A framework for assessing digital maturity at higher education institutions

Digital technologies and the emergence of generalized artificial intelligence are paving the way for a profound transformation in education. Despite this transformation and increasing adoption of digital technologies in higher education institutions (HEI), a comprehensive model to assess digital maturity (DM) and identify areas for improvement remains a critical gap. This mixed-method study introduces a novel approach for assessing DM in HEI. The research used the Picture Fuzzy (PF) SWARA method to assess digital maturity levels and identify potential development areas. The model's merit is evaluated with a case study on a HEI in Eastern Europe where academics and administrative units are interviewed (n = 32) on the university's digitalization initiatives. Building upon interview outputs, a survey covering six main and 24 sub-dimensions is run to 212 participants. The results indicate that the DM level of the university is e-Confident with a score of 71.26, representing effective use of digital tools in the institution with some potential improvement areas. The most significant achievement is observed in academic research, followed by online education and training. However, digitalization in student admissions, online learning, graduation processes, documentation, and archiving need further enhancement. The findings offer valuable insights for HEI to pinpoint critical areas of improvement in their digitalization efforts.