Published by Weri Gadou February 1, 2025
Leading in a digital learning environment entails more than just implementing technology: it’s about guiding people through change, making learning accessible, and ensuring technology serves a real purpose. Good digital leaders do more than simply handle responsibilities: they inspire innovation and help others grow. The readings required for my course on Leading Change in Digital Learning inspired my reflection on what makes a great leader in digital learning. I would say that seven traits define a great leader in digital learning:
1. A Clear Vision
A great leader should have a strong vision of how digital tools can improve learning. Workman and Cleveland-Innes (2012) explain that leadership is about transformation, not just keeping things running but improving them. This means understanding how technology fits into the bigger picture and making sure new tools help people learn better.
2. Focus on Accessibility
Digital learning should work for everyone. Leaders need to ensure that online courses, resources, and tools are accessible to all learners, including those with disabilities. Following Universal Design for Learning principles helps make learning more inclusive (CAST, Inc., n.d.). In my work, I’ve seen that accessibility isn’t just about following rules, it’s about making sure no one is left out.
3. Willingness to Adapt and Keep Learning
Technology changes fast, and leaders need to keep up. New digital tools, platforms, and innovations emerge rapidly, often transforming the way we work and learn. In digital learning environments, this means leaders must stay up to date with advancements like AI-driven learning analytics, adaptive learning platforms, and accessibility tools. Khan (2017) talks about adaptive leadership, which means being flexible and open to change. Leaders should be comfortable learning new skills, experimenting with different approaches, and adjusting when things don’t go as planned.
4. Building Strong Relationships
Good leaders don’t work alone. Huggins et al. (2017) highlight how strong leaders help others develop leadership skills too. Whether it’s teachers, students, or IT teams, digital leaders should encourage collaboration and teamwork. When people feel included, they’re more likely to embrace new ideas and technologies.
5. Using Technology Responsibly
With digital learning comes responsibility. Leaders must consider things like data privacy, ethical AI use, and online safety. Making sure technology is used in a way that protects and benefits learners is key to being a responsible digital leader.
6. Reflecting and Improving
Castelli (2016) talks about reflective leadership: leaders should always be looking at what’s working, what isn’t, and how they can improve. Taking time to reflect and gather feedback helps create a learning environment that actually meets people’s needs.
7. Innovation with Purpose
New technology is exciting, but it should never be used just for the sake of it. A strong leader makes sure that every tool or platform introduced has a clear benefit to learning. The best innovations come from understanding learners’ needs and choosing technology that truly enhances their experience.
Conclusion
Being a leader in digital learning isn’t just about knowing the latest tech, it’s about having a vision, being adaptable, making learning accessible, and helping others grow. The readings reinforced my belief that leadership is about transformation, not just management. As digital learning keeps evolving, strong leadership will be key to making it effective, ethical, and inclusive for everyone.
CAST, Inc. (n.d.). The UDL guidelines. The UDL Guidelines. https://udlguidelines.cast.org/
Castelli, P. A. (2016). Reflective leadership review: A framework for improving organisational performance. Journal of Management Development, 35(2), 217-236.
Huggins, K. S., Klar, H. W., Hammonds, H. L., & Buskey, F. C. (2017). Developing Leadership Capacity in Others: An Examination of High School Principals’ Personal Capacities for Fostering Leadership. International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership, 12(1), n1.
Khan, N. (2017). Adaptive or transactional leadership in current higher education: A brief comparison. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(3), 178-183.
Workman, T., & Cleveland-Innes, M. (2012). Leadership, personal transformation, and management. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 13(4), 313-323.
Hi Weri,
I really appreciated your focus on how leadership is needed to ensure that our digital learning spaces are “effective, ethcial, and inclusive” for everyone. On the one hand you emphasize that we need to keep up – digital tools and platforms are constantly changing, and we need to know how to adapt – but at the same time we also need to ensure that they don’t introduce barriers to learners – and we need to consider how inclusive and accessibility our digital learning spaces are. I find that there is always a tension between these two aspects – and particularly with GenAI tools, there are so many ethical questions that arise. You highlight that leaders need to be responsible to students – what are your ideas for steps you could take in your own practice? Thanks for your post.