Disciplinary digital capabilities of professionals

Networked learning in engineering and management

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the digital practices of professionals, and the ways in which educators can support higher education (HE) students with successfully transitioning into professional life by developing relevant digital capabilities according to their disciplines. Digital capabilities have received significant attention in recent years, with various attempts made to develop digital frameworks to support curriculum design in HE. However, few studies have articulated these generic capabilities in terms of specific disciplines. This paper addresses the gap of disciplinary conceptualisations of digital capabilities by exploring how they are planned in HE curricula in two professional disciplines, engineering and management. Originality of the study is achieved in part through a conceptual framework that weaves together Shulman’s notion of signature pedagogies with JISC’s Digital Capability Framework (DigiCap). The study employed a multiple-case study methodology with each discipline as a case, and four undergraduate/postgraduate modules as the units of analysis, drawing on documentary sources, and academic, professional and student perspectives via interviews and focus groups. The research design section presents a practical manifestation of this conceptual framework in the form interview questions, which is one main outcome of this study. The study offers insight into the digital capabilities in engineering and management education, as well as the digital practices of engineers and managers. Findings report on which digital capability elements are prioritised, and how, in the two professions, followed by a discussion of their most distinct, 'signature digital capabilities'. These indicate that the development of digital capabilities is aligned with the respective discipline’s signature pedagogies. In engineering, digital problem-solving and collaboration/communication, followed by data and information literacy, appear to be most prominent. In management, data and information literacy overlap with problem-solving, and, together with digital content communication, form its prominent digital capabilities. The study also identifies management’s overarching signature digital capability. The paper argues that simply just using a descriptive, typological framework (e.g. DigiCap) is not sufficient to identify signature digital capabilities of a subject without tending to their disciplinary aspects. It is the combination of a typological digital capability framework through the lens of signature pedagogies, which can be effective in identifying disciplinary digital capabilities.