Abstract
With the phenomenal developments in information and communication technologies, higher education has been facing an unprecedented challenge that affects all the stakeholders. Faculty is no exception. The authors synthesize the demographic, economic, and pedagogical factors that lead to a paradigm shift in higher education and the global trends in digital technologies that impel digital transformation in higher education. They then provide a snapshot of how higher education institutions respond to this challenge and change, and the impact of these factors on the roles and competencies of faculty that need to be covered in faculty development initiatives in the digital age. Finally, examples of faculty development programs and initiatives that address the digital competencies of faculty are provided along with a summary of faculty development models for teaching and learning in the digital age.
TopThe call for a change in the paradigm of education is not new. The requirement for a new education system that meets the demands of a new world order was voiced by many educators and philosophers like Dewey and Dewey (1915), Toffler (1971) and Illich (1971) even in a period when computers and the Internet were either not present or had not become a public good. Later, the transformation of learner-learner, learner-faculty and learner-content interactions as a result of the rapid development of ICT since the last quarter of 20th century has called for a metamorphosis of the educational processes. As such, the notion of change, innovation and paradigm shift has been a phenomenon that has frequently been expressed as a response to the changes in the needs and expectations of individuals and institutions in the 20th century (Aktan, 2007; Barr & Tagg, 1995; Desai, Hart & Richards, 2008; Gültekin Çetiner, Türkmen & Borat, n.d.; Medvedeva, 2015; Özkul, 2001; Wielicki, 2008). While ICT is a sufficient driver of change, other factors initiated by the advances in technology have led to a paradigmatic shift in the way education is interpreted and practiced.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Flipped Learning: An innovative learning approach that flips traditional classroom lecture with hands-on activities while holding learners responsible for acquisition of prior information from online sources before the class activities.
Lingua Franca: The common language that enables speakers of different native languages to communicate with each other.
Industry 4.0: Digitization and automation of industrial services with cyber-physical systems built on the Internet of things, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, etc.
Faculty: Educators responsible for the design and delivery of instruction in higher education.
Faculty Professional Development: Any formal or informal activity that is carried out to develop professional skills and competencies of faculty.
E-Transformation: Transformation of people, services and processes as a result, and by the help of, developments in digital technologies.
Paradigm Shift: A radical change in the accepted norms, beliefs, and practices.