Article Review - Classification of Barriers to Digital Transformation in Higher Education Institutions

 

The article “Classification of Barriers to Digital Transformation in Higher Education Institutions: Systematic Literature Review” by Gkrimpizi et al. (2023) offers a comprehensive exploration of the obstacles hindering digital transformation (DT) in higher education institutions (HEIs). Through a systematic literature review, the authors identify twenty distinct barriers, systematically grouped into six broad categories: environmental, strategic, organizational, technological, people-related, and cultural.

What I found particularly interesting was the emphasis placed on people-related barriers, particularly the lack of digital literacy and resistance to change. The study highlights how faculty members, administrative staff, and even students frequently lack the skills and confidence to fully engage with digital tools and platforms. Furthermore, it underscores how institutional culture and risk aversion significantly delay digital initiatives, even in technologically equipped environments. This aligns with Cuban’s (1993) longstanding critique of technocentrism — the misconception that simply introducing technology into education will automatically improve outcomes without addressing human, cultural, and systemic factors.

Relevance to My Research

As my PhD thesis investigates the integration of technology in higher education — particularly in the Caribbean context — this article provides a valuable conceptual framework for identifying barriers within our own institutions. Many of the challenges faced by HEIs globally, such as inadequate infrastructure, fragmented data systems, and conservative institutional cultures, resonate with challenges observed locally. Moreover, the categorization of barriers offers a useful diagnostic tool for structuring my data collection and analysis phases.

By contextualising these global insights within regional realities, my research can better propose practical, culturally sensitive strategies to foster meaningful digital transformation — moving beyond superficial adoption to achieve authentic educational innovation.

Reference:
Gkrimpizi, T., Peristeras, V., & Magnisalis, I. (2023). Classification of Barriers to Digital Transformation in Higher Education Institutions: Systematic Literature Review. Education Sciences, 13(7), 746. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13070746