1 Introduction

The development of technologies accelerated with the introduction and growth of the internet during the last century. During the last decade of the twentieth century, the internet facilitated companies to reach more users within and beyond their territories. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, social networks and mobile devices have changed how we communicate with each other (Schallmo et al., 2017). Companies committed to developing their information systems and digitalizing their processes have produced the current digital transformation (Osmundsen, 2020; Vial, 2019). This digital transformation is understood as the formation of networks of actors, such as companies and customers, in all value chain segments and the application of new technologies (Schallmo et al., 2017). However, digital transformation goes beyond just the use of technology; it must consider changes in talent, culture, and organizational structure. (Kane et al., 2017) (see Table 1). Both the public and private sectors have adopted technological advances, although not all have done so in the same way. Nevertheless, this has boosted their development (Jackson, 2019; Pihir et al., 2019). Even the education sector has not been left out of this transformation.

Table 1 Digital transformation categories (Anderson & Ellerby, 2018)
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Universities have embarked on the road to digital transformation and have incorporated technologies in their educational, administrative, and communication processes. Advances such as educational technology platforms and electronic communications such as email and social media messaging (Sjöberg & Lilja, 2019) are used regularly in the university. Both teachers and students have access to these technologies and digital resources, which has been a catalyst for universities to reassess their traditional education models. (Bond et al., 2018; Jackson, 2019). Moreover, to drive and ensure the university's digital transformation, it is necessary to develop both the teachers' and students' skills (Bond et al., 2018; Khitskov et al., 2017) to adapt and use advanced technology. Technological changes have caused users to learn and unlearn, develop new competencies, be spectators, and even contribute content.

Users of technology must acquire the knowledge and skills to use it effectively for their learning. One of the challenges is that users must dedicate time to develop new skills to operate and apply the technology (Fucili et al., 2020; Mendieta Baltodano, 2016; Salmieri, 2019). The classroom's digital transformation goes beyond the use of tools and software; it impacts the knowledge and skills of its users, teachers, and students, and the didactics and processes of educational institutions (Fucili et al., 2020; Mendieta Baltodano, 2016; Salmieri, 2019). Examples of using educational technology can be found in digital pedagogies, technology models, and adaptive, open, smart, and disruptive technologies (González-Pérez et al., 2019). Members of educational institutions must be attentive and prepared to keep abreast of the changes brought about by digital transformation.

The skills required for education and work have been subject to change along with technologies. Digital literacy emerged concurrently with the internet's evolution and required knowing how to access, search, and critically analyze information (Liu et al., 2020). With the advent of social networks such as YouTube and Pinterest and access to mobile devices, users have developed new skills to generate digital resources, characterizing media literacy (Koc & Barut, 2016; Liu et al., 2020). As technology continually evolves, the new skills will not remain static but will continuously change (UNESCO, 2017) (see Table 2). The challenge remains for institutions and individuals to identify, adapt, and adopt the advances to their contextual needs.

Table 2 Specific emerging issues in the use of educational technology (González-Pérez et al., 2019)
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Other studies related to digital literacy have provided considerations for mappings. Among the studies is Juergens (2020), highlighting when geospatial data literacy is essential to judge spatial data reliability, contributing to ingenious and reliable thematic maps. Likewise, Da Silva and Cardoso (2020) focused their study on Librarianship and Education, where they highlighted the current social demand for this sector to support lifelong learning in the context of accelerating technological progress. While this research considered the previous contributions, it also sought to analyze publications on digital transformation and media literacy that impacted higher education in 2015–2020 to identify the types of research and topics they addressed and provide data for educommunication. A systematic mapping of articles published in 2015–2020 was performed to carry out the above. This document presents the methodology, results, discussion, and limitations of the research, and it closes with a discussion of digital literacy trends to contribute to educommunication.

2 Research questions

This study investigated the types of research published on the topic of digital transformation and media literacy. The following research questions were defined to obtain timely information on the topic:

  • RQ1: How many studies are in the Scopus and WoS databases between 2015 and 2020, and what is their design?

  • RQ2: What are the most cited articles?

  • RQ3: What is the geographical distribution of the authors?

  • RQ4: Which are the journals with the largest publications on this topic?

  • RQ5: How are digital transformation studies classified?

  • RQ6: What are the trends and topics addressed by the articles?

