leaders about the importance of digital transformation and inspiring their leaders to increase the digital maturity. Also, researchers can use the results of this paper to understand where HEIs are in relation to other sectors in the implementation of digital transformation initiatives.

4 Methodology

We conducted a Multivocal Literature Review (MLR) (Garousi et al., 2019 ), which consists of a careful study of the academic literature, similar to a SLR (Kitchenham, 2004 ; Tocto-Cano et al., 2020 ), but including grey literature too. We considered grey literature in answering our research questions to provide a greater volume and quality of evidence, including white papers sources, blogs, web pages, university documents published on their websites, university news, etc. as recommended by Garousi et al. ( 2019 ). Higher Education Institutions barely published in scientific journals their DTI, they prefer to write white papers or publish their digital transformation success cases at websites. So, if we want to discover the real situation of digital transformation in HEIs, we have to analyze both scientific publications and grey knowledge. To the best of our knowledge, there is no previous MLR for this issue.

To perform our MLR, we followed the model proposed by Garousi et al. ( 2019 ) (Fig.  2 ).

Research methodology phases from Garousi et al. ( 2019 )

We searched grey literature using the Google search engine and the EDUCAUSE web page specifically, while we searched for academic literature in well-known databases, i.e., Semantic Scholar, ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, and Springer. The search strings were formulated to find the related literature according to our research questions; they were: “digital transformation” OR “digital disruption” OR “digital innovation” OR “disruptive technology” OR “innovative services” OR “teaching innovation” OR “business process transformation” AND “university” OR “higher education”.

Using the abovementioned keywords, more than 5000 scientific and grey literature articles were available, but we narrowed the search to the period 2015–2020 because, according to Castro-Benavides et al. ( 2020 ), the number of papers on digital transformation in HEIs has increased significantly from 2016, but we also found significant digital transformation initiatives published in 2015. We selected the relevant literature based on the following criteria:

Inclusion criteria: articles published between 2015 and 2020 which gave us information on DT initiatives using the latest emerging IT, that contain the above mentioned search strings, describing digital transformation practices at universities and showing the digital strategy of the university.

Exclusion criteria: articles showing digitalization proposals for universities or those that use the term digital transformation but where the initiative described corresponds to digitalization.

The number of articles found using the scientific databases was around 1500; after removing duplicates, around 1200 articles were left. We then went through selection, reading only the abstracts of the articles and considering the keywords and inclusion/exclusion criteria and selected only 120 articles. Reading each of these articles and considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria resulted in 24 academic articles (Fig.  3 ). In the case of the grey literature, we found around 2500 documents and publications; after removing duplicates and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, only 61 were relevant to our study.

Literature distribution depending on the source (scientific or gray)

Figure  4 shows the distribution of the literature from 2015 onwards. Beside 22 articles shown at the figure there are two more that were published before 2015 and beside 45 grey references at the figure there are 16 grey literature articles for which we do not have information about the year of publication.

Literature distribution from 2015 included in this research

Out of the 24 sources from the formal literature and the 61 sources from the grey literature, we analyzed around 90 universities, found more than 300 IT initiatives, and selected a total of 184 DT initiatives from 39 different universities (Fig.  5 ) by applying the following criteria:

We did not select initiatives that through technology optimize existing processes and initiatives that are focused only on technology, because we do not consider them as digital transformation initiatives, but digitalization initiatives.

We included as digital transformation initiatives those that use IT to create new processes, that return a high and strategic value to the university and that consider broader aspects like data, processes, people, etc.

Number of DTI and HEI analyzed in this study

Molina-Carmona et al. ( 2019 ) proposed a framework called Digital Maturity for Universities (md4u) that supports the evaluation of the digital maturity of a university in practice. The first level of this framework consists of 7 IT-related strategic challenges that any university should consider increasing its digital maturity and improving its strategic processes. These challenges have been validated by a group of 67 governing body members (half of them Rectors/Presidents and the rest Vice-rectors and CIOs). Thus, we identified DTIs that have created new processes aiming to achieve any of the following strategic challenges:

Extend digital skills and culture among the university community.

Optimize information security and maintain business continuity.

Be competitive thanks to the high quality of services.

Offer high quality and competitive education.

Satisfy emergent demands of customers (students).

Have information and knowledge for optimal decision-making.

Achieve the strategic objectives of the university (vision).

After analyzing the selected academic and grey literature, aiming to answer our research questions, we identified digital transformation initiatives developed in HEIs addressed to achieve the above-mentioned strategic challenges. We studied their integration into digital strategies and plans, and determined the most widely used emerging technologies, both those included in DTIs and those to implement new processes.

5.1 Main digital transformation initiatives in HEIs

Many businesses are considering digital transformation as an increasingly important step in their success and survival. Higher education institutions also seek to increase their success and gain an advantage over their competitors. Most of the leaders interviewed in Stokes et al. ( 2019 ) study feel threatened by universities that seek to grow their market (77%) and those that seek to enter their geographic area (55%). For this reason, they aim to transform their business models through technology. Organizations need to understand that digital transformation is a relative process and must be tailored specifically to each organization because essentially digital transformation is related to the people and the structure of the organization (Rogers, 2016 ). Because there is no fixed path, this study aims to identify first successful DTIs taken by 39 HEIs around the world and group them by the 7 challenges (Fig.  6 ) presented in the md4u model (Fig.  1 ).

184 DTIs found in universities grouped by challenges of md4u

Results show that universities are mainly focused on providing quality and competitive education (44 DTIs, i.e., 24% of the total initiatives). The main goal of universities is education and undertaking initiatives toward digital transformation and creating new strategic processes in this direction is a returned value for universities, therefore results are in line with our expectations. There are several models of universities of the future, classified by different sources, and results show an almost uniform distribution of strategic initiatives undertaken towards these models, where life-long learning leads them.

Provision of quality services, information security and knowledge-based decision-making grouped around 15% of the initiatives each. Universities are considered a complex business and transforming them strategically should include every aspect of this business.

It was expected that there would be fewer initiatives related to improving digital skills and spreading the culture of digital transformation in the community (only 9% of the initiatives). Human behavior is considered as one of the most difficult challenges in any business and the results related to universities confirm this as well.

Digital transformation is mainly about getting a 360º vision of your customer (students) and trying to create new processes to satisfy their emerging demands , but results show that only 13.5% of the initiatives have been implemented to achieve this goal. It also seems that there are only few initiatives (6% of them) related to achieving the vision of universities . This result shows that initiatives tend to be isolated and with no alignment with the university strategy.

Below, we explain in detail the extended processes created by DTIs at universities. The extended processes are categorized according the seven challenges of the md4u framework, and for each one we explain why this process has strategic value for the university.

5.1.1 Achieve the strategic objectives of the university (vision)

According to our first research question, regarding whether there is an IT strategy defined at the university, we have discovered (Fig.  7a ) that 9 universities (23% of the total analyzed) has developed an IT strategy (digital transformation strategy, disruptive innovation strategy, a business strategy that includes digital strategy, or something similar). This means that most of the universities (3 out of 4) have launched their DT initiatives without aligning them with a global business strategy and this could increase the risk of wasting investments on the wrong projects that do not help to return strategic value to the institution.

Percentage of universities with a) a digital strategy b) a plan with DTIs integrated

Regarding our second research question, we have discovered (Fig.  7b ) that 17 universities (44% of the total analyzed) based their DT initiatives on a previously designed IT strategy plan. We can highlight that all the universities that have an IT strategy, have an IT plan, so they are included in this category. The rest (56%) are isolated initiatives launched unrelated to a digital strategy or plan, so they do not impact the whole organization and only provide value for a specific department or service.

Of the total DTIs found, 6% aim to address the first challenge and are divided as shown in Fig.  8 :

Deliver knowledge to solve the challenges of today (45%) . Some of the universities we are referring to aim to provide students with the necessary real knowledge that can be used to solve society's problems. We included universities which have taken initiatives such as providing work-integrated learning as well as intensive research development related to the real challenges of society and in line with the innovation requirements of the economy (Harvard University, 2015 , 2018 ; Queensland University of Technology, 2016 ; University of York, n.d. ). University of York ( 2018 ) also aims to be a leader in knowledge creation through applied research in society, while Hogskolen I Oslo Og Akershus ( 2018 ) aims to make research transparent and verifiable by linking it to the analysis of large volumes of data. Besides, King’s College London ( n.d. ) has also taken initiatives not only for quality and impactful research but also for creating collaborations that can be turned into insights or solutions to national challenges and more.

