When Data Does Not Deliver

Rethinking Datafication in Global Higher Education

Authors

  • Janja Komljenovic University of Edinburgh

Keywords:

Northern Europe, Digital Transformation & AI, Europe & Central Asia, datafication, edtech, Data, Security, Shifts in Global Science

Abstract

In higher education, digital data is seen as transformative, and there is an omnipresent belief in its value. However, digital data is not inherently valuable; rather, it needs to be made so. This article investigates five challenges of datafication in the sector, addressing common misconceptions. It advocates for slow and responsible data innovation to meet the sector’s evolving needs.

Author Biography

Janja Komljenovic, University of Edinburgh

Janja Komljenovic is senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom. E-mail: j.komljenovic@ed.ac.uk.

The article is based on a 2024 report from the Centre for Global Higher Education, “Edtech in Higher Education: Empirical Findings from the Project ‘Universities and Unicorns: Building Digital Assets in the Higher Education Industry’”.

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Published

2025-08-05

How to Cite

Komljenovic, J. (2025). When Data Does Not Deliver: Rethinking Datafication in Global Higher Education. International Higher Education, (122), 3–4. Retrieved from https://ejournals.bc.edu/index.php/ihe/article/view/20151

Issue

No. 122 (2025): Spring Issue

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 International Higher Education

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