A scientometric review of the impacts of digital technologies on HEIs during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Research has shown that the importance of Digital Technologies (DT) in enhancing productivity and performance in higher education institutions (HEIs) can never be underestimated, as was apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. This pandemic, and consequent lockdown, impacted every aspect of human life globally, and the education system was not spared. Although much research related to the COVID-19 pandemic has been published, few studies have considered the impact of DT on education/learning during this period. Educators and students of HEIs had to rapidly adapt to the use of DT in delivering lectures, as well as for learning. Unfortunately, educators and students, as major HEI stakeholders, have not yet taken full advantage of the educational benefits of DT – hence the motivation for this research. The methodology adopted entailed a comprehensive, systematic and expository review of selected published articles on DT in journals, books and conference proceedings from different databases: Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, Academia.edu and Research gate. This article presents the findings of a scientometric review of literature on the impact of DTs in HIEs, with a focus on events during the COVID-19 outbreak. It is hoped that the outcomes of this review will add to the growing body of knowledge about whether or not the adoption of DTs has had any significant impact on teaching, learning and assessment; as well as techniques for leveraging DT, even for learners in hard-to reach communities, in this new normal.