3 Method

The method applied in this research was systematic literature mapping, which provides the means to identify, evaluate, and interpret the published literature available on a study topic. (García-Peñalvo, 2017; Kitchenham & Charters, 2007). The protocol applied to analyze the articles, as shown in Fig. 1, consisted of five phases (Ramírez-Montoya & Lugo-Ocando, 2020).

3.1 Definition of research questions

During phase 1, six questions were established to analyze the research published over five years (2015–2020). The questions were designed to cover the research's objective and identify relevant and specific characteristics that could answer the questions shown in Table 3 (García-Peñalvo, 2017; Kitchenham & Charters, 2007). In particular, the questions emanated from the interest in integrating the subject in aspects of education, innovation, and educommunication to provide data that can be of value for training and research processes. Table 3 lists the research questions, and the type of answer sought.

3.2 Search process

In phase 2, the search process considered the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases, which cover many publications, the thematic areas, and the selected range of years (Mongeon & Paul-Hus, 2016). In the strings' construction, the Boolean operators, AND and OR, were used to integrate the selected variables. An iterative process with several tests was carried out to obtain the highest number of results in both databases (Kitchenham & Charters, 2007; Vial, 2019). Table 4 shows the strings and search terms applied on October 23, 2020.

3.3 Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

In phase 3, the inclusion and exclusion of publications criteria were defined considering they were indexed in the selected databases, related to the subject matter, and in the range from years 2015 to 2020. Those that did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded. Also, papers and articles of previous access or review and those in publications not of high impact were discarded. Likewise, the publications' language was limited to English and Spanish because these are the languages in which the researchers are fluent. The inclusion and exclusion criteria are presented in Table 5.

3.4 Selection Process and Data Extraction

In phase 4, the articles were searched, then data extraction was performed, and then the information was input into an Excel database. The search resulted in 374 articles: 231 in Scopus and 143 in WoS. The information extracted from each article included the author(s), keywords, title, type of access, year of publication, name of publication source, number of citations, DOI number, affiliations, language, country, and abstract. Based on these data, 76 duplicate articles were identified and moved to another sheet of the database, resulting in 298 articles as review candidates.

The missing information for each entry was then completed. Regarding the impact factor, 241 were found with an impact factor in Scopus and WoS, 46 in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), and 11 with no rank. Figure 2 structures the delimitation based on the PRISMA method (Moher et al., 2009).

3.5 Data Synthesis

In phase 5, a classification was sought in the digital transformation subject to answer question RQ5, and the Digital Maturity Model (Anderson & Ellerby, 2018) focused on organizations was selected. Those categories are included in Table 1. The abstract's information, the keywords, and the article's title were reviewed to categorize each article.

Fig. 1
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Protocol for the analysis of methodological mapping

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Table 3 Research questions (self-elaborated)
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Table 4 Search strings in Scopus and WoS
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Table 5 Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria (own elaboration)
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Fig. 2
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Selection Process

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4 Results

The systematic literature mapping methodology results documented in an Excel database were available at the following address: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14151563.

In this database, the information was organized to answer each research question.

4.1 RQ1 How many studies are in the Scopus and WOS databases between 2015 and 2020, and what is their design?

The number of articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria was 298; 77.5% were found in the Scopus database. Figure 3 shows 51.7% of the empirical research studies, which used qualitative research (MacLure & Stewart, 2018; Wang et al., 2017), in-depth interviews (Önger & Çetin, 2018; Poncette et al., 2019; Suwana & Lily, 2017), or quantitative research. The latter was surveys applied to groups of students or teachers to approach the subject through case studies (Amhag et al., 2019; Colás-Bravo et al., 2017; Khan & Bhatti, 2017; Miralles-Martínez et al., 2019; Munoz-Repiso & del Pozo, 2016; NIH Office of Behavioral & Social Sciences Research, 2018; Sánchez et al., 2017). Few studies used mixed methods; some opted to apply surveys and documentary or case studies (Tømte et al., 2015; Torres-Coronas & Vidal-Blasco, 2015; Villarreal-Villa et al., 2019).

Fig. 3
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Number of articles by type of study

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4.2 RQ2 What are the most cited articles?

Analysis of the data showed one article had the highest number of citations (59) (Cronin, 2017). The article focuses on open education practices and the development of digital literacy. The second had 40 citations, (Murray & Pérez, 2015) which addresses adaptive learning issues and their impact on learning outcomes. Article with 39 citations (Tømte et al., 2015) contributes to the study of online programs for teachers and digital competencies (see Table 6).

Table 6 Articles with the highest number of citations (own elaboration)
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The topics of digital transformation and media literacy in higher education have shown interest since 2015. In 2019 and 2020, publications increased 23% and 50% over the previous year (see Fig. 4).

Fig. 4
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Number of publications per year

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4.3 R3. What is the geographical distribution of the authors?

The first author's country of origin was used to identify the publication's geographical distribution. The authors' presence was found in 59 countries in five continents, evidencing the international research work on digital transformation and media literacy (Fig. 5). Five countries accounted for 52% of the authors: Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Russia (Fig. 6). This data can be of value to locate researchers, networks, and institutions working on this topic to seek collaborations.

Fig. 5
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Geographical distribution of authors

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Fig. 6
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Frequency of publications by country

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4.4 RQ4: Which are the journals with the most publications on this subject?

The journals with the highest number of articles published on digital transformation and media literacy are shown in Table 7. Twenty-one journals with at least three articles were identified. The Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy stands out with 14 articles. 81% of the articles published were in journals with an impact factor. Of those articles, 48% were Q1 and Q2, and 19% were published in ESCI journals and without identified rank (see Table 8). This data may be of interest to support theoretical and conceptual frameworks on the subject, analyze different contextual practices, or make studies visible.

Table 7 Journals with at least three articles (self-elaborated)
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Table 8 Articles published in journals Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4, ESCI, No rank (self-elaborated)
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4.5 RQ5: How are digital transformation studies classified?

Nearly half of the publications (42%) focused on innovation issues associated with business strategy, including incorporating new learning practice designs (Ting, 2015). 26% were research studies on teaching staff training (Creswell, 2014; Cronin, 2017; Tømte et al., 2015) classified in organization and culture, and 27% referred to the student's experience (Bond et al., 2018) in the customer category. The remaining 5% was made up of the category of technology in mobile learning (Bates et al., 2017) and operations with new processes (Wanotayapitak et al., 2019) (see Fig. 7).

Fig. 7
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Classification of digital transformation studies

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4.6 RQ6: What are the trends and issues addressed in the articles?

Most of the studies (75%) referred to pedagogies that evaluate digital transformation elements and their impact on users' digital skills. 18% were conducted on using adaptive technologies that "adapt to society's needs and promote learning" (González-Pérez et al., 2019, p. 24), such as the use of Web 2.0 resources and applications (Guillén-Gámez et al., 2020). Open technologies, which "enable open access for the dissemination of knowledge" (González-Pérez et al., 2019, p.24) include open education practices (Cronin, 2017). Others are smart technologies that use mobile learning (Bates et al., 2017) or disruptive technologies that "involve new processes or services that generate structural or functional changes" (González-Pérez et al., 2019, p. 24). These include the use of extended reality in education (see Fig. 8). Technological models is another category referred as “those that integrate innovation models with technology, such as smart innovation system, research-based design” (González-Pérez et al., 2019, p.24) and include geo-spatial referencing (Appel, 2019). The interest in applying trends in education is evidenced by the diversity of studies conducted during 2015–2020.

Fig. 8
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Trends and issues addressed by the articles

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5 Discussion

Scientific production on digital transformation and media literacy in the context of higher education institutions is a topic of interest among researchers. The results of this study indicated that empirical and conceptual-theoretical studies predominate over mixed studies, and that the Scopus database contains the largest number of articles (Fig. 3). The search strategy for systematic reviews requires defining the primary sources of information appropriate to the object of study (Kitchenham & Charters, 2007); moreover, the identification of methodological approaches guides researchers in taking up or exploring new studies (Ramírez-Montoya & Lugo-Ocando, 2020). Formal research provides the basis for results that support decision-making in teaching practice, as well as in the strategy of educational institutions.

Digital transformation and its impact on media literacy are topics of interest for higher education institutions, both for its influence on learning processes and on the operation of the institution. In this research, the interest is evident in the increase of publications in the last five years (Table 6), as well as in the citations of the articles (Fig. 4), with the topics of the three most cited articles being digital literacy, adaptive learning, and digital competencies of teachers (Fig. 5). The adoption of new technologies in higher education ranges from electronic means of communication to platforms for delivery of learning resources, as well as systems that advance administrative processes (Sjöberg & Lilja, 2019), this demands that teachers and students develop new competencies to also evolve the teaching–learning process and be prepared for the demands of the work environment (Jackson, 2019). Technology works as the engine of innovation; its advances and new proposals, adapted to each context, generate new knowledge to learn, as well as new ways of learning.

