1st International Symposium on Digital Transformation

Dr. Carsten Sørensen

Carsten Sørensen is Reader (Associate Professor) in Digital Innovation within Department of Management at The London School of Economics and Political Science (carstensorensen.com). He holds a BSc. in mathematics, an MSc in computer science and a Ph.D. in information systems from Aalborg University, Denmark. Carsten has since the 1980s researched digital innovation, for example innovating the digital enterprise through mobile technology (enterprisemobilitybook.com), and the innovation dynamics of mobile infrastructures and -platforms (digitalinfrastructures.org). He developed LSEs first blockchain course, an online course on cryptocurrency disruption, and has been the leading academic securing LSE representation on Hedera’s Council. Carsten has published widely within Information Systems since 1989 (scholar.carstensorensen.com), for example in MISQ, ISR, JMIS, ISJ, JIT, Information & Organization, The Information Society, Computer Supported Cooperative Work, and Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems. Carsten also has extensive experience managing national, EU, and industry research projects with research grants totaling over £3 million. He has for a number of years been engaged in assisting and assessing digital start-ups and has for 25 years been actively engaged in academic consultant and executive education with a broad range of organisations – IMF, Microsoft, Google, PA Consulting, Huawei, Orange, Vodafone, Intel, GEMS, to name just a few. Most recently, he has contributed to a report with Gowling WLG on the tides of digital disruption.

Title of the speech
The Age of Value-Sensitive Digital Infrastructures? The Digital Reordering of Rights, Networks, and Community

Abstract
The technical process of digitizing analogue data into digital bit-streams and the associated socio-technical processes of digitalisation has yet to fully reveal their disruptive potentials – yet researchers and practitioners alike must comprehend these phenomena. Digitalization removes tight couplings between an informational object and associated technologies for storage, processing, and distribution. These characteristics brings to the fore the complex socio-technical and socio-economic relationships between Internet-enabled digital infrastructures and the business arrangements facilitated by and in turn shaping these infrastructures. One result has been the explosive growth and dominance of a few global digital platforms. New challenges emerge when the digital infrastructure shifts beyond a value-agnostic open IP-based Internet and to become a value-sensitive digital infrastructure transmitting digital rights. The presentation will seek to provide an overview of multi-year research on the innovation dynamics of digital infrastructures with an emphasis on broader research themes rather than detailed research hypotheses.

Prof. Teresa Cerratto-Pargman

Teresa is a full professor of Human-computer interaction. Past head of the research unit  Interaction Design and Learning (IDEAL) at the Dept. of Computer and Systems Sciences at Stockholm University (SU) in Sweden.

She holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology granted by Université Paris 8, France. She graduated with honors.

Before joining Stockholm University, She was a postdoc researcher at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). After joining Stockholm University, she was a visiting professor at the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine (UCI) in the USA.

Her research is situated at the intersection of Educational Technology and Human-computer interaction (HCI). It seeks to contribute to the study of the increasing digitalization of everyday practices and to reflect on the opportunities and challenges that this process brings to epistemic and social practices in education. By putting a focus on the multiple relationships that unfold between humans and digital technologies, she explores how digital technologies come to disrupt established educational practices but also how they constitute new ones. 

Her work has been published in high-quality peer-reviewed journals and books and presented in several national and international conferences. Her recent book "Emergent practices and material conditions in teaching and learning with technologies" is featured by Springer Nature.

Currently, she is the PI for the project Ethical and Legal Challenges in Relationship to AI-driven Practices in Higher Education funded by the WASP-HS (Wallenberg Foundations). In the near past, she has led and participated in several national and international research projects funded by the Swedish Research Council, Vinnova, Stockholms Stad, Region Kronoberg, NordForsk, EU Horizon 2020, and Stockholm University. In this context, she has collaborated with schools, museums, academia, NGOs, and the industry.

She has obtained a personal research grant to female academics awarded by Stockholm University in 2013.

The intellectual challenge that drives her work is that of developing a critical lens of computing in Educational Technology.

Title of the speech
Be Careful What You Wish For! AI and the Emergence of Data-Driven Practices in the Public Sector Abstract

Abstract
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) combined with the social restrictions imposed by the ongoing pandemic are renewing imaginaries of modernity and the power of automation in society. However, claims about data-driven practices contributing to ensuring the quality and efficiency of work and learning activities raise a series of questions that warrant ethical considerations.

