A Digital Education Transformation Roadmap to Achieve a Distributed Learning Ecosystem: Case-Study of the University of Mauritius

Abstract

The University of Mauritius embarked on the open and distance learning journey in 1993 and engaged in the promotion of distance eLearning and technology - enhanced learning in 2001. The University has moved from a traditional credit system to the learner - centered credit system, inspired by the ECTS model in 2018. Such a model is heavily reliant on improved teach ing and learning infrastructure, including technology - enabled educational practices, as well as on smart and improved services to academics and students. Within the 21st century context, the strategy of the university is to shift the focus from distance ed ucation and dual - mode status, as digital technologies have helped to overcome the distance and real - time barrier through virtualization and two - way communication in real - time. With the pervasiveness of technologies and their influence on higher education i n a global context, the digital transformation of universities can bring a real shift in paradigm the need to achieve dual - mode status to the mode of "distributed learning – friendly" institution. In this paper, we report the journey of the University of M auritius through its different transitions from traditional distance education to eLearning and to finally engage in a holistic digital learning transformation by shifting to a learner - centered, technology - enabled educational model. The key components of t he model are the (i) Policy Environment, (ii) Centre for Innovative & Lifelong Learning, (iii) Digital Learning Infrastructure, (iv) Training & Capacity - Building and (v) Monitoring & Evaluation. // Paper ID 9