Join us on Bluesky with guest Alison Purvis (@dralison.bsky.social) and Beth Fielding-Lloyd (@bethflloyd.bsky.social) on Wednesday, 5th November 2025 at 20:00 GMT

Digital leadership in higher education is evolving rapidly. It’s no longer just about managing technology; it’s about shaping culture, taking a human-centred approach, and ensuring inclusive practice. In our work, we’ve explored the perceptions and characteristics of digital leadership in higher education.

Our research highlights that buy-in, role modelling, and advocacy by leaders are significant enablers of digital transformation (McCarthy et al., 2023). Yet leaders are increasingly challenged to take ownership of change while also improving perceptions of value and quality. This calls for a shift in leadership competencies towards human-centred approaches that prioritise empathy, adaptability, and strategic foresight (Lopez-Figueroa et al., 2025).

Despite growing interest, less is known about the perspectives of digital leaders themselves. What does it mean to lead digital change in a university setting? How do leaders navigate uncertainty, embrace innovation, and model their own digital development – even when they are not technical experts?

In participatory workshops, we asked leaders from across academic, administrative, and student domains for their perspectives on digital leadership (Mercer-Mapstone et al., 2017). We recognised that digital leadership is distributed. It is not confined to formal hierarchies or job titles. It is enacted across the university community into teaching, professional services, research, student support, and many other roles.

From our research, we have the following recommendations for effective digital leadership:

1. Prioritise CPD for staff currency and agility in digital practices
2. Make digital literacy and development a leadership expectation (not digital expertise)
3. Value expertise without needing to be the expert
4. Build confidence through robust training, support, and time to talk about digital in teaching and learning
5. Develop strategic understanding of technology
6. Centre the student experience in digital strategy
7. Embrace change, vulnerability, and lead with vision and compassion

If you are interested in bringing our digital leadership workshop to your team or institution, please let us know!

References

Lopez-Fugueroa, J.C., Ochoa-Jimenez, S., Palafox-Soto, M.O. & Sujey Hernandez Munoz, D. (2025). Digital leadership: A systematic literature review. Administrative Sciences, 15, 4, 129 

McCarthy, A. M., Maor, D., McConney, A., & Cavanaugh, C. (2023). Digital transformation in education: Critical components for leaders of system change. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 8(1), https://doi.org/100479. 10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100479

Mercer-Mapstone, L., Dvorakova, S. L., Matthews, K. E., Abbot, S., Cheng, B., Felten, P., Knorr, K., Marquis, E., Shammas, R., & Swaim, K. (2017). A Systematic Literature Review of Students as Partners in Higher Education. International Journal for Students as Partners, 1(1). DOI:  https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v1i1.3119

Guests’ Biographies

Alison Purvis is Associate Dean and a sector leader in digital education and open access publishing. She was named in the AI 100 UK List in 2025 for her contributions to ethical and transparent AI use in higher education. Alison was also a finalist for the ALT Awards for Leadership in Digital Education, recognising her strategic work with Jisc, the Office for Students, and Sheffield Hallam University. Her research and leadership span digital transformation, inclusive pedagogy, and third space roles, with a strong focus on compassionate and critically informed practice.

Beth Fielding-Lloyd is the Deputy Dean for Quality and Apprenticeships at University College Birmingham. She has a track record in the delivery of transformational projects and specialises in enhancing the student experience through the advancement of digital capabilities, inclusive pedagogies, and assessment for learning strategies. Beth’s current research focuses on students’ perceptions and articulation of digital competencies, exploring how these insights inform curriculum design and pedagogical development.

Questions and chat

Q1 –  What is digital leadership in education? Is it different to other contexts of leadership?

Q2 –  Do you recognise your own role as a digital leader in education? What does it look or feel like?

Q3 – How can digital leaders support equity and inclusion?. What are the challenges and opportunities?

Q4 – What tools, frameworks, or connections have helped you develop your digital leadership?

Q5 – How does culture shape digital leadership, and how do you influence that culture in your role?

Q6 – If you could change one thing about how digital leadership is understood or enacted in education, what would it be?