ABSTRACT
This study aimed
to evaluate the level of appropriation of digital transformation and
educational innovation among second-semester History students, considering its
impact on teaching and learning processes in higher education. A mixed
methodological approach with an exploratory and descriptive design was applied
to a census population of 40 students. Data were collected through a
Likert-type questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The results show a
medium-high level of digital tool usage, a positive perception of innovative
teaching methodologies, and a direct relationship between technological
appropriation and academic motivation. The findings confirm that pedagogically
integrated digital transformation enhances historical learning and educational
quality.
RESUMEN
La transformación
digital y la innovación educativa constituyen pilares fundamentales para el
fortalecimiento de la calidad de la educación superior. No obstante, en
carreras de ciencias sociales como Historia, persisten desafíos relacionados
con la apropiación efectiva de las tecnologías digitales y su integración
pedagógica. El objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar el nivel de
apropiación de la transformación digital y la innovación educativa en
estudiantes de Historia del segundo semestre. Se adoptó un enfoque metodológico
mixto, con un diseño exploratorio y descriptivo, aplicado a una población
censal de 40 estudiantes. Se utilizaron cuestionarios tipo Likert y entrevistas
semiestructuradas. Los resultados evidencian un uso frecuente de herramientas
digitales, una percepción positiva de la innovación educativa y una relación
significativa entre la apropiación tecnológica y la motivación académica. Se
concluye que la integración pedagógica de las tecnologías digitales fortalece
los procesos de aprendizaje histórico y contribuye a la calidad educativa.
Keywords / Palabras clave
transformación
digital, innovación educativa, enseñanza de la historia.
digital transformation; educational innovation; higher education;
history education
Introduction
Digital
transformation has redefined education systems globally, driving substantive
changes in pedagogical models, academic management, and learning processes. In
the context of higher education, this transformation is linked to educational
innovation, understood as the systematic implementation of new practices,
methodologies, and technologies aimed at improving the quality of learning
(OECD, 2020; UNESCO, 2023).
In Latin America,
universities face the challenge of integrating digital technologies in contexts
characterized by access gaps, infrastructure limitations, and the persistence
of traditional teaching models (Cabero-Almenara & Llorente-Cejudo, 2020). In
majors such as history, these challenges are intensified by the predominance of
expository approaches focused on content transmission, which limits the
potential of technologies to foster critical thinking, historical research, and
active learning (Wineburg, 2018).
The literature indexed in SciELO, Latindex, and Web of
Science agrees that technological appropriation by students is a key variable
for the success of educational innovation processes (Area & Guarro, 2020; Bond et al., 2021). Appropriation is not
limited to the instrumental use of devices, but involves the meaningful
integration of technologies into students' cognitive, metacognitive, and
academic processes.
In social science majors
such as history, digital transformation takes on a particular dimension, as
these disciplines have traditionally been linked to expository and
teacher-centered methodologies. However, access to digital archives, historical
repositories, simulations, interactive timelines, and learning platforms now
allows for the development of critical analysis skills, source interpretation,
and historical thinking.
Despite this potential,
multiple studies show that the mere availability of technology does not
guarantee its pedagogical appropriation or its impact on learning.
Technological appropriation implies that students consciously, autonomously,
and meaningfully integrate digital tools into their educational process.
From this perspective, the
problem addressed by this research lies in the need to understand the extent to
which second-semester history students are appropriating the digital
transformation and innovative methodologies implemented in their educational process.
This knowledge gap limits evidence-based pedagogical decision-making.
What is the level of
appropriation of the digital transformation among second-semester history
students?
How do students perceive
educational innovation mediated by digital technologies?
What digital skills have
they developed during their educational process?
How does digital
transformation influence their motivation and learning?
The study is based
on the approaches of
educational innovation, constructivist learning, and technological
appropriation, which postulate that students learn more deeply when they
actively interact with digital resources, problems, and environments.
Finally, the overall
objective of the research is to evaluate the level of appropriation of digital
transformation and educational innovation in second-semester history students,
with the aim of strengthening teaching-learning processes
in higher education.
Materials and Methods
The study was conducted
using a mixed approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative methods,
with an exploratory and descriptive design of a non-experimental and
cross-sectional nature (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018). The population
consisted of 40 second-semester history students. A census sample was applied,
considering the entire population. Surveys and interviews were used as data
collection techniques. The quantitative instrument was a 12-item Likert-type
questionnaire structured in four dimensions: use of technologies, digital
self-efficacy, educational innovation, and motivation. The qualitative
instrument consisted of a semi-structured interview guide aimed at exploring
perceptions and experiences of digital learning. Quantitative data were analyzed
using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages), while qualitative
data were processed using thematic analysis. Ethical criteria of
confidentiality, informed consent, and academic use of information were
respected.
Results
The results
indicate that 52.5% of students use digital tools frequently or permanently,
which shows a favorable level of technological appropriation. Likewise, 70%
have a high or very high perception of educational innovation, highlighting the
use of multimedia resources and virtual platforms. The relationship between
digital adoption and academic motivation shows that students with greater
technological proficiency have higher levels of interest and commitment to
learning history.
These findings coincide with international research indicating that technology, when integrated pedagogically, improves motivation and the quality of learning. From an
interpretive perspective, students particularly value access to digital
historical sources, explanatory videos, and interactive activities, which
strengthen autonomous learning and critical thinking.
Fifty-two point five
percent of students use digital tools frequently or permanently, which shows a
medium-high level of technological appropriation in the history learning
process.
Seventy percent of students
have a high or very high perception of educational innovation, which indicates
a positive assessment of the pedagogical use of technologies in the degree
program.
A clear trend can be
observed: the greater the level of appropriation of digital transformation, the
greater the academic motivation of students, which supports research to
evaluate the level of appropriation of digital transformation and educational
innovation in second-semester history students, with the aim of strengthening
teaching-learning processes in higher education.
The
findings are consistent with previous studies published in WoS
and SciELO, which highlight the importance of the
pedagogical integration of technologies to enhance learning (Bond et al., 2021;
Area & Guarro, 2020). In the History program,
technological appropriation favors the development of historical thinking and
active participation.
Conclusions
The research shows that second-semester history students have a medium-high level
of digital transformation appropriation, which is positively associated with
the perception of educational innovation and higher levels of academic
motivation. These results confirm that the pedagogical integration of digital
technologies not only optimizes teaching-learning processes but also
strengthens commitment, participation, and the development of cognitive skills
specific to historical thinking.
The following conclusions
are drawn from the results obtained, their analysis, and discussion:
Students show a significant
degree of appropriation of digital transformation, reflected in the frequent
use of educational platforms, multimedia resources, and digital tools for
learning history.
Technology-mediated
educational innovation is valued positively by students and is linked to an
increase in motivation, academic interest, and participation in educational
activities.
The pedagogical integration
of digital resources contributes directly to the strengthening of historical
learning, promoting critical analysis, the interpretation of sources, and the
development of analytical and metacognitive skills.
Digital transformation is
consolidating its position as a strategic axis for improving the quality of
university education in history, provided that it is accompanied by intentional
didactic design and teacher mediation oriented towards innovation.
Taken together, these
findings provide empirical evidence supporting the need to consolidate
institutional policies for teacher training and curriculum innovation, aimed at
ensuring the effective, sustainable, and pedagogically meaningful
implementation of digital transformation in higher education.
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