In this talk, I argue that the humanities and social sciences need to pay attention to the values associated with emerging socio-technical imaginaries. Surprisingly, such discussions have been abbreviated, conducted in silos and theoretical terms.

This talk introduces the discourse of automation in the public sector to understand the challenges we have at stake, particularly in the education sector. It provides examples of how business analytics are deployed, and critically discusses the opportunities and concerns at stake when unprecedented socio-technical arrangements mediate human interactions.

Recommended readings
Cerratto Pargman, T. C., & McGrath, C. (2021). Be Careful What You Wish For! Learning Analytics and the Emergence of Data-Driven Practices in Higher Education. Digital Human Sciences, Stockholm University Press. 50(6), 2839-2854.

https://stockholmuniversitypress.se/site/chapters/e/10.16993/bbk.i/

Cerratto Pargman, T. & McGrath, C. (2021). Mapping the terrain of ethics in learning analytics: A systematic literature review of empirical research. Journal of Learning Analytics.

https://learning-analytics.info/index.php/JLA/article/view/7254   

Cerratto Pargman, T. (2020). Practice as a concept in educational technology. In: Encyclopedia of Educational Innovation / [ed] Michael A. Peters, Richard Heraud, Springer Nature , 2020, p. 1-5.

https://link.springer.com/referencework/10.1007%2F978-981-13-2262-4

Dr. Jay Liebowitz

Dr. Jay Liebowitz is a Visiting Professor in the Stillman School of Business and the MS-Business Analytics Capstone & Co-Program Director (External Relations) at Seton Hall University.  He previously served as the Distinguished Chair of Applied Business and Finance at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.  Before HU, he was the Orkand Endowed Chair of Management and Technology in the Graduate School at the University of Maryland University College (UMUC).  He served as a Professor in the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University.  He was ranked one of the top 10 knowledge management researchers/practitioners out of 11,000 worldwide, and was ranked #2 in KM Strategy worldwide according to the January 2010 Journal of Knowledge Management.  At Johns Hopkins University, he was the founding Program Director for the Graduate Certificate in Competitive Intelligence and the Capstone Director of the MS-Information and Telecommunications Systems for Business Program, where he engaged over 30 organizations in industry, government, and not-for-profits in capstone projects.  

Prior to joining Hopkins, Dr. Liebowitz was the first Knowledge Management Officer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.  Before NASA, Dr. Liebowitz was the Robert W. Deutsch Distinguished Professor of Information Systems at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Professor of Management Science at George Washington University, and Chair of Artificial Intelligence at the U.S. Army War College. 

Dr. Liebowitz is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of Expert Systems With Applications: An International Journal (published by Elsevier; ranked as a top-tier journal; Thomson Impact Factor from June 2021 is 6.45).  He is a Fulbright Scholar, IEEE-USA Federal Communications Commission Executive Fellow, and Computer Educator of the Year (International Association for Computer Information Systems).  He has published over 45 books and a myriad of journal articles on knowledge management, analytics, financial literacy, intelligent systems, and IT management.  Dr. Liebowitz served as the Editor-in-Chief of Procedia-CS (Elsevier).  He is also the Series Book Editor of the Data Analytics Applications book series (Taylor & Francis), as well as the Series Book Editor of the new Digital Transformation: Accelerating Organizational Intelligence book series (World Scientific Publishing).  In October 2011, the International Association for Computer Information Systems named the “Jay Liebowitz Outstanding Student Research Award” for the best student research paper at the IACIS Annual Conference.  Dr. Liebowitz was the Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in Business at Queen’s University for the Summer 2017 and a Fulbright Specialist at Dalarna University in Sweden in May 2019. He is in the Top 2% of the top scientists in the world, according to a 2019 Stanford Study.   His recent books are:  Data Analytics and AI (Taylor & Francis, 2021), The Business of Pandemics: The COVID-19 Story (Taylor & Francis, 2021), A Research Agenda for Knowledge Management and Analytics (Elgar Publishers, 2021).  He has lectured and consulted worldwide.   

