Digital Pedagogy in Higher Education: Evaluating the Advantages of Online Teaching

Abstract

This study investigates the pedagogical effectiveness, perceived advantages, and key determinants of success in online teaching within higher education contexts, with a specific focus on instructor digital competence, learner flexibility, and platform accessibility. The study seeks to identify which dimensions of digital pedagogy most significantly predict positive learning outcomes and to compare faculty and student perceptions of online instructional quality across a university setting. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed. A structured survey instrument was administered to 318 students and 74 faculty members at a public university in Uzbekistan during the 2023–2024 academic year. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression. Qualitative insights were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 24 purposively selected participants and subjected to thematic analysis to contextualise and deepen survey findings. Instructor digital competence emerged as the strongest predictor of perceived learning effectiveness (β = 0.381, p < 0.001), followed by flexibility and autonomy (β = 0.294) and peer interaction quality (β = 0.247). Faculty and students diverged significantly on perceptions of feedback timeliness and assessment integrity. Qualitative themes highlighted the salience of pedagogical design quality, technical infrastructure, and emotional engagement as mediating factors in online learning success. The study advances an integrated Digital Pedagogical Effectiveness Model (DPEM) that synthesises Community of Inquiry (CoI) theory, Self-Determination Theory (SDT), and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles into a unified evaluative framework. This model offers a novel conceptual tool for assessing online instructional quality in Central Asian higher education contexts, where empirical research on digital pedagogy remains sparse.