The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need to integrate online learning into higher education, and traditional universities must quickly adapt to hybrid systems.
In this context, the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) offers a unique model of digital transformation, being a university created and developed entirely online since 1994.
In their recent article, Marc Romero Carbonell and his colleagues from the UOC highlight how this institution has achieved an innovative educational model that places the student at the center of the learning process. By using advanced technology, the UOC ensures flexibility, personalization, and interactivity in teaching, supported by continuous research in e-learning.
This study, framed within the European project "Empower Competences for Onlife Learning in HE" (ECOLHE), presents key lessons for other universities seeking to digitize and adapt to the current challenges of distance education.
The research includes in-depth interviews with academic leaders, focus groups with professors and administrative staff, as well as student surveys.
The results emphasize the importance of technology not only as a tool but as a means to improve teaching, research, and knowledge sharing.
The UOC demonstrates that digital transformation goes beyond the mere implementation of technology; it involves profound changes in institutional culture, processes, and personnel, creating a more flexible educational environment tailored to the needs of the 21st century.
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How to cite: Romero, M., Romeu, T., Guitert, M., & Baztán, P. (2023). Digital Transformation in Higher Education: The UOC Case. RIED. Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 26(1), 163–179. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.26.1.33998