Title of the speech
Digital Transformation for the University of the Future

Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way we work, learn, and live in today’s (and tomorrow’s) society.  The “new normal” will be quite different from our usual “normal”, affecting universities, businesses, and most organizations in the future.  We also see the developments of “knowledge as a service”, knowledge providers versus knowledge seekers, digital transformation, democratization of innovation, digital divide, automation, and privacy/ethics/security of data being paramount in the years ahead.  Coupled with these important areas, we also see increased emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion.  Based on my forthcoming book, Digital Transformation for the University of the Future (World Scientific Publishing, June 2022), my presentation will provide highlights of what to expect in the years ahead in terms of digital transformation issues for the “university of the future”.  Special emphasis will focus on teaching online and learning analytics (see Liebowitz, J.(ed.)(2022), Online Learning Analytics, Taylor & Francis).

Digital transformation has triggered innovation in the society and businesses. We can see endeavours of introducing driverless public transports in cities around the globe as well as the applications of electronic patient records in healthcare. Businesses such as Airbnb and Lyft, as well as traditional manufacturing firms such as Volvo and Rolls-Royce all have one thing in common: novel use of digital technology. Both Volvo and Rolls-Royce combine digital and physical components to develop innovative digital services tied to the use of their products. Digital components such as sensors, data storage, analysis software and 4G connectivity as well as social media have enabled transformation in education, social interactions, healthcare, etc. Despite the abundance of examples of digital transformation in our society and industry, there is still a lack of cohesive understanding of what digital transformation entails. One major challenge is to envision what innovations digital technologies bring to the society and businesses in the future.

The symposium invites international researchers and practitioners in related disciplines to Digital Transformation to present, discuss and demonstrate different possibilities, current efforts and upcoming trends in this emerging field.

Main symposium themes:

• Cases of digital transformation: Digital transformation is certainly happening at various levels of our society and businesses. We need to investigate interesting cases of the phenomenon.
• Creating a liaison between academia, public and private sectors: Since DT is taking place in our society, governmental authorities such as municipalities and other public administration bodies will be benefited from scientific research in DT with the development of new approaches for DT or the design of digital services. This research can be done in collaboration between academia and private sectors since private sectors are already ahead in DT initiatives and academic researchers can help with scientific knowledge on DT.
• Combining methodologies and approaches from different disciplines: tools: Special emphasis should be given to methodological issues of cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Track 1: Digital Business

Digitalization has prompted novel forms of doing business. To satisfy constantly changing needs of customers and to stay competitive in the market, organizations need to embark in the digital transformation, hence transforming their way of doing business and organizing. Whereas some organizations have successfully managed to reap the potential of digital technologies in creating innovative products, services, and business models, others face several challenges in this journey. Digital transformation both as a process and an outcome is characterized with uncertainty and inherent complexity unfolding in several dimensions: technological, organizational, business, societal.

This track will address topics related to digitalization and digital transformation. It will include abstracts examining how organizations organize for digital innovation, challenges, and the successful factors in the digital journey process.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Digital business model innovation
• Data driven business models
• Service science
• Challenges and opportunities in the digital transformation
• Impact of digitalization in the public sector
• Digitalization and its impact in the organizations’ ecosystem
• Circular business models
• Sustainable business models
• Digital strategies, development, and implementation
• Digital twins

Track 2: Digital Learning – Digitalization of Education

Digital learning lies in the intersection of digital technologies, education, and life-long learning. This track will address numerous topics related to the transformation of education and the development and application of digital technologies in diverse educational settings. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• Pedagogical aspects of digital contexts of teaching and learning
• Digital learning competence
• Organizational aspects of innovative educational practices
• Opportunities and challenges with digital learning
• Remote teaching in the time of pandemic
• VR and AR immersive learning experiences
• E-learning platforms
• Pedagogical case examples related to transformation of educational practices
• Computational Thinking
• Data and learning analytics
• Development of novel technologies to facilitate teaching and learning
• User-centered design
• Innovation of educational practices

Track 3: E-Health

E-health focuses on the transformation of health through digitalization and the knowledge- and evidence-based application of digital technology in nursing and care. This track will address how digital technology transforms nursing and care and how digitalization can contribute to secure, sustainable and effective nursing and care practices, as well as good and just health among the population. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• Usability in e-health
• Application of AI technology in healthcare 
• Ethics and e-health
• Service models
• The Internet of Things in health care
• Blockchain and secure transfer of patient records
• Telehealth and telemedicine
• Mobile health applications
• Wellbeing and e-health
• The changing role of the patient and patient data