In the last five years, publications on transformation and digital literacy experiences demonstrated a steady increase in several countries. The results showed the geographical distribution of papers in five continents (Fig. 5), which represents an opportunity to establish networks among researchers, so that the lessons learned from the most experienced can contribute to the development of countries that are just starting out. The country with the most publications was Spain, followed by the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Russia (Fig. 6). International initiatives such as the "Working Group on education: Digital skills for life and work" provide the current state of the UN member countries, as well as the challenges to be met in order to make effective use of digital technologies in the classroom and in the workplace (UNESCO, 2017). Countries and higher education institutions must incorporate new technologies into their strategies and prepare for the changes that these technologies imply in processes, business models and the development of user skills.

Dissemination of research findings provides an opportunity for society to learn from the experiences of others. This study found publications that have incorporated digital transformation and literacy into their subject matter and have published up to 14 articles (Tables 7 and 8); the journals are in the Q1, Q2 and Q3 quartiles, and in ESCI journals both in the Scopus database and in Web of Science. Scientific rigor and adherence to guidelines and standards facilitate the replicability of studies; it is important to select specialized databases, as well as journals and papers that have processes to ensure the quality of the studies (Kitchenham & Charters, 2007). Higher education institutions are considered the traditional sources of knowledge, and it is therefore important that they make it available to society.

Digital transformation has shown a systemic reach in organizations, mainly in key areas over the last five years. Most of the publications reviewed focused on strategy, customer, and organizational and cultural issues (Fig. 7), which in relation to a higher education institution are associated to innovation in learning practices, student experience in mastering digital competencies, and faculty digital competency training, respectively; to a lesser extent, studies were found on technologies and processes (Fig. 8). The development of digital competencies of both teachers and students contributes to the adoption of new technologies that support the learning process (Blau et al., 2020; Bond et al., 2018; Mendieta Baltodano, 2016; Reyna & Meier, 2018); in addition, educational institutions must generate strategies that ensure a systemic digital transformation so that their services and processes evolve at the same pace (Salmieri, 2019). The incorporation of technologies must be accompanied by strategies that favor their adoption by users and employees, the adaptation of processes and operations, as well as the incorporation of innovation practices on a permanent basis.

Technologies adapted to the educational context enable diverse alternatives that demand and promote the development of digital literacy. The results show trends that are grouped into six categories (Fig. 8), where digital pedagogies that assess elements of digital transformation and their impact on the digital competencies of students and teachers stand out over the other categories. The incorporation of devices, as well as new forms of interaction moved organizations to rethink their processes and incorporate them to adapt to change (Schallmo et al., 2017); as a result, educational institutions have recognized the opportunity provided by technologies and today they are part of most classrooms and educational programs. (Bucea-Manea-Ţoniş et al., 2020; Liu et al., 2020). Even so, it is important to keep in mind that technologies are a means to support the learning process, teachers must define the best way to incorporate them in their classes so that students are prepared for the changing work environment.

6 Limitations

This study analyzes trends and innovations associated with various emerging technologies in a specific period. It can serve as a reference and starting point for further research. The mapping was done using two indexing systems (Scopus and Web of Science), so future research can expand to other systems and digital databases.

7 Conclusions

Digital transformation has become a constant, opening numerous possibilities to enrich the educational experience. This research presents trends in digital transformation and digital literacy studies in higher education institutions, and it has even become a topic of interest for governments (Khitskov et al., 2017; Rampelt et al., 2019; Vasilev et al., 2020; Xiao, 2020). As demonstrated in this literature review, educational institutions have adopted digital transformation in various areas of their businesses, including education and services to students, the adoption or creation of new technological applications, and initiatives to change organizational culture. This transformation occurs at the level of processes and systems. It also affects the people in the institutions, requiring them to continuously update their skills, which is why digital literacy is a prominent topic in empirical studies. This research provides a perspective on digital transformation studies in higher education institutions and their internalization approaches. It may be of value to trainers, students, decision-makers, and researchers interested in transformation, educommunication, and educational innovation.