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Texas public institutions of higher education—37 four-year and 59 two-year institutions—deliver fairly robust and extensive online courses and programs, and distance education enrollments are trending upward. In fall of 2019 at Texas community and technical colleges alone, statewide distance education enrollments totaled 800,223, compared to 1,138,105 face-to-face enrollments. Furthermore, distance education enrollments increased nearly two percent from fall 2018 to fall 2019. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred a hurried and “unnaturally” forced, nearly 100%transition to remote learning across the state (and nationally). The need to study and understand digital education in all its manifestations has never been more urgent.

To this end, DigiTex has undertaken a meta-analysis of existing data and research on digital, including distance and online, higher education in Texas in order to assess the “holes” in that information and determine how we might impactfully contribute to the body of knowledge in this area. First, this paper provides a definition of key terms; then, it gives an overview of national and statewide data and research available on digital higher education, with an analysis of common categories of the existingresearch. Then, an examination of existing sources of data and research focused on Texas suggests which categories may be missing from the body of state data and research.

Finally, we suggest directions for future research in order to gain a more comprehensive picture of the state of digital higher education in Texas. This meta-analysis supports the need for a study of the state of digital education in Texas, building on data collected by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and research conducted by its Learning Technology Advisory Council.

Then, relevant topics for future study include:

• Online Program Design
• Equity
• Impact and Outcomes

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