Track 4: Digital humanities

Digital humanities lie in the intersection of computer science and the humanities. This track will address numerous topics in digital humanities and how digital technologies can assist in understanding and analyzing diverse empirical material. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• Visualization and data design
• Text and image digitization, archiving and processing
• Digital archives
• Code, software and platform studies
• Cultural analysis and data mining
• Digitalization and cultural change
• Theoretical, critical and educational perspectives on digital societies
• Collaboration, participation and democracy
• Digital literacies and inequalities
• Surveillance and censorship
• Open data and open access
• Computer applications in diverse fields
• Digital humanities in education
• Emerging technologies
• Augmented reality

Track 5: Ethical Implications of Digitalization

The idea of ethics related to technology is not new. Nevertheless, the rapid and continuous advancement of digital technologies and their infusion with all aspects of our lives has prompted new and far-reaching effects. Digital technologies such as e.g. robots, autonomous vehicle, avatars, facial recognition technologies are deployed in many traditional sectors. These technologies are no longer mere tools but possess agency and capacity of decision making. These capabilities in turn come with great responsibilities and raise several social ethical concerns.

This track addresses the ethical concerns resulting from the proliferation of digital technologies and their infusion in all aspects of our lives. Ethical challenges from the design, the use of technologies and the way we deal them are an indispensable aspect of the digital transformation agenda.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Data Privacy and security
• Societal and ethical implications of new technologies
• Ethics of AI
• Deskilling and labor substitution
• Teaching digital ethics

Track 6: Digital working life

Digital working life centers on how digitalization changes and influences work. This track will address how digital technology is applied and negotiated in work environments, and how digital technology transforms public and private organizations. Possible topics include:

• Organizational achievements
• Employee productivity
• Automation and automated decision making
• Working environment
• Work in the time of pandemic
• Digital competence among employees
• Work satisfaction
• Employee autonomy
• Balance between work and private life
• Work processes and routines
• Control systems and surveillance

Track 7: General Track

The general track is intended for abstracts on topics that do not specifically fall within the scope of other tracks. This track aims to provide a greater degree of freedom in comparison with the conference's specific tracks from an epistemological, an ontological and a methodological perspective. Before submitting to the general track, please carefully read descriptions of other tracks, to make sure that your contribution does not fit to either track. 

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• Digital divide
• Democratization of digital transformation
• Data democratization
• Digital ready culture
• Automation
• Cloud computing

The best abstracts will be invited for submission as full papers that will be published under the CEUR Workshop Proceedings (CEUR-WS.org), free Open-Access Proceedings for Scientific Conferences and Workshops.

1. Eligibility: The conference is open to the researchers whose research deals with business and social transformations that are enabled by different forms of digital technologies. Both senior researchers, doctoral and master’s students are welcome.
2. Submission: To participate, a researcher should submit a 2-page abstract.
3. Reviewing: The submitted abstracts will undergo a double peer review (the reviewers’ names will not be disclosed to the authors). 
4. Presentations: All authors are expected to present their works during the sessions on February 15-16, 2022.  

Organizing Committee

• Prof. Marcelo Milrad, Linnaeus University, Sweden
• Prof. Anita Mirijamdotter, Linnaeus University, Sweden
• Dr. Soumitra Chowdhury, Linnaeus University, Sweden
• Dr. Johan Vaide, Linnaeus University, Sweden
• Dr. Erdelina Kurti, Linnaeus University, Sweden
• Helena Belfrage, Linnaeus University, Sweden

Program Committee

• Dr. Diana Chronéer, Luleå University of Technology
• Dr. Sara Fallahi, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
• Prof. Koraljka Golub, Linnaeus University, Sweden
• Dr. Dan R. Kohen-Vacs, Holon Institute of technology, Israel 
• Prof. Siu Cheung Kong, The Education University of Hong Kong.
• Prof. Chronis Kynigos, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
• Prof. Rytis Maskeliunas, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania
• Prof. Gerald Midgley, Hull University UK and Linnaeus University Sweden
• Dr. Krenare Pireva Nuci, University for Business and Technology, Kosovo
• Dr. Daniel Spikol, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• Dr. Marijana Tomić, University of Zadar, Croatia
• Prof. Teresa Cerratto-Pargman, Stockholm University, Sweden
• Prof. Chee Kit Looi, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
• Prof. Ylva Lindberg, Jönköping University, Sweden
• Dr. Christian Rapp, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland