The past decade has profoundly proved that the emerging concepts such as digital pedagogy and eLearning have settled in and built their solid foundations in education. Today, when discussing education and its future, digital pedagogy is seen as part of pedagogical knowledge and practice. Especially in higher education, the traditional teaching has received online teaching as an equal partner – not competing but completing one another by providing more flexible and adjustable learning opportunities to ever more heterogenous types of students.

The online teaching has also been adopted by Vietnamese government to expand access to education and improve digital learning infrastructures. In recent years, the Ministry of Education and Training in Vietnam has recognized online teaching and learning as a valuable tool to reform and develop the higher education and support lifelong learning. (Garam 2008 9-15.) However, the transition from traditional classroom teaching towards online teaching doesn’t happen automatically. Teachers need training to gain skills to design, create, and deliver digitally and pedagogically suitable online courses.

In line with the above-mentioned requirements, the CLIDEV project emphasized training teachers of partner HEIs in the development of online courses. In this project, Laurea University of Applied Sciences provided expertise and support to Vietnamese partner universities related to digital pedagogy and eLearning in the form of coaching, workshop facilitation, and course piloting. This article reflects the learning experiences during the CLIDEV project, highlighting the lessons learned and growth in digital pedagogical competencies.

eLearning and digital pedagogy in higher education

There are several concepts related to teaching and learning online, with one commonly used term being eLearning. According to Bouchrika (2024), in a broad sense, eLearning refers to enabling learning electronically. Over the past decade, eLearning has significantly transformed both teaching and learning practices. Technological advancements have facilitated a shift from traditional methods to digital approaches, currently exemplified by various MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and online course offerings. Bari, Djouab, and Hoa (2018) note that this rapid and ongoing change of eLearning has aimed to enhance learning experiences. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the prevalence of eLearning was relatively lower. Today, eLearning has become more widespread in higher education with its diverse opportunities and has become an established form of teaching alongside traditional teaching (Aristovnik, Karampelas, Umek & Ravšelj 2023).

The digitalization of education has also led to the development of the concept of digital pedagogy, which often refers to how teaching is planned and implemented using digital tools. According to Cabanero, Granil and Caro (2022), digital pedagogy is not, however, about technology, although digital education requires technology, but about teachers’ ability to use technology and digital elements in a pedagogically meaningful way to support students’ learning and enhance students’ learning experience. Thus, planning and implementing quality teaching and learning online requires not only pedagogical and content expertise, but also digital skills (Koehler & Mishra 2008).

Koehler and Mishra (2009; see also Koehler et al. 2014) have introduced the TPACK model (i.e. technological pedagogical content knowledge) that can be used as a framework for thinking about the knowledge teachers need to understand to integrate technology effectively and successfully in their teaching. The main idea in the model is that it is not only technological knowledge, content knowledge, or pedagogical knowledge that is important, but how a teacher can combine the knowledge and provide students with learning contents in a pedagogically meaningful way utilizing technological solutions.

When supported by strong digital pedagogical competencies and careful planning and implementation of course content, eLearning can offer education that is more accessible, interactive, engaging, and, most importantly, student-centered (World Economic Forum 2022). However, for eLearning initiatives to be successful, educational institutions must demonstrate a firm commitment to meeting key requirements. These include ensuring access to reliable learning platforms, providing ongoing training and professional development in digital pedagogy for staff, and embedding a student-centered approach within the curriculum.

Reflections on digital pedagogical competency development during CLIDEV project

The context of this article is an international educational development project called CLIDEV (2020-2024)*. The main aim of the project was to enhance the forest and agriculture related higher education in Vietnam, for example, by developing the current syllabuses content-wise and pedagogically, and creating totally new courses.

The preliminary objective in the CLIDEV project was to guide and support the Vietnamese partners to design and execute MOOCs for their curricula. CLIDEV’s eLearning training reached teaching teams of various subject matter pedagogical experts from four Vietnamese universities. As a background, most participants had either no or very limited experience in digital education in a teacher role before participating. During the CLIDEV project, courses targeted to higher education sector were designed and planned in partner universities. Some of the created courses were hybrid courses where online learning contents supplemented traditional teaching. In addition, some fully online courses were created where various activating, engaging and supporting pedagogical tools were implemented. Some of these courses were piloted in Spring 2024. As a result, each partner university created at least one online course, which they included in their master programs and curricula.

At the end of the project, we asked the partner universities about their learning experiences as academics who adopted eLearning. The experiences were collected with six open-ended questions. The respondents were asked to write their reflections, for example, on their prior experience on online teaching, challenges in adapting eLearning and online teaching skills and thoughts about the future opportunities in online teaching in their own universities. The questions were sent to the coordinators of the CLIDEV project in each institution. The universities were asked to send one reply, but the coordinators were encouraged to have a discussion with their colleagues before sending the reply.

The data consisted of six pages (A4), and it was analyzed using a simple content analysis which is a systematic method for analyzing textual data by coding and categorizing content into themes to interpret meaning, frequency, or patterns (Elo & Kyngäs 2008). During analysis, the data were structured under four main themes which were 1) prior experience on online teaching (in a student role), 2) conceptions of eLearning and developing digital pedagogy competencies, 3) challenges of eLearning, and 4) future insights in eLearning.

