Conceptualising the Digital University: The Intersection of Policy, Pedagogy and Practice (Digital Education and Learning)

Despite the increasing ubiquity of the term, the concept of the digital university remains diffuse and indeterminate. This book examines what the term 'digital university' should encapsulate and the resulting challenges, possibilities and implications that digital technology and practice brings to higher education. Critiquing the current state of definition of the digital university construct, the authors propose a more holistic, integrated account that acknowledges the inherent diffuseness of the concept. The authors also question the extent to which digital technologies and practices can allow us to re-think the location of universities and curricula; and how they can extend higher education as a public good within the current wider political context. Framed inside a critical pedagogy perspective, this volume debates the role of the university in fostering the learning environments, skills and capabilities needed for critical engagement, active open participation and reflection in the digital age. This pioneering volume will be of interest and value to students and scholars of digital education, as well as policy makers and practitioners. Front Matter ....Pages i-xxi Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 Neoliberalism and the Digital University: The Political Economy of Learning in the Twenty-First Century (Bill Johnston, Sheila MacNeill, Keith Smyth)....Pages 3-17 The Digital University: An Impoverished Concept (Bill Johnston, Sheila MacNeill, Keith Smyth)....Pages 19-38 Exploring the Digital University: Developing and Applying Holistic Thinking (Bill Johnston, Sheila MacNeill, Keith Smyth)....Pages 39-60 Front Matter ....Pages 61-61 The Myth of Digital Transformation (Bill Johnston, Sheila MacNeill, Keith Smyth)....Pages 63-84 Digital Participation and Open Communities: From Widening Access to Porous Boundaries (Bill Johnston, Sheila MacNeill, Keith Smyth)....Pages 85-103 Information Literacy, Digital Capability, and Individual Agency (Bill Johnston, Sheila MacNeill, Keith Smyth)....Pages 105-125 Digitally Enriched Learning Spaces (Bill Johnston, Sheila MacNeill, Keith Smyth)....Pages 127-148 The Digitally Distributed Curriculum (Bill Johnston, Sheila MacNeill, Keith Smyth)....Pages 149-176 Front Matter ....Pages 177-177 An Extended Conceptual Matrix for the Digital University (Bill Johnston, Sheila MacNeill, Keith Smyth)....Pages 179-202 Institutional Practice and Praxis (Bill Johnston, Sheila MacNeill, Keith Smyth)....Pages 203-215 Academic Development for the Digital University (Bill Johnston, Sheila MacNeill, Keith Smyth)....Pages 217-233 Conclusion: Advancing the Digital and Open Education Agenda (Bill Johnston, Sheila MacNeill, Keith Smyth)....Pages 235-244 Back Matter ....Pages 245-265