Digital Maturity in Higher Education: A Model and Design Principles for Institutional Transformation

Mehmet Yavuz; Selçuk Karaman

doi:10.17275/per.26.78.13.6

Digital Maturity in Higher Education: A Model and Design Principles for Institutional Transformation

Abstract

This study aims to develop a digital maturity model (DMM) specifically for higher education and to identify design principles emerging from the model development process. Recognizing that existing maturity frameworks rarely reflect the unique mission, governance, and stakeholder complexity of universities, this study addresses a conceptual and practical gap by integrating evidence from the literature, expert validation, and institutional piloting. A Design and Development Research methodology was employed. The development process combined a systematic literature review, document analysis, semi-structured interviews with 12 domain experts, a 25-week iterative expert panel process to refine the dimensions, levels, and indicators, and pilot implementation across 18 universities. The resulting model comprises five dimensions (individual, education, managerial processes, research, and infrastructure), 19 sub-dimensions, and 104 indicators, organized across five qualitative maturity levels: awareness, partial implementation, strategic implementation, integrated implementation, and cultural transformation. Four design principles were derived from the development process, emphasizing holistic dimensional coverage, clear and unambiguous level definitions, appropriately concrete indicators, and practical applicability. The model provides institutions with a structured instrument for assessing digital readiness, prioritizing transformation initiatives, informing strategic resource allocation, and benchmarking progress over time. An accompanying guideline is intended to facilitate stakeholder engagement and evidence-informed decision-making. Theoretically, the study contributes an empirically grounded and iteratively validated maturity model specific to higher education, while also offering design principles relevant to maturity model development and digital transformation in academic contexts.

Keywords

digital transformation, digital maturity, digital transformation framework, design principles, higher education

Ethical Statement

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Atatürk University (03.02.2022-02/02).

References

Ae-MoYS. (2011). Assessing the e-maturity of your school. European Commission.
Al-Ali, M., & Marks, A. (2022). A digital maturity model for the education enterprise. Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 26(2), 47–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603108.2021.1978578
Alenezi, M. (2021). Deep dive into digital transformation in higher education institutions. Education Sciences, 11(12), 770. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11120770
Alfirević, A. M., Mabić, M., & Alfirević, N. (2025). Evaluating digital maturity in higher education institutions: A preliminary empirical study in the Western Balkans. World, 6(4), 130. https://doi.org/10.3390/world6040130
Azhari, P., Faraby, N., Rossmann, A., Steimel, B., & Wichmann, K. S. (2014). Digital transformation report. Neuland GmbH & Co. KG., Köln.
Balaban, I., Redjep, N. B., & Calopa, M. K. (2018). The analysis of digital maturity of schools in Croatia. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 13(6), 4-15. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v13i06.7844
Balula, A., Moreira, G., Moreira, A., Katenholz, E., Eusebio, C., & Breda, Z. (2019, May). Digital transformation in tourism education. In Z. Zadel & D.S. Jurdana (Eds). Tourism in Southern and Eastern Europe 2019 Conference Proceedings (5), 61-72. Opatija-Croatia: University of Rijeka. https://doi.org/10.20867/tosee.05.45
Becker, J., Knackstedt, R., & Pöppelbuß, J. (2009). Developing maturity models for IT management. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 1(3), 213-222. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-009-0044-5
Bravo-Jaico, J., Maquen-Niño, G. L. E., Germán, N., Valdivia, C., Alarcón, R., Aquino, J., & Serquén, O. (2025). Assessing digital transformation maturity in higher education institutions: A correlational analysis by actors and dimensions. Frontiers in Computer Science, 7, 1549262. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomp.2025.1549262
Brundenius, C., & Göransson, B. (2011). The three missions of universities: A synthesis of UniDev project findings. In Universities in transition (pp. 329-352). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7509-6_16

