چكيده لاتين
The rapid advancement of emerging technologies and the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution have confronted higher education with fundamental challenges in rethinking its structures, teaching–learning approaches, and curricula. In this context, the concept of the “digital university,” as a strategic response to these challenges and a novel educational paradigm in the digital era, integrates physical and virtual spaces to create an intelligent, data-driven, and collaborative learning environment. The present study aimed to identify, validate, and assess the feasibility of the characteristics of curriculum elements in the digital university within Iran’s higher education system. This research employed an exploratory mixed-methods design (qualitative–quantitative). In the qualitative phase, the initial conceptual framework was derived using a systematic review of theoretical foundations and previous studies. During this stage, a systematic search was conducted in international academic databases covering the period from 2010 to 2024. Subsequently, eligible sources were selected and analyzed using screening and quality appraisal checklists (CASP). Next, through purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 experts and faculty members specializing in digital education and curriculum studies. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The credibility of the qualitative data was ensured based on four criteria—credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirm ability—and its reliability was established through a documentation process. In the quantitative phase, to validate the characteristics of curriculum elements and to examine the feasibility of implementing the proposed model, a researcher-made questionnaire (based on the extracted themes) was administered in two stages. The statistical population for the validation phase consisted of experts and faculty members in digital education and curriculum studies, while for the feasibility phase, it included faculty members of the University of Isfahan. Participants were selected using multi-stage cluster random sampling. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed through face, content, and construct validity, and its reliability was verified by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (0.98-0.99). Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-sample t-test, and structural equation modeling (SEM) in AMOS software. The qualitative findings revealed that the digital university is a learning, data-driven, and innovative institution that, through reliance on digital technologies and intelligent infrastructures, redefines its educational, research, and managerial processes. By combining physical and virtual spaces, such a university is characterized by features such as data orientation, agility, ecosystemic comprehensiveness, digital curriculum, socialization, digital strategies, digital experience, and platform-based operation. These characteristics create a conducive environment for enhancing educational quality and addressing the needs of the future knowledge society. Moreover, based on the analysis of qualitative data, the characteristics of digital university curriculum elements were identified in four main dimensions: shared learning content, shared learning space, teaching–learning strategies, and open assessment.
