ICT integration in higher education sector of developing countries: a systematic review

Digitally mediated pedagogy enables interpersonal communication beyond institutional boundaries through accessing resources from anywhere anytime. This integration connects higher education sectors in underdeveloped countries into global networks, enabling institutions previously marginalized institutions to enter dialogue with innovation and knowledge generation to a much greater degree. The diversity of several factors such as institutional context, availability and accessibility of resources, technological and pedagogical skills, preferences of teachers, motivations and aptitudes of students intensify the need for systematic review studies in digitally mediated models of integration in southeast Asia. Applying Creswell’s five steps and prisma guidelines, 46 peer reviewed articles have been reviewed. The study has shown that most of the existing digital integration models emphasize pedagogical methods from teachers’ perspective without considering participatory roles of students. Additionally, existing teacher training programs rarely follow harmonized professional ict training courses, hence, they suffer from fragmented ict knowledge transfer to teacher trainees. Moreover, digital divides exist between developed and developing countries in terms of ict adoption in higher education due to socio-economic condition, education policy, curriculum goals, ict strategies, technological capabilities, and salient cultural features. In this context, ict education policy, strategy and implementation plans need to be revised taking into consideration ict goals and contexts of developing countries rather than applying the philosophies of developed countries. However, the present review does not claim to be comprehensive in its coverage, but rather provides a discrete picture of frameworks, influential factors, and challenges by summarizing recent research results pertinent to digitalization of higher education in developing countries.