Visioning the Digital University – from institutional strategy to academic practice

Following the SEDA Annual Conference in November 2014, and a well-received workshop from which we have retained the title, this article provides an overview of recent work that has been concerned with conceptualising the ‘Digital University’ and which has subsequently helped to inform and shape strategic conversations and consultations across a number of institutions.
After addressing the current context within which the idea of the Digital University can be considered, we then describe a ‘conceptual matrix’ that identifies important dimensions of the Digital University and which provides a framework for critical and strategic discussion and analysis. The conceptual matrix provided the initial focus for an extensive ‘digital futures’ consultation that was undertaken within a modern Scottish university, and the nature and key outcomes of this work – which addressed what being a ‘Digital University’ would mean for the university in question – are presented as an institutional case study. We then conclude by outlining the next steps being taken by the authors in further exploring the Digital University.