Theme 1: Prior experience on online teaching (in a student role)

The responses to the questions show that all partners had prior experience of online courses and MOOCs before entering the CLIDEV project. They had gained their experience from the student perspective by participating in and completing some online courses or MOOCs. This is an essential step in creating an online course or MOOC. Teachers need to have an understanding of a course from the student point of view before starting to create an online course. This way they can see, if the online materials are understandable, how much information and guidance students need in the course, how clear the structure of the course is, and what kind of technical challenges students meet during the course.

Theme 2: Conceptions of eLearning and developing digital pedagogy competencies

Broadening understanding of eLearning

The responses show that the uptake of eLearning by partners has been gradual. Largely driven by the Covid-19 pandemic and the need to rapidly adopt the use of digital tools in teaching, eLearning was initially seen as the transfer of face-to-face teaching to the web using a range of digital tools. This was reflected, for example, in the early part of the training, in the fact that all participants in the training had built mostly textual content and tests based on it into the first drafts of the online competency assessment courses and MOOCs. In the early stages of the project, the partners also had the idea that the online learning platform was more a material storage than a learning environment (see also Kuokkanen 2019).

As experience and knowledge of eLearning grew along with the development of MOOCs and online courses, the potential of the online learning platform and its digital tools was increasingly recognized and eLearning began to be understood more broadly as a combination of digital and pedagogical solutions to support student learning and create a meaningful learning environment for them (Cabanero et al. 2022; Koehler & Mishra 2008 ). Media such as short video clips and interactive H5P elements were also added to online courses and MOOCs. In addition, some had also experimented with discussion areas to support teacher-student interaction.

Growth in digital pedagogical competencies

Understanding eLearning in this way also requires different skills and competencies from teachers, as the pedagogical solutions for an online course are created from the outset in a different way from traditional classroom teaching. The design and construction of an online course is based on how the teacher can best support student learning by utilizing technological possibilities in a pedagogically meaningful way as highlighted in the TPACK model (Koehler & Mishra 2008) .

During the CLIDEV project, the participants experienced their own pedagogical understanding of eLearning growing and thus their role evolving from an academic to an expert utilizing digital pedagogy. Participants have learned both technical skills and pedagogically meaningful use of digital tools and applications. The development of competencies has been based on practice and experimentation, joint discussions, sharing of good practices and experiences, and social reflection (cf. Pekkarinen 2024).

Empowering learning experience

Learning and competency development during the project has been perceived by the participants as a very enriching and rewarding experience, which has created the confidence to work as a teacher also in an online environment and concrete skills to create learning processes online. It was also reported that the participants realized that although they learned a lot during the project, it is clear that they need to continue exploring the subject and experimenting with different online learning solutions. This is to say that they recognize that the lessons learned from the project have got them off to a good start, but that there is more interesting learning ahead. A personal contribution and an active role in the development of skills is needed.

Theme 3: Challenges of eLearning

In the responses, the participants also mentioned challenges they identified for e-learning. For example, the relatively scarce IT infrastructure at universities is not yet able to properly support the running of full-scale online courses. In addition, the low availability of various digital tools and the lack of digital pedagogical support in their universities was mentioned (Bari et al. 2018). Furthermore, there was no culture of eLearning in participating universities. In practice, this means that teachers are not used to teaching online and students are not used to learning online because they have no previous experience. However, feedback from students on the online courses built and piloted during the project has been very positive, particularly the possibility to study at their own pace when it suits them.

Theme 4: Future insights in eLearning

At the end of the project, the Vietnamese partner university participants were asked to provide advice to their colleagues regarding eLearning. Most of this advice was attitude and motivation related, but among them were also concrete practical guidelines for designing effective online courses. According to the participants, in the development of online courses, it is essential to prioritize the student experience by ensuring interactivity, accessibility, and pedagogical clarity. An effective online learning environment must be inclusive and adaptable to the diverse needs of students. This can be achieved through the integration of various multimedia elements, interactive features, and the establishment of clear communication channels, such as discussion forums, to foster engagement and support.

Given the rapid pace of technological advancement in virtual learning environments, educators must stay informed about emerging tools and platforms. Keeping up with technological developments ensures that online courses remain current, user-friendly, and pedagogically effective.

Furthermore, patience and persistence are necessary throughout the course development and teaching process. Mastery of digital tools and online pedagogy takes time, and educators are encouraged to seek support when needed. Collaboration with peers and the use of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, can provide valuable assistance in addressing challenges and enhancing course design.

Summary of the results

According to the results, the development of eLearning among CLIDEV project participants began as a reactive shift during the COVID-19 pandemic, initially characterized by a simple transfer of traditional teaching methods to online formats. Early understandings focused on content storage rather than interactive learning. However, as experience grew, participants began to see eLearning as a blend of technological and pedagogical strategies aimed at creating meaningful learning experiences.

The CLIDEV project played a pivotal role in shifting this perception, enabling Vietnamese partners/participants to develop technical, pedagogical, and digital pedagogical competencies through hands-on practice, collaboration, and reflection. Teachers evolved from traditional academics into digital pedagogy practitioners. Participants reported gaining confidence and skills necessary for effective online teaching, while also acknowledging the ongoing nature of learning and the need for continued exploration and active engagement in developing their competencies.

*CLIDEV was a HEI-ICI project which received 4-year funding (2020-2024) from Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The project was led by the University of Helsinki, and the other partners are Laurea and four universities from Vietnam (Hue University (HUE), Vietnam National University of Forestry (VNUF), Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry (TUAF), and Tay Nguyen University (TNU)).

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