Digital Gap in Universities and Challenges for Quality Education: A Diagnostic Study in Mexico and Spain

Guillermo Rodríguez-Abitia, Sandra Martínez-Pérez, Maria Soledad Ramirez-Montoya and Edgar Lopez-Caudana
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Guillermo Rodríguez-Abitia: General Direction of Computing and Information and Communications Technologies, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 58089 Mexico City, Mexico
Sandra Martínez-Pérez: Department of Didactics and Educational Organization, Faculty of Education, University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
Maria Soledad Ramirez-Montoya: Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Humanities and Education, 64849 Monterrey, Mexico
Edgar Lopez-Caudana: Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, 14380 Mexico City, Mexico

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 21, 1-14

Abstract: The United Nations (UN) identifies four key elements as agents for change and for addressing societal challenges: education, research, innovation and leadership. The use of technology, from a pedagogical and organizational point of view, in higher education institutions has brought about new challenges. The integration of them in the teaching–learning processes has experienced a great evolution, giving way to a digital transformation and the acquisition of new skills and knowledge, thus pointing towards quality education within the framework of sustainable development objectives. This document aims to describe and analyze the ways in which seven higher education institutions, three in Spain and four in Mexico, have taken up the challenge of adopting technologies and applying them to the educational process. To this end, in-depth interviews and direct observations were carried out. The results point to three dimensions: technological, pedagogical and organizational, which shed light on the different factors that influence the choice and availability of the use of technologies. The results indicate that contextual factors play a determinant role in the ability of an institution to profit from technologies to aid the educational process and guarantee its quality.

Keywords: digital gap; higher education; ICT; education quality; SDG; educational innovation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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