Büyüköztürk, Ş., Kılıç Çakmak, E., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş., & Demirel, F. (2018). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri [Scientific research methods]. Pegem Academy.
Byrne-Haber, S. (2023). The digital accessibility maturity model: Maturity levels. Level Access. https://www.levelaccess.com/blog/the-digital-accessibility-maturity-model-introduction-to-damm/
Cobb, J., & Steele, C. (2016). Learning business maturity model. Tagoras. https://www.tagoras.com/maturity-model/
De Bruin, T., Rosemann, M., Freeze, R., & Kaulkarni, U. (2005). Understanding the main phases of developing a maturity assessment model. In Australasian Conference on Information Systems (pp. 8-19). Australasian Chapter of the Association for Information Systems.
De Carolis, A., Macchi, M., Negri, E., & Terzi, S. (2017). A maturity model for assessing the digital readiness of manufacturing companies. In Advances in Production Management Systems. The Path to Intelligent, Collaborative and Sustainable Manufacturing: IFIP WG 5.7 International Conference, APMS 2017, Hamburg, Germany, September 3-7, 2017, Proceedings, Part I (pp. 13-20). Springer.
DigCompOrg. (2015). DigCompOrg framework. European Commission. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/european-framework-digitally-competent-educational-organisations-digcomporg/digcomporg-framework_en
Đurek, V., Kadoic, N., & Ređep, N. B. (2018). Assessing the digital maturity level of higher education institutions. In 2018 41st International Convention on Information and Communication Technology, Electronics and Microelectronics (pp. 671-676). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.23919/MIPRO.2018.8400126
Egloffstein, M., & Ifenthaler, D. (2021). Tracing digital transformation in educational organizations. In Digital transformation of learning organizations (pp. 41-57). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55878-9_3
European University Association. (2015). Trends 2015: Learning and teaching in European universities. EUA. https://www.azvo.hr/images/stories/publikacije/EUA_Trends_2015_web.pdf
FCMM. (2010). Future classroom maturity model. iTEC. https://fcl.eun.org/documents/10180/14691/2.2+FCMM+reference+guide.pdf/5fe0addb-3934-436c-aba3-8693bf90a95a?version=1.0
Finne, H. (2011). Report from the European Commission’s expert group on knowledge transfer indicators. European Commission https://ec.europa.eu/invest-in-research/pdf/download_en/knowledge_transfer_web.pdf
Fraser, P., Moultrie, J., & Gregory, M. (2002, August). The use of maturity models/grids as a tool in assessing product development capability. In IEEE International Engineering Management Conference (Vol. 1, pp. 244-249). IEEE.
Ganzarain, J., & Errasti, N. (2016). Three stage maturity model in SME's toward industry 4.0. Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management (JIEM), 9(5), 1119-1128. https://doi.org/10.3926/jiem.2073
Gökalp, E., Şener, U., & Eren, P. E. (2017). Development of an assessment model for Industry 4.0: Industry 4.0-MM. In International Conference on Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination (pp. 128-142). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67383-7_10
Gökşen, H., & Gökşen, Y. (2021). A review of maturity models perspective of level and dimension. Proceedings, 74(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2021074002
Gümüşoğlu, E. K. (2017). Digital transformation in higher education. AUAd, 3(4), 30-42. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/auad/issue/34247/378482
HEInnovate. (2013). Is your higher education institution prepared for future challenges? European Commission. https://heinnovate.eu/en
Hummel, K., & Schenk, B. (2019). Digital maturity in the administration of a University of Applied Sciences. In A. Nemeslaki, A. Prosser, D. Scola, & T. Szádeczky (Eds.), CEE e|Dem and e|Gov Days 2019: Cyber security and eGovernment (pp. 307–315). Österreichische Computer Gesellschaft.
Ifenthaler, D., & Egloffstein, M. (2020). Development and implementation of a maturity model of digital transformation. TechTrends, 64(2), 302-309. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-019-00457-4
Jeffreys, D. (2021). Digital maturity score – What it is and Why it matters. ActionPoint. https://action-point.com/digital-maturity-score-what-it-is-and-why-it-matters/
Jisc. (2019). Developing digital capability: An organisational framework. Joint Information Systems Committee. https://repository.jisc.ac.uk/6610/1/JFL0066F_DIGICAP_MOD_ORG_FRAME.PDF
Kalender, Z. T., & Žilka, M. (2024). A comparative analysis of digital maturity models to determine future steps in the way of digital transformation. Procedia Computer Science, 232, 903-912. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2024.01.090
Kane, G. C., Palmer, D., & Phillips, A. N. (2017). Achieving digital maturity. MIT Sloan Management Review, 59(1), 1-31. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/projects/achieving-digital-maturity/
Kane, G. C., Palmer, D., Phillips, A. N., Kiron, D., & Buckley, N. (2015). Strategy, not technology, drives digital transformation. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/projects/strategy-drives-digital-transformation/
Knosp, B. M., Barnett, W. K., Anderson, N. R., & Embi, P. J. (2018). Research IT maturity models for academic health centers: Early development and initial evaluation. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 2(5), 289-294. https://doi.org/10.1017/cts.2018.339
Kumar, A., Salmona, M., Berry, R., & Grummert, S. (2024). Digital transformation preparedness: An exploratory study. Digital Transformation and Society, 3(2), 127-144.
Kupriyanova, M. V., Evdokimova, E. N., Solovyova, I. P., & Simikova, I. P. (2020). Methods of developing digital maturity models for manufacturing companies. In E3S Web of Conferences (Vol. 224, p. 02034). EDP Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202022402034
Kurnaz, Ö. (2010). Examining research quality in higher education (Thesis No. 261980). Council of Higher Education National Thesis Center.
Kuzu, Ö. H. (2020). Digital transformation in higher education: A case study on strategic plans. Higher Education in Russia, 3, 9-23. https://doi.org/10.31992/0869-3617-2019-29-3-9-23
Lehmkuhl, T., Baumöl, U., & Jung, R. (2013). Towards a maturity model for the adoption of social media as a means of organizational innovation. In 2013 46th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/HICSS.2013.561
Lichtblau, K., Stich, V., Bertenrath, R., Blum, M., Bleider, M., Millack, A., Schmitt, K., Schmitz, E., & Schröter, M. (2015). Industrie 4.0 readiness. IMPULS-Stiftung for mechanical engineering, plant engineering, and information technology. https://www.industrie40-readiness.de/?lang=en
Lyngdorf, N. E. R., Jiang, D., & Du, X. (2024). Frameworks and models for digital transformation in engineering education: A literature review using a systematic Approach. Education Sciences, 14(5), 519. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14050519
Maasouman, M. A., & Demirli, K. (2016). Development of a lean maturity model for operational level planning. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 83(5–8), 1171–1188. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-015-7513-4
Mabotha, P. A. P., & Ngcamu, B. S. (2025). Digital transformation in the higher education sector: A systematic literature review. Administrative Sciences, 16(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci16010001
Maier, A. M., Moultrie, J., & Clarkson, P. J. (2009). Developing maturity grids for assessing organisational capabilities: Practitioner guidance. In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Management Consulting, Academy of Management, Vienna, Austria.
Martínez, A. F., Largo, F. L., & Carmona, R. M. (2019). Digital maturity model for universities (MD4U). Cátedra Santander-UA Transform. Digit.-Job Doc, 1-16.
Matkovic, P., Tumbas, P., & Palićević, V. (2018). University business models and digital transformation. Proceedings of 11th International Conference of Education Research and Innovation Conference Proceedings, Seville, Spain, ICERI 2018, November 12-14, 2018, pp. 9270-9277. https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2018.0719
McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2010). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry (7th ed.). Pearson.
Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. Jossey-Bass.
Mettler, T. (2011). Maturity assessment models: A design science research approach. International Journal of Society Systems Science (IJSSS), 3(1/2), 81-98. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSSS.2011.038934
Microsoft. (2018). Microsoft education transformation framework for higher education. Microsoft. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/higher-education/education-transformation-framework
Parker, S. (2020). KPMG connected enterprise for higher education. KPMG. https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/xx/pdf/2020/10/future-of-higher-education.pdf
Pöppelbuß, J., & Röglinger, M. (2011, June). What makes a useful maturity model? A framework of general design principles for maturity models and its demonstration in business process management. In 19th European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS), Finland.
Redep, N. B., Balaban, I., Zugec, B., Calopa, M. K., & Divjak, B. (2017, June). Framework for digitally mature schools. In EDEN Conference Proceedings (No. 1, pp. 360-371).
Reyes Domínguez, D., Infante Abreu, M. B., & Parv, A. L. (2025). Evolution and key differences in maturity models for industrial digital transformation: Focus on Industry 4.0 and 5.0. Sustainability, 17(24), 11042. https://doi.org/10.3390/su172411042
Reyes-Tagle, G., Santin, O., & Cadena, L. F. (2021). Digital maturity index: How to measure digital transformation progress in tax administrations. https://www.iadb.org/en/blog/modernization-state/fiscal-management/digital-maturity-index-how-measure-digital-transformation-progress-tax-administrations
Richey, R. C., & Klein, J. D. (2007). Design and development research: Methods, strategies, and issues. Routledge.
Rutkowski, D. (2021). Digital maturity: What it is, How to achieve it, and the digital maturity model to drive business transformation. Performance Improvement Partners. https://www.pipartners.com/digital-maturity/#:~:text=A%20digital%20maturity%20model%20(DMM,for%20growth%2C%20and%20measure%20success
Safiullin, M. R., Akhmetshin, E. M., & Vasilev, V. L. (2019). Production of indicators for evaluation of digital transformation of modern university. International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology, 9(1), 7399-7402. https://doi.org/10.35940/ijeat.A3100.109119
Schumacher, A., Erol, S., & Sihn, W. (2016). A maturity model for assessing Industry 4.0 readiness and maturity of manufacturing enterprises. Procedia Cirp, 52, 161-166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2016.07.040
Scott, J. C. (2006). The mission of the university: Medieval to postmodern transformations. The Journal of Higher Education, 77(1), 1-39. https://doi.org/10.1353/jhe.2006.0007
Seres, L., Pavlicevic, V., & Tumbas, P. (2018). Digital transformation of higher education: Competing on analytics. In Proceedings of INTED2018 Conference 5th-7th March (pp. 9491-9497). https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2018.2348
Singun, A. J. (2025). Unveiling the barriers to digital transformation in higher education institutions: A systematic literature review. Discover Education, 4(1), 37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00430-9
Sporn, B., & Godonoga, A. (2024). Higher education institutions as change agents in society: perspectives on adaptation and impact. European Journal of Higher Education, 14(sup1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2024.2412764
Swanson, T. (2020). Digital maturity assessment for universities. ATOS.
Teichert, R. (2019). Digital transformation maturity: A systematic review of literature. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 67(6), 1673-1687. https://doi.org/10.11118/actaun201967061673
Thordsen, T., & Bick, M. (2023). A decade of digital maturity models: Much ado about nothing? Information Systems and e-Business Management, 21(4), 947–976. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10257-023-00656-w
Tocto-Cano, E., Paz Collado, S., López-Gonzales, J. L., & Turpo-Chaparro, J. E. (2020). A systematic review of the application of maturity models in universities. Information, 11(10), 466. https://doi.org/10.3390/info11100466
Üstün, A. G., Kayalı, B., & Yavuz, M. (2026). Artificial intelligence supported online assessment and evaluation in higher education: A systematic review with SWOT analysis. SAGE Open, 16(2), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440261423669
Wernicke, B., Stehn, L., Sezer, A. A., & Thunberg, M. (2021). Introduction of a digital maturity assessment framework for construction site operations. International Journal of Construction Management, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2021.1943629
Wißotzki, M., & Koç, H. (2013, September). A project driven approach for enhanced maturity model development for EAM capability evaluation. In 2013 17th IEEE International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference Workshops (pp. 296-304). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/EDOCW.2013.39
Yavuz, M., & Karaman, S. (2023). Components of digital transformation and digital transformation in higher education: Conceptual framework proposal. Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Journal of Education, 20(3), 1133–1186. https://doi.org/10.33711/yyuefd.1332639
Yavuz, M., Kayalı, B., & Karaman, S. (2023). An investigation of digital transformation activities of higher education in Türkiye. Participatory Educational Research, 10(4), 237–255. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.23.69.10.4
Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2008). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri [Qualitative research methods in the social sciences] (6th ed.). Seçkin Publication.
Zamaslo, O., Kovalenko, V., & Lozynska, O. (2021). Digital transformation level indicators of banks. Baltic Journal of Economic Studies, 7(2), 77-82. https://doi.org/10.30525/2256-0742/2021-7-2-77-82

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Higher Education Systems, Higher Education Studies (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Mehmet Yavuz ^*
0000-0001-6218-232X
Türkiye

Selçuk Karaman
0000-0002-0493-3444
Türkiye

Publication Date

November 1, 2026

Submission Date

March 10, 2026

Acceptance Date

August 8, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 13 Number: 6

DOI

https://doi.org/10.17275/per.26.78.13.6

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA23AG46FK

APA

Yavuz, M., & Karaman, S. (2026). Digital Maturity in Higher Education: A Model and Design Principles for Institutional Transformation. Participatory Educational Research, 13(6), 48-76. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.26.78.13.6

AMA

1.Yavuz M, Karaman S. Digital Maturity in Higher Education: A Model and Design Principles for Institutional Transformation. PER. 2026;13(6):48-76. doi:10.17275/per.26.78.13.6

Chicago

Yavuz, Mehmet, and Selçuk Karaman. 2026. “Digital Maturity in Higher Education: A Model and Design Principles for Institutional Transformation”. Participatory Educational Research 13 (6): 48-76. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.26.78.13.6.

EndNote

Yavuz M, Karaman S (November 1, 2026) Digital Maturity in Higher Education: A Model and Design Principles for Institutional Transformation. Participatory Educational Research 13 6 48–76.

IEEE

[1]M. Yavuz and S. Karaman, “Digital Maturity in Higher Education: A Model and Design Principles for Institutional Transformation”, PER, vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 48–76, Nov. 2026, doi: 10.17275/per.26.78.13.6.

ISNAD

Yavuz, Mehmet - Karaman, Selçuk. “Digital Maturity in Higher Education: A Model and Design Principles for Institutional Transformation”. Participatory Educational Research 13/6 (November 1, 2026): 48-76. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.26.78.13.6.

JAMA

1.Yavuz M, Karaman S. Digital Maturity in Higher Education: A Model and Design Principles for Institutional Transformation. PER. 2026;13:48–76.

MLA

Yavuz, Mehmet, and Selçuk Karaman. “Digital Maturity in Higher Education: A Model and Design Principles for Institutional Transformation”. Participatory Educational Research, vol. 13, no. 6, Nov. 2026, pp. 48-76, doi:10.17275/per.26.78.13.6.

Vancouver

1.Mehmet Yavuz, Selçuk Karaman. Digital Maturity in Higher Education: A Model and Design Principles for Institutional Transformation. PER. 2026 Nov. 1;13(6):48-76. doi:10.17275/per.26.78.13.6

27707

Creative Commons Atıf 4.0 International Lisance

download?token=eyJhdXRoX3JvbGVzIjpbXSwiZW5kcG9pbnQiOiJqb3VybmFsIiwib3JpZ2luYWxuYW1lIjoicGVyIHNjb3B1cyBpc3RhdHRpc3Rpay5wbmciLCJwYXRoIjoiOTg5Ni9mN2E1LzU3ZDcvNmEyMmIyZmFlMGJkYjYuMDUyNjIyMDMucG5nIiwiZXhwIjoxNzgwNjYyNTM5LCJub25jZSI6IjcxYzczMjhhOTdkOWYxM2ExZjE2NWExYjQyMzMyOWJhIn0.g4uvJoi6Oy8W0gRoUNW-d5FO9m4u30pEA0l1h8DwzSE

Digital Maturity in Higher Education: A Model and Design Principles for Institutional Transformation

Abstract

Keywords

Ethical Statement

References

Details

Primary Language

Subjects

Journal Section

Authors

Publication Date

Submission Date

Acceptance Date

Published in Issue

DOI

IZ

Cite