A Smart Campus Framework: Challenges and Opportunities for Education Based on the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

Although technology improvements boosted the digital transition of universities, which built a path for smart campuses, the smartization process is more than simply promoting digitalization. This research aims to identify the essential elements and the most significant deficiencies in the smart campus dimensions and its variables from the user’s viewpoint to offer a list of priorities for decision-makers. Through an importance-performance analysis (IPA) performed using IBP SPSS 26, we tested an integrative smart campus framework in a Brazilian university, previously validated with Latin American experts. This research confirmed that eight dimensions are important for a smart campus evaluation and provided a list of priorities for academic managers. The results indicated the main gaps among importance and performance. This research concluded that the smartization process could not rely on technology attributes only. Universities should meet the modern society’s present and emerging needs and the labor market in a sustainable, social, and technological manner. Smart campuses in developing countries may prioritize different components than developed countries, such as infrastructure. We propose that more studies should apply the framework in more universities.