Who are the frontline workers of digital transformations in higher education? A conceptual elaboration

Digital transformation of higher education is taking place at a time when real practices are superseding policy initiatives. Under this perspective, it becomes of new interest to understand how digital transformation as a policy is put into practice, and how these enactments of digital transformation contribute to the making and shaping of digital transformation policy. This chapter uses the concepts of street-level bureaucracy and frontline work as a backdrop and starting points to discuss the extent to which certain groups of actors in higher education can be considered frontline workers and/or street-level bureaucrats and how—i.e., in which relations and under which contingencies—this frontline work is enacted. In focusing on digital transformation related to the provision of teaching, this conceptual paper elaborates on the applicability of street-level bureaucracy and frontline work to the phenomenon of digitalization of higher education. It also explores the specific attributes and practices of four groups—faculty, students, educational developers, and administrative staff—as frontline workers in this context.