The Digital Transformation of Higher Education in Sri Lanka Due to COVID-19

Abstract

Digitalization in education can be defined as the implementation of digital technologies to transform knowledge for learners as well as educators. Digital technology has made a phenomenal entrance into Sri Lankan higher education during the Covid-19 pandemic since the Sri Lankan government followed the social distancing step to limit the spread of the syndrome. This study will elaborate on answers to the issue; to what extent the steps taken by the government and private sectors have been sustainable in facilitating e-learning during the Covid-19 outbreak. Therefore, the study is crucial in determining whether the steps taken to make online learning feasible in Sri Lanka with the real-world challenges that Sri Lankan university students encounter. Taking a quantitative research approach; a questionnaire, the paper observed the usage of digital platforms before and after the pandemic situation, some issues faced by the university students with the digital transformation, some steps taken by authorities and to what extent, they have been sustainable in the higher education in both academics and economics. Furthermore, there are some recommendations for how to resolve the problems and improve the sustainability of the digital transformation in the future. In terms of the conclusion, it can be stated that Sri Lanka’s digital transformation was at a sustainable level during the pandemic, and even after the outbreak, and it has a beneficial impact on education in the country’s higher education system