Leverage the power of technology to offer a quality experience (36%) . Several universities associate their vision with providing a quality experience for students, researchers, and lecturers. To be leaders in this direction Harvard University ( 2015 ) and University of Auckland ( 2020 ) base decision-making on data, placing the student experience at the heart of this process, while University of Leicester ( 2018 ) and Bath Spa University ( 2020 ) place technology at the heart of everything to provide innovative research and education. University of Auckland ( 2020 ) also includes in its vision the creation of connected experiences and therefore offers shared solutions for data and services and collaborations inside and outside the university.

Broaden the student base (18%) . Other universities aim to create an educational environment that includes students of all ages, wherever they are. To achieve this, these universities have created special programs that provide flexibility and accessibility while providing data security (Athabasca University, 2018 ; Lawrence, 2020 ).

DTIs found relating to the challenge achieve the strategic objectives of the university (vision)

5.1.2 Offer high quality and competitive education

According to Spies ( 2017 ), HEI leaders who were interviewed see competitive education as a key point of their digital transformation. Offering new forms of quality and competitive education, which improves the student experience, is the challenge where universities are taking more initiatives, a 25% of the total.

We have classified these initiatives as follows (Fig.  9 ):

Offer lifelong learning (30%) . Universities expand their market and services and become more competitive against competitors or education providers by having continuous learners. Of the universities interviewed by Stokes et al. ( 2019 ), 59% answered that the trend that will impact their institution is a decline in students in the traditional age range and an increase in non-traditional student population (working adults, degree completers).

The former president of Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University (Minina & Mabrouk, 2019 ) emphasizes that their challenge is to attract non-traditional students and it seems that most of the universities interviewed feel somewhat confident in their ability to respond to this market trend. Thus, universities have created programs adjusted for new target groups such as professionals with work experience who have completed higher education, practitioners without qualifications but with experience from practice, or persons who are not supported by traditional education (e.g., those who have not finished a higher school or who do not meet the criteria to study a program). The courses are offered in different forms as short programs for mixed groups or in the form of microprograms or nanodegrees (Athabasca University, 2018 ; Dunagan, 2017 ; KU Leuven, 2021 ; Minina & Mabrouk, 2019 ; Ministry of Education Malaysia (MoE), 2015 ; Northeastern University, n.d. ; Obaid, 2019 ; RMIT University, 2018 ; Sandkuhl & Lehmann, 2017 ; UNIT, 2019 ; University of Auckland, 2020 ; University of New South Wales, 2020 ).

Expand industry collaboration to learning processes (18%) . There is a need to remove the boundary between university and industry and that can be done through collaboration. Collaboration with industry is very strategic, resulting in an improved student experience, providing resources for the university, guaranteeing job opportunities for students and enrolled adults coming to university to upgrade their knowledge, each of beneficial interest to the university.

We found that this collaboration has been developed by funding from industry or its involvement in curriculum design (Dunagan, 2017 ; Ministry of Education Malaysia (MoE), 2015 ; RMIT University, 2018 ), in developing products and services (Minina & Mabrouk, 2019 ; University of Nottingham, 2017 ), research (Lawrence, 2020 ), job offers, and training to skill up, targeting adult learners (Dunagan, 2017 ).

Integrate work experiences into the curriculum (16%) . Universities are increasingly integrating work experiences into their curriculum based on ‘learn by doing’ practice, to bring students closer to the industry to get them ready for the job market. The learning is oriented and responsive to market needs, following industry developments which for university translates to more interested students (Dunagan, 2017 ; Fry & Tinson, 2019 ; King’s College London, n.d. ; Powell et al., 2015 ; Queensland University of Technology, 2016 ; UNIT, 2019 ; University of Northampton, 2017 ).

Offer online learning (16%) . Going online is one of the challenges of universities today, while also being an objective. Offering online courses increases the flexibility to be accessed by students wherever they are and at any time, so many universities offer online courses in combination with one of the above strategies (i.e., offer continuous learning, expand industry collaboration, integrate work experiences into the curriculum) (California State University San Bernardino, 2018 ; Dunagan, 2017 ; Ministry of Education Malaysia (MoE), 2015 ; Powell et al., 2015 ; Queensland University of Technology, 2016 ; Sandkuhl & Lehmann, 2017 ; University of Auckland, 2020 ; University of New South Wales, 2020 ).

Offer blended learning (11%) . Blended learning offers the flexibility of online learning, keeping the advantage of greater interaction between students and lecturers, also in combination with one of the above strategies (i.e., offer continuous learning, expand industry collaboration, integrate work experiences into the curriculum) (Dunagan, 2017 ; Fry & Tinson, 2019 ; King’s College London, n.d. ; Queensland University of Technology, 2016 ; University of Northampton, 2017 ).

Create competency-based programs (4.5%) . If teaching is based on competencies rather than contents, the learning can be matched to working skills and the range of interested students will expand since working adults may be interested in upgrading their skills (Dunagan, 2017 ).

Guarantee the authenticity of skills certificates (staff  +  students) (4.5%) University of Leicester ( 2018 ) offers internationally recognized student and staff credentials on skills certificates they have gained in training (such as digital skills), through open badges. This is a returned value for the university since it attracts more students and increases collaboration with other universities or third parties (OECD/European Union, 2019 ).

DTIs found relating to the challenge offer high quality and competitive education

5.1.3 Be competitive thanks to the high quality of services.

Universities aim to improve processes through digital transformation to provide a better experience for users (students, lecturers, researchers, staff, etc.) which is a competitive advantage for the university. Thus, initiatives regarding competitive advantage based on high quality of services represent 17% of the DT initiatives taken by universities.

We classified them as follows (Fig.  10 ):

Provide shared data and services (52%) . Most of the universities are moving towards shared data and services (Athabasca University, 2018 ; California State University San Bernardino, 2018 ; Harvard University, 2015 , 2018 ; King’s College London, n.d. ; Kuzu, 2020 ; Lawrence, 2020 ; Northeastern University, n.d. ; Sandkuhl & Lehmann, 2017 ; SURF, 2018 ; UNIT, 2019 ; University of Auckland, 2020 ; University of Dundee, n.d. ; University of Edimburgh, 2017 ; University of New South Wales, 2020 ; University of Nottingham, 2017 ; University of Wisconsin-Stout, 2018 ; University of York, 2018 ). They have taken this kind of initiative because sharing data and services leaves greater resources for innovation, enables easily accessible and understandable information and services, increases university visibility, and ensures that data is accurate and timely.

Thus, according to UNIT ( 2019 ) and University of Nottingham ( 2017 ), research is moving towards Open Science with publications that can be accessed by everyone, facilitating the work of researchers but also providing transparency and coordination in research. Sharing information and services facilitates data retrieval (Fry & Tinson, 2019 ; University of Dundee, n.d. ); storage and calculations for researchers and administrators (Fry & Tinson, 2019 ; UNIT, 2019 ); facilitates documentation management (Sandkuhl & Lehmann, 2017 ; UNIT, 2019 ); eliminates the need to duplicate service delivery (University of York, 2018 ); and removes administrative boundaries (Fry & Tinson, 2019 ; University of York, 2018 ).

Standardize and automate processes (27%) . Other strategic initiatives are the standardization and automation of services (California State University San Bernardino, 2018 ; Harvard University, 2015 , 2018 ; Ohio University, n.d. ; University of New South Wales, 2020 ). These extended processes add value for universities as researchers, lecturers and administrators will have more free time (Hogskolen I Oslo Og Akershus, 2018 ; University of Dundee, n.d. ; Woods & Lloyd, n.d.), enable the reuse of information (UNIT, 2019 ) and provide value of money (Lawrence, 2020 ).

Create collaboration with industry (21%) . Sharing data and services also enables the establishment of collaborations outside and inside the university with third parties such as industry, local governments, etc., which is another strategic policy of universities because, through them, university can provide resources, high-quality services that maybe cannot provide themselves (Athabasca University, 2018 ; California State University San Bernardino, 2018 ; Harvard University, 2015 ; Northeastern University, n.d. ; University of Auckland, 2020 ).

DTIs found relating to the challenge be competitive thanks to the high quality of services

The results show a considerable number of university DT initiatives to provide high-quality services. Automation, standardization, and shared services improve the productivity and efficiency of the services and user experience, which is a returned value to increase the competitiveness of the university.

5.1.4 Optimize information security and maintain business continuity.

For a higher education institution which is taking steps toward digital transformation, setting processes that work accurately and consistently while providing data security is essential. DT initiatives regarding the optimization of information security and maintenance of business continuity represent 16% of the initiatives found.

