Building digital competence in higher education faculty: a systematic review and framework synthesis
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Abstract
This paper examines the intricate and diversified stages of developing digital competence in higher education academics, especially within the context of the Romanian academic space. It is located in-between the international norms and local realities, by conducting a systematic review of literature (2015-2024) and by involving qualitative as well as quantitative empirical data. This review followed PRISMA 2020 recommendations and started with 142 studies in Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC databases; after a thorough screening process, 34 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. These were aggregated thematically to identify trends, limitations, and best practices in faculty learning of digital competencies. Running alongside was a semi-structured interview survey with 24 teachers in three Romanian universities, supported by structured self-assessment questionnaire mirroring the framework DigCompEdu, which enriched the picture on current levels of competencies. Results suggest high diversity, with 62.5% of respondents considered as having intermediate competence, followed by 25% basic and only 12.5% advanced levels among the subjects. In terms of quantitative relationships, the correlation between funding support and capability development is highly positive (r =. 68, p <. 01), demonstrating the importance of organizational culture and resource distribution. The paper has been added to the literature by consolidating a contextualized, three-level model (policy, institutional and individual) of faculty development as well as offering practical guidelines for Universities willing to meet EU Digital Education Action Plan. The novelty of the work consists in the fact that it links theory with practice providing, on one hand, a strong analytical model and, on the other hand some empirically grounded strategies of digital transformation in higher education across Romanian universities.
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