Digitalisation of writing in higher education: the COVID-19 pandemic impact

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of higher education worldwide. It also has facilitated digital writing in remote classrooms and beyond. During lockdowns, digital writing has become a constant way of communication in our lives. The research examines the COVID-19 pandemic impact on digital writing transformation in higher education. It also assumes the dependence of writing modes on distance learning types. Empirical evidence gathered through quantitative and qualitative research methods involves higher education teachers and students surveyed in a Ukrainian university to understand their perceptions and experience of writing online during the Coronavirus lockdowns in 2020-22. The research results reveal trends in transforming writing modes (traditional vs digital), writing conditions, and educational technology. Furthermore, the research shows that the higher education transition to digital format during the COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged the digitalisation of writing, and even new modes of collaboration through digital writing. They include detailed description and visualisation of interactive learning activities with additional ICT tools that can optimise the educational process. The findings and guidelines can contribute to studying digital writing in higher education during and post-pandemic.