The Digital Student

Challenges for Universities in a Post COVID World and How to Address Them

Andy Phippen, Emma Bond

• Publisher: Chandos Publishing
• Year: 2026
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• eBook ISBN:
  9780443340581
• Subtopic: Library & Information Science
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

The Digital Student: Challenges for Universities in a Post-Covid World and How to Address Them provides a thorough discussion of digital pedagogy, enabling readers to understand effective digital teaching methodologies, particularly post-Covid, to enhance online learning experiences and quality. The book discusses issues that have little coverage elsewhere, including the social dimension of online student life, the needs of neurodiverse students, those with mental health concerns and acknowledges that students differ in their level of awareness and competency of how to operate within the digital world. Insights into the impact of digital technologies on student well-being and mental health are discussed and ways that students can be supported are suggested. Online harms to students posed by digital environments are explored, together with cybersecurity and strategies to mitigate the risks. Guidance is provided on digital policy development and implementation. Strategies are suggested to help universities adapt to the evolving digital landscape. A self-assessment tool is provided enabling universities to benchmark their policies and activities against best practice in order to develop and enhance their digital operations - Discusses digital pedagogy and also draws on case studies using authentic student experience and empirical research into issues such as online harms and abuse, digital isolation, resilience, mental health and neurodivergence that have a far smaller body of knowledge - Presents practical insights and solutions for dealing with problems that students may encounter in the digital world - Includes a self-review tool enabling universities to benchmark their own policies, strategies and operations with best practice, which is applicable to any higher education institution in any location - Explores in detail the social dimension of online student life and the risks and harms that may arise, and highlights the role of universities, as stakeholders in student safeguarding and providers of education, advice and support around these challenges

Table of contents

• Title of Book
• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of contributors
• About the editors
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 Introduction: the digital student – challenges for higher education and how to address them
• Chapter 2 Can we regulate our way to a solution? Getting universities engaged with online harms and duty of care
• Chapter 3 Loneliness and belonging in higher education: the digital influence
• Chapter 4 Digital resilience: reflections and considerations for students' technology use
• Chapter 5 Should universities be concerned by high levels of online abuse in schools and colleges?
• Chapter 6 Virtual vulnerability: (Re)conceptualising higher education students’ experiences of trust and risk online
• Chapter 7 Reasonable adjustment supporting special educational needs and disabilities: the case for digital skills
• Chapter 8 Cyber security and the digital student
• Chapter 9 AI, data and information literacy for the digital student
• Chapter 10 ‘Sort of here’: exploring student screentoria and the policy implications for learning in universities
• Chapter 11 Conclusions – supporting the digital student
• Appendix A: Higher education online safeguarding self-review tool
• Index