Beyond crisis: the I-five framework for assessing compulsory e-learning capability in higher education

Purpose Crises – pandemics, sanctions or infrastructure failures – often force HEIs into rapid e-learning adoption without adequate preparation. Yet, existing models assume voluntary, planned adoption. This study conceptualizes compulsory digital transformation as a permanent institutional capability and introduces the I-Five framework – a crisis-informed tool for assessing e-learning capability under forced conditions. Design/methodology/approach Using a sequential mixed-methods design, we developed 5 dimensions (infrastructure, individual, instruction, input and institution) and 16 indices. A 223-item questionnaire was validated with 200 international experts (KMO = 0.744; a >0.7; Friedman’s χ2 = 28.869, p = 0.0001) and tested at Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Iran. Findings Findings show that information quality and support are the most critical success factors, while technology infrastructure ranked lowest – challenging hardware-centric assumptions. TMU achieved an overall capability score of 4.05/10, indicating a below-medium level, with supervision and assessment as the weakest dimension (score <2). Soft-tech dimensions account for roughly 70% of capability versus 30% for hard tech. Originality/value The framework advances the conceptual distinction between voluntary readiness and compulsory capability, offering a practical diagnostic tool pending cross-validation across diverse crisis contexts.