Unpacking Smart Campus Assessment: Developing a Framework via Narrative Literature Review

Abstract

The emergence of the smart campus approach for university campuses addresses the digital transformation needs of higher education institutions, driven by the increasing capability and popularity of digital technologies like artificial intelligence and the internet of things. While existing research has laid a foundation for conceptualizing smart campuses and developing implementation frameworks, a significant gap remains in understanding how to assess a university campus’s ‘smartness’ effectively. The lack of a robust assessment framework makes it challenging to gauge the effectiveness of smart campus initiatives and identify areas for improvement. This study aims to bridge this research gap by identifying key indicators for evaluating the ‘smartness’ of university campuses. Using a narrative literature review method, the study comprehensively reviews the recent literature on smart campuses, organizational management, and societal applications, focusing on identifying pertinent indicators. By incorporating insights from different domains, the study presents a holistic understanding of the indicators necessary for assessing the ‘smartness’ of university campuses through the proposed smart campus assessment framework. The framework and the insights generated inform researchers and decision-makers in assessing and monitoring the effectiveness of smart campuses.