Engineering professors' habits: didactic use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

In this paper, a quantitative, descriptive, and correlational research is carried out on the perceptions of the digital competence of Latin American engineering professors, their assessment of the didactic use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in different didactic areas (interaction, communication, distribution, and administration and evaluation), and on the growth or decrease in the frequency of their use after the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the Latin American engineering professors' perceptions of digital competence is studied. Also, the existence of gender gaps (both in general and differentiating between private and public universities, and between professors with a more or less teaching experience) has been explored in the assessment of the perceptions of digital competence and the didactic use of ICT by engineering professors, as well as in the influence that the pandemic has had on the habits of ICT use. The results reveal that the use of ICT by engineering professors has achieved increases of over 40% in some educational activities due to the pandemic, and it has had a homogenizing effect on the frequency of use of ICT tools in the different activities. Female engineering professors have increased their use of ICT more than males, and engineering professors in private universities more than those in public universities. Consequently, it is suggested to the universities to reinforce the continuous training of engineering professors, considering the pedagogical specificities of engineering education and the necessary integration of ICT in the teaching activity of female engineering professors.

Automated summary

This research paper conducts a quantitative, descriptive, and correlational research on the perceptions of Latin American engineering professors regarding digital competence and their assessment of the didactic use of ICT in different areas of teaching. It also explores the gender gaps in the assessment of digital competence and ICT use among engineering professors, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their ICT use habits. The results show that the pandemic has led to significant increases in the use of ICT by engineering professors, with female professors and those in private universities showing higher levels of increase. It is recommended that universities provide continuous training for engineering professors, considering the specific pedagogical needs of engineering education and the integration of ICT for female professors.