Digital Competences for Smart Learning During COVID-19 in Higher Education Students from Spain and Latin America

Abstract

Networked society has become the context of a technology-supported environment for learning and teaching. The access to knowledge is essentially mediated through connected smart devices that nurture digital skills and define a new learning concept: Smart learning, moreover during COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to present a descriptive and correlational analysis focusing on the development of smart learning in three different areas when using the Internet: use, learning and critical thinking from the perspective of digital competences during pandemic lockdown. The study was designed under a non-experimental quantitative methodology in which 926 students in higher education from four countries participated. After an in-depth literature review, a questionnaire was designed including not only these three areas mentioned but a deeper analysis of each one in five areas of digital skills development. Results show significant differences among countries that could help to improve not only formal education in Higher Education, but the digital skills needed for lifelong learning for citizenship in a next future conditioned by recent situation. Based on findings, several suggestions are proposed for achieving a smart education supported by digital skills in online environments.

Transversal Competencies in Peruvian dental students in times of COVID-19

“…The fact that basic computer skills had lower value differs from what was found in other studies, such as those of Núñez-Canal and Escoda, because the studies were carried out in Europe, where the use of computer platforms has been used since before the pandemic began, being a skill developed since the school stage. It should be borne in mind that digital competencies are necessary for lifelong learning in the near future, conditioned by the global situation of the pandemic experienced (34,35).…”

Management and academic anxiety in Ibero-American higher institutions students during COVID-19

“…The study's objective was to measure the level of academic anxiety in students and identify the variables associated with it that affect the perception of the Institutional management assessment led by higher education institutions in Ibero-America, since March 2020, because of the pandemic of COVID-19. The correlational study was de-signed under a non-experimental quantitative methodology, following different studies launched during the pandemic, like those carried out by Pérez Escoda, Lena-Acebo, and García-Ruiz (2021), andCoronado, Rockcastle, andKwok (2021), for example. The objective is also related to the hypothesis mentioned in this study: H1= The anxiety levels observed in the students were due to external and internal variables associated with the academic management faced by higher education institutions because of the pandemic scenario experienced in March 2020; H2= Higher institutions require an organizational culture based on the provision of soft skills and support measures that have allowed students to confront the pandemic scenario since March 2020.…”

Faculty Member’s Use of Digital Learning Tools in Teaching and The Challenges They Face

“…The existence of a modern and digital learning environment in which many digital tools and advanced technology are available. Specific principles should be adopted to ensure the success of this learning, as the study of Perez et al (2021) confirmed one of these principles, which is the use of modern approaches to achieve the desired learning objectives. Therefore, in learning environments, several types of interactions are implemented, including student interaction with the materials, student interaction with the teacher, and student interaction with the student (Wang et al, 2021).…”