Categories

Social Sciences
, 
Education and Pedagogy

Digitalisation in higher education: A critical review of equity, access, and pedagogical change

Authors

By 
Buhle Stella Nhlumayo
Buhle Stella Nhlumayo, University of South Africa, Department of Educational Foundations, South Africa
Orcid https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0598-3988

Dr Buhle Stella Nhlumayo holds a PhD in Education Leadership, Management, and Policy from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). Dr. Nhlumayo is a Senior Lecturer at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in the Department of Educational Foundations. Dr. Nhlumayo’s research interests include Educational Leadership, with a particular focus on Rural education and ICT in Education. Dr Nhlumayo has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and conference proceedings. She has presented her research at national and international conferences and also serves as a reviewer for several accredited journals in South Africa and internationally.

STAR SCHOLARS PRESS

Published

Publication date : August 9, 2026

Synopsis

This chapter critically reviews digitalisation in higher education through the lenses of equity, access, and pedagogical change. Using sociomateriality as a theoretical framework, it argues that digital technologies are not neutral tools but are entangled with institutional practices, material conditions, and power relations. The discussion shows how platforms, infrastructures, and digital pedagogies can widen participation while also reproducing inequalities in connectivity, digital literacy, and institutional capacity. The chapter calls for context-sensitive, equity-oriented, and pedagogically grounded digital transformation.

Copyright

Copyright (c) 2026 STAR SCHOLARS PRESS