Designing Digital University Conceptual Framework; Grounded Theory Approach

The present article seeks to identify the characteristics of the digital university using grounded theory. Snowball sampling was performed and 19 experts in the field of university and digital transformation were interviewed. The result of the interviews was a collection of basic topics that were collected during the open coding process and categories were extracted from them. Then, in the central coding stage, the link between the categories under the following headings: causal conditions, contextual factors, intervening conditions, phenomenon-oriented, strategies and consequences of digital university was determined. Then the cases were written in the selective coding stage. The causal conditions affecting the digital university were divided into two categories. Factors within the university: the need to rethink the mission of the university, the need to change teaching and research approaches, the cost and bureaucracy of education and the need to use new educational opportunities and factors outside the university: demographic challenges, the need to identify and meet scientific needs and job for society. Such are the policy and management strategies of research. In policy strategies, policy of education, hard and soft technologies, digital culture, finance and management and data preservation and educational equality are suggested, and in management strategies (executive), assessing the level of digital maturity of the university, providing infrastructure in humanities, leadership, economics and technology, and review of the education system process and definition of new processes are suggested.