We have classified them as follows (Fig.  11 ):

Train staff on changing data storage policies and procedures (28%) . A very important role in data security is given to user awareness. Universities have taken initiatives to raise awareness among staff, researchers, and students about their role in data security; to train them on changing data storage policies and procedures (Harvard University, 2015 , 2018 ; UNIT, 2019 ); and to offer advisory services for data security and protection (Athabasca University, 2018 ; California State University San Bernardino, 2018 ; North Carolina Department of IT, n.d. ; University of Auckland, 2020 ; University of Leicester, 2018 ; University of Wisconsin-Stout, 2018 ; University of York, 2018 ).

Define new security policies (25%) . Increased risk for data and services has led to changes in or additions to security policies to ensure safe, efficient, and cost-effective long-term storage (Athabasca University, 2018 ; SURF, 2018 ; UNIT, 2019 ; University of Leicester, 2018 ; University of York, 2018 ). The policies of some universities also include the implementation of cybersecurity strategies (North Carolina Department of IT, n.d. ; University of Auckland, 2020 ) or strategies to ensure security and an action plan in case of disasters (Harvard University, 2015 , 2018 ).

Offer solutions to share information safely (19%) . Shared solution-based infrastructures minimize risks and allow for resource security; security in identity and access management; resilience; portability; disaster recovery; and business continuity solutions, flexibility, ease of access, and lower costs. They also enable mobility and the creation of sufficient space (Athabasca University, 2018 ; Harvard University, 2018 ; North Carolina Department of IT, n.d. ; UNIT, 2019 ; University of New South Wales, 2020 ; University of Wisconsin-Stout, 2018 ; University of York, 2018 ).

Centralize services and data sources (9.5%) . Centralizing services offer easy accessibility, security, off-site access to services and data, and a single source for digital identity (Faria & Nóvoa, 2017 ; University of Auckland, 2020 ; University of Leicester, 2018 ).

Deploy multifactor authentication (9%). Controlling access to high risk-data is a key element in information security and universities have taken the initiative to deploy multifactor authentication to secure their sensitive data (Delaney, 2019 ; Northeastern University, n.d. ; University of Wisconsin-Stout, 2018 ).

Create collaboration with industry (6%) . In some cases, to manage security independently is difficult for universities, so building partnerships is a strategic decision which is very helpful to design, manage, and continuously improve IT security architecture (Athabasca University, 2018 ; University of Auckland, 2020 ).

Predict potential risks (3%) . Initiatives to predict potential risks have been taken by Athabasca University ( 2018 ).

DTIs found relating to the challenge optimize information security and maintain business continuity

Universities understand that security is a key element that guarantees their business continuity, therefore most of them include security in their strategy. A considerable number of universities have taken strategic initiatives to increase security, not only by exploiting the power of innovative technology, but also by giving an important role to their staff.

5.1.5 Have information and knowledge for optimal decision-making.

One of the three core capabilities to navigate digital transformation is informed decision-making (I-SCOOP, n.d.-a ). Businesses aim to use data intelligently and to turn it into action. Of the total DTIs found, 14% address having information and knowledge for optimal decision-making.

We have divided them as follows (Fig.  12 ):

Offer solutions to collect, report and analyze data from different sources (77%) . A great number of higher education institutions are taking initiatives to build an informed decision-making system: using data to adapt the products and services to the preferences of the students and staff (Athabasca University, 2018 ; Bath Spa University, 2020 ; Grealou, 2020 ; Minina & Mabrouk, 2019 ; University of St. Thomas, n.d. ); using data to make decisions about study programs (Hogskolen I Oslo Og Akershus, 2018 ); using data to offer better educational experiences and services for students, researchers, and staff (Delaney, 2019 ; Harvard University, 2015 ; Ohio University, n.d. ; University of Leicester, 2018 ; University of Nottingham, 2017 ; University of York, 2018 ; Woods & Lloyd, n.d. ); to optimize the infrastructure and resources (Johnson, 2016 ); and to plan resource allocation (King’s College London, n.d. ). Also, they are collecting and analyzing big data volumes and are using them for different purposes (Faria & Nóvoa, 2017 ; Spies, 2017 ; UNIT, 2019 ; University of Dundee, n.d. ; University of Edimburgh, 2017 ).

Create a single source for data collecting (14%) . In higher education institutions, volumes of data and data sources are growing very fast, so collecting and managing the data is a challenge, but is a critical and essential process to succeed in any digital transformation strategy (I-SCOOP, n.d.-a ). Universities have thus taken initiatives to create data collection systems. HEIs are creating shared data sources to reduce the possibility of duplication while providing accurate and real-time data for decision-making (SURF, 2018 ; UNIT, 2019 ; University of Dundee, n.d. ). They are also taking initiatives to offer capabilities for collecting and reporting that are friendly to everyone because accurate and timely reporting of data increases the speed and accuracy of data-based decision-making (Athabasca University, 2018 ; University of Edimburgh, 2017 ).

Spread knowledge culture (9%) . In this process, building a data-driven culture is essential. HEIs are instilling a data-driven culture, so the decisions at each level of the university are taken based on data (King’s College London, n.d. ; San José State University, n.d. ).

DTIs found relating to the challenge have information and knowledge for optimal decision-making

The results show that a great number of universities are taking initiatives for data-driven decision-making, considering this as the best way to transform their processes. Universities are going toward a data-driven model, based on a knowledge culture and on a single system with a smart core that integrates data from different sources.

5.1.6 Satisfy emergent demands of customers (students).

More than 90% of UK universities (Fry & Tinson, 2019 ) and 94% of HEI leaders (Spies, 2017 ) rank improving student experience as the most important benefit of digital transformation. According to Yesner ( 2020 ), universities’ mission is to enhance the success of its students by offering them a unified experience. However, initiatives regarding customer satisfaction represent only 12% of the total DT initiatives found.

We classified them as follows (Fig.  13 ):

Increase and simplify students’ interaction with staff and coaches (44%) . Automated support has not left behind strategies to increase student communication with coaches and academic staff (Harvard University, 2015 ; Powell et al., 2015 ; Queensland University of Technology, 2016 ; Spies, 2017 ), to support each other through online communities where specific knowledge is disseminated (Delgado-Kloos & Alario-Hoyos, n.d. ; Dunagan, 2017 ; University of New South Wales, 2020 ) or through the implementation of an Intranet (King’s College London, n.d. ; University of Leicester, 2018 ).

Offer continuous self-service (36%) . Universities are being strategic by creating self-service units, not only providing support at any time for students, but also by simplifying, automating, and standardizing processes, freeing up time for staff and students (Athabasca University, 2018 ; California State University San Bernardino, 2018 ; Hogskolen I Oslo Og Akershus, 2018 ; King’s College London, n.d. ; Manchester Metropolitan University, n.d. ; Sandkuhl & Lehmann, 2017 ; Spies, 2017 ; University of Edimburgh, 2017 ; University of York, 2018 ).

Evaluate student potential and offer tailored advice (20%) . Exploit the power of data analytics to support students by assessing their potential and advising them on future studies, courses, or books (California State University San Bernardino, 2018 ; Fry & Tinson, 2019 ; Obaid, 2019 ; University of Auckland, 2020 ; University of Edimburgh, 2017 ).

DTIs found relating to the challenge satisfy emergent demands of customers (students)

The main goal of a digital university seems to be to improve student experience , satisfying their emergent demands. But fewer universities than we might expect (only 12%) are achieving it by offering support to the students through self-service units, which aim to increase and simplify the interaction with students; help them to evaluate their potential; and advise them about future courses.

5.1.7 Extend digital skills and culture among the university community.

People are the most essential part of an organization. The first step of a higher education institution in transforming its business model thus be through the involvement and training of the institution's staff. According to Herri et al. ( 2019 ), a transformation initiative that encounters resistance from those who are part of it may not be successful, as the capacity to adapt to constant change is needed. Queensland University of Technology ( 2016 ) and Lawrence ( 2020 ) believe that the success of digital transformation relies on the success of the cultural transformation. Only 9% of the DT initiatives found address the extension of digital skills and culture among the university community.

According to our findings, we have classified them as follows (Fig.  14 ):

Training to improve digital skills of the community (59%) . Generally, staff have difficulties accepting new ways of working. According to Fry and Tinson ( 2019 ), 70.45% of leaders in UK universities think that the biggest barrier to digital transformation is the culture of the organization, and most of the staff of a university show resistance to transformation and especially to new technologies, thinking that they will be replaced by them. Some universities, for example Athabasca University ( 2018 ), just mention that the staff will be trained in new technologies and new ways of working, but without mentioning how this will be carried out. Others, described below, describe the strategic solution to this problem, faced by most university leaders.

