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Designing student-centred digital learning for belonging, engagement and employability: a case study of the University of Limerick’s transformative digital ecosystem
Date
2026-05-19
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to examine how the design and deployment of digital learning infrastructure can foster innovation, assuring a sense of belonging and supporting students’ personal, academic and professional goals. It presents a case study of the University of Limerick’s digital transformation, highlighting how the institution’s new virtual learning environment (VLE) was embedded. Design/methodology/approach – This case study draws on institutional data, surveys, system analytics and stakeholder feedback from students, staff and employers, consistent with established approaches to explanatory institutional case study research (Yin, 2018). Engagement was analysed across behavioural and experiential dimensions, combining learning analytics (log-ins, activity completion, tool adoption) with student-reported perceptions of relevance, manageability and motivation. The analysis is framed by student belonging and engagement theory, digital competence frameworks, and emerging principles for AI literacy and academic integrity. Belonging as a construct is operationalised through accessibility, consistency, and inclusion and evidenced by positive student feedback; sustained and VLE use as measured by surveys, feedback, and analytics. Engagement is operationalised through behaviour and experiences as evidenced by high log-ins and activity completed measured by VLE analytics, quizzes, evaluations. Finally, employability is operationlised through skills development and articulation, as evidenced by improved CV quality and employer feedback as measured though assessments, CV data and ePortfolios VLE analytics, quizzes, evaluations High log-ins; activity completion. Findings – The transition to a new VLE supported over 18,000 students across more than 200 programmes, consolidating fragmented systems into a student-centred VLE. Initiatives such as the Digital Skills Hub, Assignment Toolkit and Ready-Steady-Co-Op model fostered engagement, digital literacy and workplace readiness. Learning analytics revealed sustained behavioural engagement, evidenced by high-frequency logins during teaching and assessment periods and consistent use of embedded tools, indicating integration of the VLE into everyday learning practices rather than episodic or compliance-driven use. Belonging was supported through digitally mediated experiences of accessibility, consistency and curricular integration. Research limitations/implications – While grounded in a single institutional context, the value of this case is in the design principles, governance approaches and patterns of integration that can inform digital transformation efforts in comparable higher education settings, not in the replication of specific tools or structure. Further cross-institutional and longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate transferability and long- term outcomes. Practical implications – The study provides strategies for designing inclusive digital infrastructure, embedding employability skills, and highlights the importance of underpinning governance models that balance reliability with innovation. Originality/value – This paper advances the discussion on digital transformation in higher education by reframing VLE implementation as a learning design and governance challenge rather than a technical upgrade. Through an institutional case, it suggests how belonging, engagement and employability can be operationalised through integrated digital infrastructures and learning practices. The study contributes a transferable framework for student-centred digital transformation, offering practical and theoretical insights for institutions seeking to align digital systems with inclusive pedagogy and future-oriented skills development.
Supervisor
Description
Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Citation
Information and Learning Sciences pp. 1–21
Files
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Burke_2026_Designing.pdf
Adobe PDF, 1.69 MB
ULRR Identifiers
Funding code
Funding Information
Sustainable Development Goals
External Link
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International