digiTAL 2026
Key Dates
The Maslow Hotel, Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa
Visa and Accommodation Information
Download Conference Flyer
WELCOME TO THE

International Conference on Teaching, Assessment and Learning in the Digital Age - digiTAL 2026

digiTAL 2026 is the seventh edition of the international conference on Teaching, Assessment and Learning in the Digital Age. The conference is being held virtually on the 13th of November 2026, and in person on the 17th and 18th of November 2026 at the Maslow Hotel, Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa.

 

Conference Theme: The Post-Digital University: Rethinking Pedagogy, Policy, and Practice

This theme encompasses the overarching goal of critically exploring the evolving landscape of higher education in the aftermath of digital transformation. This conference invites educators, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to engage in thoughtful dialogue that challenges traditional norms and fosters innovation in teaching, learning, and institutional governance. By focusing on the intersection of technology and social equity, we aim to address the challenges and opportunities presented by the post-digital era, particularly in resource-constrained and underserved contexts. Together, we will envision future pathways that prioritize inclusivity, ethical practices, and transformative pedagogies for all learners.

Conference Focus

digiTAL 2026 will:

Explore a range of crucial subthemes, including Post-Digital Pedagogies in Unequal Contexts, with an emphasis on blended and culturally responsive teaching approaches. We will examine Assessment and Academic Integrity, in light of emerging AI technologies, explore Ethical AI and Data Justice to ensure responsible use within educational settings, and discuss Policy and Institutional Transformation for effective leadership in post-digital environments. Additionally, we will address pressing issues of Equity and Inclusion, promote positive Student Experiences and Wellbeing, and investigate the changing nature of Academic Work and Labor in the digital age. Through collaborative discourse, we aim to foster meaningful connections and actionable insights that will drive positive change in the global higher education landscape.

Conference Sub-themes

Click the plus icon for more details on each subtheme.

1. Post-Digital Pedagogies in Unequal Contexts

  • Teaching and learning beyond the pandemic in resource-constrained environments
  • Blended, hyflex, and low-bandwidth pedagogies in the Global South
  • Human-centred and culturally responsive AI-supported teaching
  • Decolonising curriculum and pedagogy in digitally mediated universities

2. Assessment, Academic Integrity, and AI in the Global South

  • Rethinking assessment in contexts of generative AI and uneven access
  • Authentic, community-engaged, and work-integrated assessment models
  • Academic integrity, trust, and ethics in post-digital universities
  • Institutional and national policy responses to AI-enabled assessment

3. Ethical AI, Data Justice, and Algorithmic Governance

  • Responsible AI adoption in African and Global South universities
  • Learning analytics, surveillance, and student data protection
  • Algorithmic bias, language, and epistemic injustice
  • Developing context-sensitive AI governance frameworks

4. Policy, Leadership, and Institutional Transformation

  • Leading post-digital universities in developing contexts
  • National, regional, and institutional policy alignment (AI, EdTech, QA)
  • Capacity-building and professional development for academics
  • Reimagining quality assurance in digitally mediated education

5. Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice in Post-Digital Higher Education

  • Digital divides, infrastructure gaps, and access in the Global South
  • Gender, disability, and inclusive design in educational technologies
  • Post-digital feminism and women’s participation in STEM and AI
  • Technology, ethics, and social justice in higher education reform

6. Student Experience, Belonging, and Wellbeing

  • Student agency, identity, and belonging in post-digital campuses
  • Mental health, wellbeing, and techno-stress among students
  • First-generation and rural student experiences in digital universities
  • Graduate attributes for uncertain, AI-driven labour markets

7. Academic Work, Labour, and Professional Identity

  • Academic labour, precarity, and workload in post-digital universities
  • AI, automation, and the changing role of academics
  • Professional learning and digital capability development
  • Ethics of productivity technologies and performativity

8. Technology, Innovation, and Practice Beyond the LMS

  • Open education, micro-credentials, and lifelong learning pathways
  • Immersive learning, simulations, and low-cost innovation
  • University–industry–community partnerships in the Global South
  • Sustainable, frugal, and environmentally responsible EdTech

9. Research, Knowledge Production, and Decolonial Scholarship

  • AI-assisted research: opportunities, risks, and ethics
  • Open science, data sovereignty, and indigenous knowledge systems
  • Challenging knowledge hierarchies and epistemic dominance
  • Interdisciplinary research for complex Global South challenges

10. Regional, Continental, and Global South Perspectives

  • African universities in the post-digital era
  • Comparative studies across the Global South
  • South–South collaboration and knowledge exchange
  • Global partnerships grounded in equity and reciprocity

11. Post-Digital Futures: Policy-to-Practice Dialogues

  • Practitioner, student, and policymaker perspectives
  • Case studies from South African and African universities
  • Translating research into institutional and national action

Key Dates

Submission of Abstracts: 31 March 2026

Notice of Abstract Outcome: 30 April 2026

Submission of Full Papers: 15 June 2026

Notice of Full Paper Outcome: 15 July 2026

Final Full Paper Submissions: 25 July 2026

Submission to Springer: 31 July 2026

Early Bird Registration closes: 1 August 2026

Registration Closes: 30 August 2026

Conference Dates: 17 & 18 November 2026

2026/11/17 08:00:00

To Conference Day

Conference Chair

UGS profile

Associate Professor Upasana Singh

University of KwaZulu-Natal,

South Africa

Publications Chair

Prof Nair

Professor Sid Nair

Executive Dean, Victorian Institute of Technology,

Australia

Program Chair

Willy

Dr Willy Engelbrecht

Senior Lecturer, North-West University,

South Africa

Testimonials

OK – digiTAL 2k

Thank you Prof Sid and Dr Upasana to have organised such an enriching conference in such a difficult context.  Hats off to the organising team for such a smooth conduct of the conference.

UM – digiTAL 2k

Great Organisers, Superb Presenters, Critical probing Questions, Fantastic answers, engaging discussions, powered by easy to use tech n above all: rose above the challenges. Thank Dr. Upasana n Team.

SL – digiTAL 2k

Great conference indeed. Big thanks to Dr. Upasana. Looking forward to digital 2021.

PS – digiTAL 2k

Thank you to the organisers for letting the conference go smoothly and in time. All the best to all of you for your future endeavours.

AJ – digiTAL 2k

Heartiest congratulations to Prof Sid and Prof Upasana for smooth conduct of conference.

AB – digiTAL 2k

Thank you Dr Singh for the fantastic work and connecting the digiTAL 2020 team. Great learning opportunities and interactions.

CG – digiTAL 2k

Thank you Dr Singh for organizing such an interesting event.

CT – digiTAL 2k

all your rigorous and meticulous design and organisation has produced a learning community that has never before existed! Looking forward to seeing the people and the dolphins in Durban next year!

GN – digiTAL 2k

Thank you Dr Upasna for providing such a platform and for your continuous support.

JA – digiTAL 2k

Congratulations to you Ma’am for flawless organisation of 1st day sessions. Highly informative sessions. Great enriching event.

BC – digiTAL 2k

Well done Dr Singh and everyone who presented and chaired sessions. Amazing how we can all feel so close together even though separated. The ideas and thinking was amazing.

SA – digiTAL 2k

Lovely conference. Everything went well. I enjoyed it, some very interesting papers.

HN – digiTAL 2k

Thank and well done on the conference.  I attended both days and really enjoyed it.  It was well organised.  You even thought of music during the break

In association with