To increase digital capabilities, HEIs are creating spaces for collaboration and real-time interaction and training (Delgado-Kloos & Alario-Hoyos, n.d. ; Obaid, 2019 ; University of Auckland, 2020 ). Besides, Hogskolen I Oslo Og Akershus ( 2018 ) is adapting it to staff needs. Providing guidelines and sharing good practices of upgrading skills are some of the strategies that universities are following to foster a culture of innovation (Queensland University of Technology, 2016 ; UNIT, 2019 ; University of Edimburgh, 2017 ; University of Northampton, 2017 ; University of Wisconsin-Stout, 2018 ).

Increase collaboration between IT and other units (23%). Universities have established the integration of the IT department with other parts of the organization (Harvard University, 2015 ; University of Wisconsin-Stout, 2018 ; University of York, 2018 ; Woods & Lloyd, n.d. ). This way, the role of the IT department shifts from a purely technical role to an advisory one by further disseminating the digital strategy and increasing the demand for customer-focused skills.

Train staff through involvement in new digital initiatives (18%) . Herri et al. ( 2019 ) point out that if leaders have a clear strategic purpose, it is easier to convince staff to understand the importance of each other's contribution to achieving the goals of digital transformation. Likewise, Lawrence ( 2020 ) states that success comes from being credible and showing clear leadership. Therefore, to spread the digital culture, Kuzu ( 2020 ) claims that involving the staff in the new processes and using emerging technologies more in education make possible an incremental adaptation. Hogskolen I Oslo Og Akershus ( 2018 ) is also following the strategy of trial and error to train staff and spread digital culture.

DTIs found relating to the challenge extend digital skills and culture among the university community

Results show that universities are trying different strategies to deliver digital culture in the community and increase the competences of their staff and students. But a low percentage (only 9%) of DT initiatives are developed to achieve this challenge; universities need to increase the number of initiatives aimed at digital skills and culture to support their digital transformation.

5.2 Emerging technologies most used by digital transformation initiatives.

In the previous sections, we paid attention to identifying new processes that are implemented by digital transformation initiatives of universities, given that the essence of a digital transformation is the creation of a new strategic business model. Digital transformation is based on innovative technologies, so another important aspect is to identify the trends that are being used or that HEIs plan to use to implement DT initiatives.

It should be noted that of 184 DT initiatives that we identified in the previous sections, only 82 have information on the technology used. This is because most of our references deal only with the strategy of the university and do not set out a technological plan.

The most extended technologies found are (Fig.  15 ):

Analytics (used by 23% of the DT initiatives) are used to monitor and track student progress (Queensland University of Technology, 2016 ), to identify different groups of students, and to provide personalized teaching (SURF, 2018 ), experiences, and advice to students and staff (Obaid, 2019 ; University of Auckland, 2020 ). The most important application of analytics is supporting decision-making (Athabasca University, 2018 ; Delaney, 2019 ; Delgado-Kloos & Alario-Hoyos, n.d. ; Faria & Nóvoa, 2017 ; Fry & Tinson, 2019 ; Harvard University, 2015 ; King’s College London, n.d. ; University of New South Wales, 2020 ; University of Northampton, 2017 ; University of Nottingham, 2017 ; University of St. Thomas, n.d. ). They aim to improve the teaching experience and services by improving support for students, staff, and all stakeholders using analytics on different sources of information such as systems, applications, student feedback, lessons learned from projects, and causes of incidents (University of York, 2018 ).

Cloud technologies (used by 20%) are primarily used for two purposes: to provide security as well as access anywhere and anytime (California State University San Bernardino, 2018 ; North Carolina Department of IT, n.d. ; Northeastern University, n.d.; University of New South Wales, 2020 ; University of Wisconsin-Stout, 2018 ; University of York, 2018 ); and for disaster recovery by ensuring business continuity (Athabasca University, 2018 ; Harvard University, 2015 ; Lawrence, 2020 ; North Carolina Department of IT, n.d. ). In challenge 3 we explained that universities are moving towards a model where data and services are shared. This model relies on cloud technologies that enable the centralization of resources (Faria & Nóvoa, 2017 ) and provide data and resource sharing without the need for human intervention, duplication of information, removing administrative boundaries, enabling collaborations, and improving the experience of all stakeholders (King’s College London, n.d. ; University of Auckland, 2020 ).

Artificial intelligence (16%) is also essential in data-driven decisions, creating valuable insights about students or staff and then expanding its value to providing personalized experiences to suit everyone's needs (Fry & Tinson, 2019 ; Obaid, 2019 ; Spies, 2017 ; University of Auckland, 2020 ; University of New South Wales, 2020 ; Woods & Lloyd, n.d. ).

MOOC (10%), Digital Learning Environment (4%) and open badges (1%) are the technologies that universities are using in their DT initiatives to provide online teaching. They are using MOOC to offer disruptive education (Athabasca University, 2018 ; North Carolina Department of IT, n.d. ; Obaid, 2019 ; Powell et al., 2015 ; Sandkuhl & Lehmann, 2017 ; Spies, 2017 ; University of Auckland, 2020 ; University of Leicester, 2018 ; University of New South Wales, 2020 ). Athabasca University ( 2018 ) and University of New South Wales ( 2020 ) also mention using a Digital Learning Environment (an evolution of LMS), while open badges are only mentioned by the OECD ( 2019 ).

Virtual and Augmented Reality (9%) are an emerging trend in education that offer many benefits such as creating digitally enabled learning spaces that offer real-time interaction providing blended learning program (King’s College London, n.d. ; Obaid, 2019 ; Spies, 2017 ; University of Auckland, 2020 ; University of New South Wales, 2020 ).

Chatbots (6%), virtual assistants (5%) and RPA (1%) simplify processes by providing services without the need for human intervention, seamless communication, fast and timely support for students and staff; as well as freeing up time for staff and administrators to deal with more complex problems (California State University San Bernardino, 2018 ; Hogskolen I Oslo Og Akershus, 2018 ; Obaid, 2019 ; Spies, 2017 ; University of York, 2018 ).

Blockchain (4%), which is used to store and distribute information securely (Athabasca University, 2018 ; Spies, 2017 ), and IoT (3%) (Lawrence, 2020 ; Spies, 2017 ) are less commonly used trends in DT initiatives.

Emerging technologies most used by 82 DTIs found

Technologies with the highest percentage of usage are Analytics (23%), Cloud (20%) and Artificial Intelligence (16%). These results can be explained by the fact that these technologies can be used to implement a wide range of strategic processes created by DT initiatives undertaken by universities. A significant proportion of DT initiatives require decision-making which becomes more strategic if it is based on data rather than centralized. Therefore, analytics and artificial intelligence are used for implementing initiatives in many of the seven challenges, such as providing quality services based on the needs and requirements of all university stakeholders (students, staff), providing personalized education, or monitoring progress of students. AI expands the value chain, including tools for scientific research, enabling chatbots, etc. Cloud is also a technology that has a high percentage of usage (20%) because it serves to implement initiatives such as information security and business continuity, to improve collaborations, or to provide better services. Other technologies such as Virtual and Augmented Reality, MOOC or Virtual Assistants are technologies whose usage in education is emerging. However, the percentage of their usage is lower (5%—10%) because they are relatively new technologies and have high cost and limited content. Finally, RPA, DLE, Blockchain, and IoT are the technologies with the lowest percentage of use (1%—4%) because their direct use in education is limited and they have a moderate potential impact.

5.3 Emerging technologies used to implement new processes

In this section, Fig.  16 shows which are the technologies most frequently used by the DT initiatives in the review to implement key processes.

Emerging technologies most used by new processes created by DT initiatives

Data analysis is considered by HEIs as the main process that should be available (17 DTIs, i.e., 9.2% of the total initiatives analyzed); it is implemented using advanced analytics . Another important process is sharing data and services using cloud services (8.7%). The rest are used in far smaller measure: processes relating to learning and CV experience (4.4%) using online and blended learning (MOOC, AR/VR, etc.), increasing and simplifying interaction of the students using artificial intelligence (3.3%), offering continuous self-services (2.7%) implementing c hatbots or smart virtual assistants , and improving digital skills through AR/VR (1%).

6 Discussion

In this paper we analyzed 39 universities and concluded in the following answers to our research questions:

RQ1: Is there a digital strategy defined at the university? and RQ2: Are digital transformation initiatives (DTIs) integrated into a digital plan or are they isolated initiatives?

We conclude that HEIs are in the first steps of their path to digital maturity because we find that only 1 in 4 universities have designed a digital strategy (aligned with a global business strategy). All the universities that have a digital strategy have implemented a digital plan, and 44% of the total have this kind of plan (digital plan, IT strategy plan, digital transformation plan or similar) as a reference to implement DT initiatives. The rest (56%) have launched isolated DT initiatives that are not integrated between themselves and do not have a high strategic return value to the organization. However, these initiatives are a good way to improve knowledge of the potential of emerging technologies, understanding that they achieve a strategic level impact, and then committing to a comprehensive digital transformation plan.

RQ3: In which strategic processes are universities applying digital transformation?

By analyzing the DT initiatives found, we identified new strategic processes created to obtain a high and strategic value for the university and emerging technologies used to implement them. The low percentage of DT initiatives taken (only 6%) for the challenge to achieve the strategic objectives of the university (vision) is a proof that most of the universities are in the first steps toward digital transformation, an experimental phase that uses pilot projects and isolated DT initiatives to discover the real potential of the technology trends. HEI leaders see competitive education as a key point of their digital transformation and are working to offer new forms of quality and competitive education, which improves the student experience. This is the challenge where universities are taking more initiatives (25% of the total), dedicated mainly to: offering lifelong learning, expanding industry collaboration, integrating work experiences into the curriculum, offering online and blended learning, creating competency-based programs, and guaranteeing the authenticity of skills certificates (staff and students). Regarding the challenge of providing high-quality services, DT initiatives that have been implemented (18% of the total analyzed) improve the productivity and efficiency of the services through: providing shared data and services, standardizing, and automating processes, and creating collaboration with industry. Universities understand that information security is a key element that guarantees their business continuity, therefore most of them include security in their strategy. A considerable number of DT initiatives (17%) have been taken to increase security, not only by exploiting the power of innovative technology, but also by giving an important role to the people with regard to training staff on changing data storage policies and procedures, defining new policies about security, offering solutions to share information safely, centralizing services and data sources, deploying multifactor authentication, predicting potential risks and creating collaboration with industry.

One of the three core capabilities to navigate digital transformation is informed decision-making (I-SCOOP, n.d.-a ). University leaders aim to use data intelligently and to turn them into action. Of the DT initiatives found, 14% address having information and knowledge to offer solutions to collect, report and analyze data from different sources; create a single source for data collecting; and spread knowledge culture. Universities are going toward a data-driven model, based on a knowledge culture and on a single system with a smart core that integrates data from different sources. The main goal of a digital university seems to be to improve student experience, satisfying their emergent demands. But fewer DT initiatives than we might expect (only 12%) are achieving it, offering support to the students by increasing and simplifying students’ interaction with staff and coaches, offering continuous self-service, and evaluating student potential and offering tailored advice.

People are the most essential part of an organization; it is thus very important to ensure the involvement and training of the institution's staff. A transformation initiative that encounters resistance from those who are part of it may not be successful, as the capacity to adapt to constant change is needed, but only 9% of the DT initiatives found address the extension of digital skills and culture among the university community, they are dedicated mainly to: training to improve digital skills of community, increasing collaboration between IT and other units, and training staff through involvement in new digital initiatives.

RQ4: Which are the emerging technologies most used by DTIs to implement new processes? and RQ5: Which are the emerging technologies that have been used to implement the main new processes?

In terms of the emerging technologies most used by the 184 DT initiatives analyzed, these are: analytics (23%) and artificial intelligence (16%). These technologies have been used to implement initiatives that require decision-making; to provide quality services based on the needs and requirements of all university stakeholders (students, staff); to provide personalized education; or to monitor progress of students. Cloud technology is also a technology that has a high percentage of usage (20%) because it serves to implement several initiatives, such as information security and business continuity, to improve collaborations or to provide better services. Virtual and Augmented Reality, MOOC or Virtual Assistants are emerging in education and the percentage of their usage is lower (5% - 10%) because they are relatively new technologies and have high cost and limited content. Finally, RPA, DLE, Blockchain, and IoT are the technologies with the lowest percentage of use (1% - 4%) because their direct use in education is limited and they have a moderate potential impact. Offering solutions to analyzed data from different sources using advanced analytics is the process most frequently implemented (17 DTI, which represents 9.2% of the total initiatives analyzed), followed by providing shared data and services using cloud (8.7%).

7 Conclusions

In our study, we analyzed scientific and grey literature about the current state of digital transformation in universities through a multi-vocal literature review. We found 24 scientific articles and 61 grey literature references.

The literature proposes investing efforts in different kinds of initiatives to increase the digital maturity of a university: IT governance, digitalization, and digital transformation initiatives. In recent years, universities have made large and successful investments on digitalization. But to accelerate their digital maturation, they need to launch digital transformation initiatives. An organization’s digital maturity correlates with the scope of its digital transformation efforts, and the more comprehensive and coordinated an organization’s digital transformation efforts are, the more likely it is to be digitally mature (Gurumurthy & Schatsky, 2019 ). So, to accelerate its digital maturity, a HEI should design a digital strategy that commits to digital transformation and develop a plan that integrates all kind of digital initiatives including DT initiatives. All these should be integrated and aligned with the university strategy.

But most of the universities (75%) that we have analyzed does not have a digital strategy, and 56% have launched isolated DT initiatives that are not integrated between themselves and so do not have a high strategic return value to the whole of the organization.

Digital transformation involves the creation of new processes with great and strategic value to the organization. The most important process where universities have applied their DT initiatives (25%) is in improving the quality and offering competitive education, which is the key to attract the students. But they created important processes in relation with services offered (18%), security (17%) and satisfying students demands (12%). The rest of DT initiatives are related to university administration (14% have in focus decision making, 9% to extend the digital skills and culture and 6% to achieve strategic objectives of the university).

Although we tried to involve all universities that have taken initiatives in this regard, there are probably universities that are not included in our study and that could lead to some changes in the results. Not all the universities publish their IT strategic plan and in other cases, we could not access them. Thus, it should be considered as a limitation in our study. The results presented in this paper describe the situation at universities just before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. No doubt the digital situation of universities has changed during the pandemic period, but our contribution could be a good reference for future studies.

Despite these limitations, this study provides some implications for both research on digital transformation and university practice. First, our results should be useful to university leaders in understanding that the digital transformation experiences we presented, and the results of our analysis are so interesting that they can serve as inspiration to begin to increase digital maturity at their HEI and point out the route to continue the process. Second, our results help other researchers to understand how the main goals of the digital transformation proposed in other sectors are implemented or not in HEIs and whether new digital maturity models specific to HEIs can be defined that include the best practices most frequently used. Future analysis can be carried out to understand whether all the changes that have occurred at universities during the pandemic will be consolidated in the future or will be diluted when the health emergency situation is over.

Data availability

Not applicable.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the support of José Céspedes Lorente for his kind review and recommendations to improve the article.

Funding for open access publishing: Universidad de Almería/CBUA. This research was funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency, grant number 585578-EPP-1–2017-1-ES-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP, under the IT Governance for Albanian Universities (ITG4AU) project.

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Antonio Fernández

Departament de Matemàtiques i Informàtica, Escola Politècnica Superior, Universitat de les Illes Balears, 07122, Palma, Illes Balears, Spain

Beatriz Gómez

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Kleona Binjaku & Elinda Kajo Meçe

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Contributions

Conceptualization, AF and EKM; methodology, BG and KB; validation, AF, BG and EKM; formal analysis, AF, KB; investigation, BG and KB; resources, KB and BG; data curation, KB and BG; writing—original draft preparation, KB and BG; writing—review and editing, AF, BG and KB; visualization, AF and EKM; supervision, AF and EKM; project administration, AF; funding acquisition, AF, BG and EKM. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Fernández, A., Gómez, B., Binjaku, K. et al. Digital transformation initiatives in higher education institutions: A multivocal literature review. Educ Inf Technol 28 , 12351–12382 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11544-0

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Accepted : 16 December 2022

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Issue Date : October 2023

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11544-0

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10 Tips For Giving Effective Virtual Presentations

What to know before you go live.

September 26, 2016

Presenting online? Try these suggestions to improve your results. | Illustration by Tricia Seibold

As audiences go global and you need to reach more people through technology (including webinars, conference calls and teleconference), you must consider the challenges to connecting with a virtual audience. Here I pinpoint 10 valuable best practices to ensure you communicate successfully.

1. Be Brief

Audiences begin to lose attention after roughly 10 minutes of hearing from the same presenter. If you have more than 10 minutes of content, use interactive activities to keep your audience engaged (for example, take a poll, give quizzes, or ask audience members for their opinions via chat).

2. Be Simple

Keep slides simple — avoid too many words, graphics and animation features. Less is definitely more!

Light yourself well | Illustration by Tricia Seibold

3. Be a TV Personality

Look straight into your camera, not the screen. Wear clothing that is neutral in color (no plaids or stripes). Light yourself well and from above. Be mindful of what appears behind you in the background. Invest in a good microphone.

4. Be Standing

Even though your audience cannot see you, stand when you present. This allows you to stay focused and use good presentation delivery skills such as belly breathing, vocal variety, and pausing.

5. Be Prepared

Practice delivering your presentation with your technology in advance of your talk. Make sure all of the features of the technology work. Record your practice using the recording feature of your tool. Watch and listen to learn what works and what you can improve.

6. Be Assisted

Have someone available to deal with technical issues and to field email/text questions. Also, if you have multiple remote audience members in one location, be sure to pick one of them to be your “eyes and ears.” Ask them to queue up questions and facilitate discussion on your behalf.

7. Be Specific

Ask pointed questions to avoid too many people answering at once. For example, rather than ask, “Are there any questions?” try “Who has a question about the solution I provided?” Set a ground rule that people state their names prior to speaking.

Imagine your audience | Illustration by Tricia Seibold

8. Be Synchronized

Transitions are critical. You must connect what you just said to what is coming next when you move from point to point. Transitions between topics and slides are good opportunities to get people reengaged to your talk.

9. Be Connected

Imagine your audience even though you can’t see them. You can place pictures of audience members behind your camera so you can look at people as you present.

10. Be Early

Encourage your audience to access your call or webinar in advance of the start time so you can iron out any technical issues in advance and get them familiar with the technology.

Matt Abrahams is a Stanford GSB organizational behavior lecturer, author, and communications coach.

For media inquiries, visit the Newsroom .

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Can we be candid how to communicate clearly and directly, directive speech vs. dialogue: how leaders communicate with clarity, balance, class takeaways — how to run a meeting effectively, editor’s picks.

April 04, 2016 A Big Data Approach to Public Speaking Key takeaways from analyzing 100,000 presentations.

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Blog Beginner Guides How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

How To Make a Good Presentation [A Complete Guide]

Written by: Krystle Wong Jul 20, 2023

A top-notch presentation possesses the power to drive action. From winning stakeholders over and conveying a powerful message to securing funding — your secret weapon lies within the realm of creating an effective presentation .  

Being an excellent presenter isn’t confined to the boardroom. Whether you’re delivering a presentation at work, pursuing an academic career, involved in a non-profit organization or even a student, nailing the presentation game is a game-changer.

In this article, I’ll cover the top qualities of compelling presentations and walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to give a good presentation. Here’s a little tip to kick things off: for a headstart, check out Venngage’s collection of free presentation templates . They are fully customizable, and the best part is you don’t need professional design skills to make them shine!

These valuable presentation tips cater to individuals from diverse professional backgrounds, encompassing business professionals, sales and marketing teams, educators, trainers, students, researchers, non-profit organizations, public speakers and presenters. 

No matter your field or role, these tips for presenting will equip you with the skills to deliver effective presentations that leave a lasting impression on any audience.

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 10 qualities of a good presentation?

Step-by-step guide on how to prepare an effective presentation, 9 effective techniques to deliver a memorable presentation, faqs on making a good presentation, how to create a presentation with venngage in 5 steps.

When it comes to giving an engaging presentation that leaves a lasting impression, it’s not just about the content — it’s also about how you deliver it. Wondering what makes a good presentation? Well, the best presentations I’ve seen consistently exhibit these 10 qualities:

1. Clear structure

No one likes to get lost in a maze of information. Organize your thoughts into a logical flow, complete with an introduction, main points and a solid conclusion. A structured presentation helps your audience follow along effortlessly, leaving them with a sense of satisfaction at the end.

Regardless of your presentation style , a quality presentation starts with a clear roadmap. Browse through Venngage’s template library and select a presentation template that aligns with your content and presentation goals. Here’s a good presentation example template with a logical layout that includes sections for the introduction, main points, supporting information and a conclusion: 

2. Engaging opening

Hook your audience right from the start with an attention-grabbing statement, a fascinating question or maybe even a captivating anecdote. Set the stage for a killer presentation!

The opening moments of your presentation hold immense power – check out these 15 ways to start a presentation to set the stage and captivate your audience.

3. Relevant content

Make sure your content aligns with their interests and needs. Your audience is there for a reason, and that’s to get valuable insights. Avoid fluff and get straight to the point, your audience will be genuinely excited.

4. Effective visual aids

Picture this: a slide with walls of text and tiny charts, yawn! Visual aids should be just that—aiding your presentation. Opt for clear and visually appealing slides, engaging images and informative charts that add value and help reinforce your message.

With Venngage, visualizing data takes no effort at all. You can import data from CSV or Google Sheets seamlessly and create stunning charts, graphs and icon stories effortlessly to showcase your data in a captivating and impactful way.

5. Clear and concise communication

Keep your language simple, and avoid jargon or complicated terms. Communicate your ideas clearly, so your audience can easily grasp and retain the information being conveyed. This can prevent confusion and enhance the overall effectiveness of the message. 

6. Engaging delivery

Spice up your presentation with a sprinkle of enthusiasm! Maintain eye contact, use expressive gestures and vary your tone of voice to keep your audience glued to the edge of their seats. A touch of charisma goes a long way!

7. Interaction and audience engagement

Turn your presentation into an interactive experience — encourage questions, foster discussions and maybe even throw in a fun activity. Engaged audiences are more likely to remember and embrace your message.

Transform your slides into an interactive presentation with Venngage’s dynamic features like pop-ups, clickable icons and animated elements. Engage your audience with interactive content that lets them explore and interact with your presentation for a truly immersive experience.

8. Effective storytelling

Who doesn’t love a good story? Weaving relevant anecdotes, case studies or even a personal story into your presentation can captivate your audience and create a lasting impact. Stories build connections and make your message memorable.

A great presentation background is also essential as it sets the tone, creates visual interest and reinforces your message. Enhance the overall aesthetics of your presentation with these 15 presentation background examples and captivate your audience’s attention.

9. Well-timed pacing

Pace your presentation thoughtfully with well-designed presentation slides, neither rushing through nor dragging it out. Respect your audience’s time and ensure you cover all the essential points without losing their interest.

10. Strong conclusion

Last impressions linger! Summarize your main points and leave your audience with a clear takeaway. End your presentation with a bang , a call to action or an inspiring thought that resonates long after the conclusion.

In-person presentations aside, acing a virtual presentation is of paramount importance in today’s digital world. Check out this guide to learn how you can adapt your in-person presentations into virtual presentations . 

Preparing an effective presentation starts with laying a strong foundation that goes beyond just creating slides and notes. One of the quickest and best ways to make a presentation would be with the help of a good presentation software . 

Otherwise, let me walk you to how to prepare for a presentation step by step and unlock the secrets of crafting a professional presentation that sets you apart.

1. Understand the audience and their needs

Before you dive into preparing your masterpiece, take a moment to get to know your target audience. Tailor your presentation to meet their needs and expectations , and you’ll have them hooked from the start!

2. Conduct thorough research on the topic

Time to hit the books (or the internet)! Don’t skimp on the research with your presentation materials — dive deep into the subject matter and gather valuable insights . The more you know, the more confident you’ll feel in delivering your presentation.

3. Organize the content with a clear structure

No one wants to stumble through a chaotic mess of information. Outline your presentation with a clear and logical flow. Start with a captivating introduction, follow up with main points that build on each other and wrap it up with a powerful conclusion that leaves a lasting impression.

Delivering an effective business presentation hinges on captivating your audience, and Venngage’s professionally designed business presentation templates are tailor-made for this purpose. With thoughtfully structured layouts, these templates enhance your message’s clarity and coherence, ensuring a memorable and engaging experience for your audience members.

Don’t want to build your presentation layout from scratch? pick from these 5 foolproof presentation layout ideas that won’t go wrong. 

4. Develop visually appealing and supportive visual aids

Spice up your presentation with eye-catching visuals! Create slides that complement your message, not overshadow it. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, but that doesn’t mean you need to overload your slides with text.

Well-chosen designs create a cohesive and professional look, capturing your audience’s attention and enhancing the overall effectiveness of your message. Here’s a list of carefully curated PowerPoint presentation templates and great background graphics that will significantly influence the visual appeal and engagement of your presentation.

5. Practice, practice and practice

Practice makes perfect — rehearse your presentation and arrive early to your presentation to help overcome stage fright. Familiarity with your material will boost your presentation skills and help you handle curveballs with ease.

6. Seek feedback and make necessary adjustments

Don’t be afraid to ask for help and seek feedback from friends and colleagues. Constructive criticism can help you identify blind spots and fine-tune your presentation to perfection.

With Venngage’s real-time collaboration feature , receiving feedback and editing your presentation is a seamless process. Group members can access and work on the presentation simultaneously and edit content side by side in real-time. Changes will be reflected immediately to the entire team, promoting seamless teamwork.

7. Prepare for potential technical or logistical issues

Prepare for the unexpected by checking your equipment, internet connection and any other potential hiccups. If you’re worried that you’ll miss out on any important points, you could always have note cards prepared. Remember to remain focused and rehearse potential answers to anticipated questions.

8. Fine-tune and polish your presentation

As the big day approaches, give your presentation one last shine. Review your talking points, practice how to present a presentation and make any final tweaks. Deep breaths — you’re on the brink of delivering a successful presentation!

In competitive environments, persuasive presentations set individuals and organizations apart. To brush up on your presentation skills, read these guides on how to make a persuasive presentation and tips to presenting effectively . 

Whether you’re an experienced presenter or a novice, the right techniques will let your presentation skills soar to new heights!

From public speaking hacks to interactive elements and storytelling prowess, these 9 effective presentation techniques will empower you to leave a lasting impression on your audience and make your presentations unforgettable.

1. Confidence and positive body language

Positive body language instantly captivates your audience, making them believe in your message as much as you do. Strengthen your stage presence and own that stage like it’s your second home! Stand tall, shoulders back and exude confidence. 

2. Eye contact with the audience

Break down that invisible barrier and connect with your audience through their eyes. Maintaining eye contact when giving a presentation builds trust and shows that you’re present and engaged with them.

3. Effective use of hand gestures and movement

A little movement goes a long way! Emphasize key points with purposeful gestures and don’t be afraid to walk around the stage. Your energy will be contagious!

4. Utilize storytelling techniques

Weave the magic of storytelling into your presentation. Share relatable anecdotes, inspiring success stories or even personal experiences that tug at the heartstrings of your audience. Adjust your pitch, pace and volume to match the emotions and intensity of the story. Varying your speaking voice adds depth and enhances your stage presence.

5. Incorporate multimedia elements

Spice up your presentation with a dash of visual pizzazz! Use slides, images and video clips to add depth and clarity to your message. Just remember, less is more—don’t overwhelm them with information overload. 

Turn your presentations into an interactive party! Involve your audience with questions, polls or group activities. When they actively participate, they become invested in your presentation’s success. Bring your design to life with animated elements. Venngage allows you to apply animations to icons, images and text to create dynamic and engaging visual content.

6. Utilize humor strategically

Laughter is the best medicine—and a fantastic presentation enhancer! A well-placed joke or lighthearted moment can break the ice and create a warm atmosphere , making your audience more receptive to your message.

7. Practice active listening and respond to feedback

Be attentive to your audience’s reactions and feedback. If they have questions or concerns, address them with genuine interest and respect. Your responsiveness builds rapport and shows that you genuinely care about their experience.

8. Apply the 10-20-30 rule

Apply the 10-20-30 presentation rule and keep it short, sweet and impactful! Stick to ten slides, deliver your presentation within 20 minutes and use a 30-point font to ensure clarity and focus. Less is more, and your audience will thank you for it!

9. Implement the 5-5-5 rule

Simplicity is key. Limit each slide to five bullet points, with only five words per bullet point and allow each slide to remain visible for about five seconds. This rule keeps your presentation concise and prevents information overload.

Simple presentations are more engaging because they are easier to follow. Summarize your presentations and keep them simple with Venngage’s gallery of simple presentation templates and ensure that your message is delivered effectively across your audience.

1. How to start a presentation?

To kick off your presentation effectively, begin with an attention-grabbing statement or a powerful quote. Introduce yourself, establish credibility and clearly state the purpose and relevance of your presentation.

2. How to end a presentation?

For a strong conclusion, summarize your talking points and key takeaways. End with a compelling call to action or a thought-provoking question and remember to thank your audience and invite any final questions or interactions.

3. How to make a presentation interactive?

To make your presentation interactive, encourage questions and discussion throughout your talk. Utilize multimedia elements like videos or images and consider including polls, quizzes or group activities to actively involve your audience.

In need of inspiration for your next presentation? I’ve got your back! Pick from these 120+ presentation ideas, topics and examples to get started. 

Creating a stunning presentation with Venngage is a breeze with our user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and professionally designed templates for all your communication needs. 

Here’s how to make a presentation in just 5 simple steps with the help of Venngage:

Step 1: Sign up for Venngage for free using your email, Gmail or Facebook account or simply log in to access your account. 

Step 2: Pick a design from our selection of free presentation templates (they’re all created by our expert in-house designers).

Step 3: Make the template your own by customizing it to fit your content and branding. With Venngage’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor, you can easily modify text, change colors and adjust the layout to create a unique and eye-catching design.

Step 4: Elevate your presentation by incorporating captivating visuals. You can upload your images or choose from Venngage’s vast library of high-quality photos, icons and illustrations. 

Step 5: Upgrade to a premium or business account to export your presentation in PDF and print it for in-person presentations or share it digitally for free!

By following these five simple steps, you’ll have a professionally designed and visually engaging presentation ready in no time. With Venngage’s user-friendly platform, your presentation is sure to make a lasting impression. So, let your creativity flow and get ready to shine in your next presentation!

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strategies, techniques, and tools for strong slide design, and maximum presentation quality.

Prior to delivering a talk, it is important to prepare and set yourself up for success with a strong slide deck. Depending on the nature of your presentation, the type of speaking engagement, your institution, and other factors and considerations, there are different kinds of approaches and priorities when it comes to slide design. This section includes some tips that will assist you with designing your slides to prepare for your presentation.

Slides drive home the main ideas of your research and play an important role to deliver a strong presentation. After reviewing the Fundamentals of Slide Design , use these resources to create and assess your slides to ensure that you have considered and included important components that make for an effective presentation.

Qualities of Strong Slide Design

Use this self-assessment checklist to design and review your slides. Check all boxes that incorporate key qualities of strong slide design. In addition to focusing on the style, typography, and layout, consider thinking about your use of visuals and color along with other elements to enhance the design of your slides.

Checklist for

Assertion-evidence slides.

The assertion-evidence slide structure is one effective technique to designing effective slides. In conjunction with the webinar on “Better Than Bullets: Transforming Slide Design” by Melissa Marshall, this checklist was developed as a resource for assertion-evidence slides but can be applied more generally to other types of slide designs. Consider the style, typography, and layout of your slides and what it might look like to incorporate these elements with an assertion-evidence slide structure in mind.

Research Presentation Rubric

The format of research presentations can vary across and within disciplines. Use this rubric to identify and assess elements of research presentations, including delivery strategies and slide design. This resource focuses on research presentations but may be useful beyond. 

Templates and Examples for

Check out tips, templates, layout suggestions, and other examples of assertion-evidence slides on  Rethinking Presentations in Science and Engineering by Michael Alley, MS, MFA, from Pennsylvania State University. Download the Assertion Evidence Presention template for Microsoft PowerPoint.

Additional Resources

Create and deliver standout technical presentations, present your science.

Melissa Marshall’s website explores how speakers can transform the way they present their research.

"The Craft of Scientific Presentations: Critical Steps to Succeed and Critical Errors to Avoid" book by Michael Alley

By distinguishing what makes a presenter successful, this book aims to improve your presentation skills.

Want to learn more about how to strengthen your presentation skills?

Visit the delivery authentically page for more information.

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Making better powerpoint presentations.

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Baddeley and Hitch’s model of working memory.

Research about student preferences for powerpoint, resources for making better powerpoint presentations, bibliography.

We have all experienced the pain of a bad PowerPoint presentation. And even though we promise ourselves never to make the same mistakes, we can still fall prey to common design pitfalls.  The good news is that your PowerPoint presentation doesn’t have to be ordinary. By keeping in mind a few guidelines, your classroom presentations can stand above the crowd!

“It is easy to dismiss design – to relegate it to mere ornament, the prettifying of places and objects to disguise their banality. But that is a serious misunderstanding of what design is and why it matters.” Daniel Pink

One framework that can be useful when making design decisions about your PowerPoint slide design is Baddeley and Hitch’s model of working memory .

As illustrated in the diagram above, the Central Executive coordinates the work of three systems by organizing the information we hear, see, and store into working memory.

The Phonological Loop deals with any auditory information. Students in a classroom are potentially listening to a variety of things: the instructor, questions from their peers, sound effects or audio from the PowerPoint presentation, and their own “inner voice.”

The Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad deals with information we see. This involves such aspects as form, color, size, space between objects, and their movement. For students this would include: the size and color of fonts, the relationship between images and text on the screen, the motion path of text animation and slide transitions, as well as any hand gestures, facial expressions, or classroom demonstrations made by the instructor.

The Episodic Buffer integrates the information across these sensory domains and communicates with long-term memory. All of these elements are being deposited into a holding tank called the “episodic buffer.” This buffer has a limited capacity and can become “overloaded” thereby, setting limits on how much information students can take in at once.

Laura Edelman and Kathleen Harring from Muhlenberg College , Allentown, Pennsylvania have developed an approach to PowerPoint design using Baddeley and Hitch’s model. During the course of their work, they conducted a survey of students at the college asking what they liked and didn’t like about their professor’s PowerPoint presentations. They discovered the following:

Characteristics students don’t like about professors’ PowerPoint slides

• Too many words on a slide
• Movement (slide transitions or word animations)
• Templates with too many colors

Characteristics students like like about professors’ PowerPoint slides

• Graphs increase understanding of content
• Bulleted lists help them organize ideas
• PowerPoint can help to structure lectures
• Verbal explanations of pictures/graphs help more than written clarifications

According to Edelman and Harring, some conclusions from the research at Muhlenberg are that students learn more when:

• material is presented in short phrases rather than full paragraphs.
• the professor talks about the information on the slide rather than having students read it on their own.
• relevant pictures are used. Irrelevant pictures decrease learning compared to PowerPoint slides with no picture
• they take notes (if the professor is not talking). But if the professor is lecturing, note-taking and listening decreased learning.
• they are given the PowerPoint slides before the class.

Advice from Edelman and Harring on leveraging the working memory with PowerPoint:

• Leverage the working memory by dividing the information between the visual and auditory modality.  Doing this reduces the likelihood of one system becoming overloaded. For instance, spoken words with pictures are better than pictures with text, as integrating an image and narration takes less cognitive effort than integrating an image and text.
• Minimize the opportunity for distraction by removing any irrelevant material such as music, sound effects, animations, and background images.
• Use simple cues to direct learners to important points or content. Using text size, bolding, italics, or placing content in a highlighted or shaded text box is all that is required to convey the significance of key ideas in your presentation.
• Don’t put every word you intend to speak on your PowerPoint slide. Instead, keep information displayed in short chunks that are easily read and comprehended.
• One of the mostly widely accessed websites about PowerPoint design is Garr Reynolds’ blog, Presentation Zen . In his blog entry:  “ What is Good PowerPoint Design? ” Reynolds explains how to keep the slide design simple, yet not simplistic, and includes a few slide examples that he has ‘made-over’ to demonstrate how to improve its readability and effectiveness. He also includes sample slides from his own presentation about PowerPoint slide design.
• Another presentation guru, David Paradi, author of “ The Visual Slide Revolution: Transforming Overloaded Text Slides into Persuasive Presentations ” maintains a video podcast series called “ Think Outside the Slide ” where he also demonstrates PowerPoint slide makeovers. Examples on this site are typically from the corporate perspective, but the process by which content decisions are made is still relevant for higher education. Paradi has also developed a five step method, called KWICK , that can be used as a simple guide when designing PowerPoint presentations.
• In the video clip below, Comedian Don McMillan talks about some of the common misuses of PowerPoint in his routine called “Life After Death by PowerPoint.”

• This article from The Chronicle of Higher Education highlights a blog moderated by Microsoft’s Doug Thomas that compiles practical PowerPoint advice gathered from presentation masters like Seth Godin , Guy Kawasaki , and Garr Reynolds .

Presenting to Win: The Art of Telling Your Story , by Jerry Weissman, Prentice Hall, 2006

Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery , by Garr Reynolds, New Riders Press, 2008

Solving the PowerPoint Predicament: using digital media for effective communication , by Tom Bunzel , Que, 2006

The Cognitive Style of Power Point , by Edward R. Tufte, Graphics Pr, 2003

The Visual Slide Revolution: Transforming Overloaded Text Slides into Persuasive Presentations , by Dave Paradi, Communications Skills Press, 2000

Why Most PowerPoint Presentations Suck: And How You Can Make Them Better , by Rick Altman, Harvest Books, 2007

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Data Reporting Analyst 2, Digital Technology Solutions

Current UC employees must apply internally via SuccessFactors > http://bit.ly/UCEMPL

Founded in 1819, the University of Cincinnati ranks among the nation’s best urban public research universities. Home to more than 50,000 students, 11,000 faculty and staff and 340,000 alumni, UC combines a Top 35 public research university with a physical setting The New York Times calls “the most ambitious campus design program in the country.”

With the launch of Next Lives Here, the Cincinnati Innovation District, a $100 million JobsOhio investment, nine straight years of record enrollment, worldwide leadership in cooperative education, a dynamic academic health center and entry into the Big 12 Conference, UC’s momentum has never been stronger. UC’s annual budget tops $1.65 billion and its endowment totals $1.8 billion. The University’s overall regional economic impact exceeds $10.6 billion, paving the way for the future of Cincinnati.

University of Cincinnati is a renowned institution in higher education, committed to advancing knowledge and contributing to the betterment of society through research, education, and community engagement. Our Digital Technology Services - Data and Analytics team plays a crucial role in harnessing data to inform strategic decisions and improve the educational experience.  

As a Data Reporting Analyst 2, you'll have the unique opportunity to influence decision-making across the organization by transforming data into knowledge. Identify business intelligence, reporting, and data analysis needs. Collaborate with clients and internal teams to turn data into critical information and knowledge that can be used to make sound business decisions.

• Work directly with clients to identify business requirements.
• Convert business requirements into developed reports.
• Be able to extract and integrate data from ERP and other systems.
• Create data models and data sets that meet the requirements.
• Develop reports and dashboards with limited supervision.
• Interpret results using a variety of statistical techniques.
• Profile data and implement data quality checks.
• Guide business users on best practices.
• Capable of maintaining existing catalog with limited guidance.
• Perform related duties based on departmental need. This job description can be changed at any time.
• This position offers a hybrid opportunity to work both remotely and onsite and therefore requires that the incumbent reside within a commutable distance to Greater Cincinnati. Hybrid work arrangements are subject to change in accordance with university policies.
• Bachelor's Degree in Business Analytics, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or related field
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, analytics, information technology, or a related field.
• 5+ years of proven experience as a Report/Analytics Developer or Business Intelligence Analyst.
• 3+ years if experience in SAP BW and SAP Business Objects
• 3+ years of experience in data integration and consumption layer data modeling.
• Strong SQL skills.
• Experience in tools like Power BI, Tableau, Qlik is a plus.
• Knowledge of SAP S/4 HANA and SAP SuccessFactors is preferred.
• Deep experience in creating reports and dashboards and providing data insights.
• Preferred experience working with cloud hosted data and analytical tools.
• Preferred experience working in Data Warehouse and Data Lake in a cloud setting (AWS, Azure, Snowflake, Informatica CDP).
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Attention to detail and the ability to work with complex datasets.
• Knowledge of HR and Finance data domains is preferred.
• Prefer knowledge and understanding of the higher education sector.
• Office environment/no specific unusual physical or environmental demands.

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UC offers a wide array of complementary and affordable benefit options, to meet the financial, educational, health, and wellness needs of you and your family. Eligibility varies by position and FTE.

• Competitive salary range of $87,000 - $92,000  dependent on the candidate's experience.
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• Financial security via our life and long-term disability insurance, accident and illness insurance, and retirement savings plans.
• Generous paid time off work options including vacation, sick leave, annual holidays, and winter season days in addition to paid parental leave.
• Tuition remission is available for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Enjoy discounts for on and off-campus activities and services.

For questions about the UC recruiting process or to request accommodations with the application, please contact Human Resources at [email protected] . 

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