Research Article
Leonardo David Glasserman-Morales, Carolina Alcantar-Nieblas, Marcela Inés Sisto
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 16, Issue 2, Article No: ep498
ABSTRACT
Nowadays, digital competencies encompass skills and attitudes with technical, informational, content, media, and communication aspects that are crucial for students and future professionals. Hence, there is a need to investigate the possible correlations between demographic and contextual variables and the development of digital competencies in higher education. This paper reports on several university-student demographic factors associated with digital competencies. The work used a quantitative approach with descriptive statistical techniques such as a means test and Pearson correlation analysis. The findings identified that (a) there are statistically significant differences between the mean obtained in the previous semester in digital competencies and the gender of the students, (b) there are no statistically significant differences in the final mean for digital competencies and the students’ institution of origin, and (c) the variables included in the study are statistically significant. They also found that the mean attained by the university students in the previous semester had a strong predictive power of student performance; in contrast, the student’s high school institution of origin variable was a weak predictor of their digital competency. This paper presents the findings and implications for practice and research.
Keywords: digital competencies, higher education, educational innovation, demographic factors, school factors, educational technology
Research Article
Aygul A. Khafizova, Almaz M. Galimov, Saida R. Kharisova, Ludmila Y. Grebenshchikova, Roza I. Yagudina, Lyudmila M. Smirnova
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 4, Article No: ep479
ABSTRACT
This study analyzes how medical educational programs are evolving to address the digital transformation in healthcare. Surveys, curriculum analysis, and faculty interviews were utilized to examine technology integration. Findings indicate electronic medical records are considered the most significant digital achievement, though only 4% of beginner faculty emphasized telemedicine. Curriculum analysis revealed increasing modifications related to technology, informatics, and data analytics, especially in certain specialties like biochemistry and biophysics. Interviews provided insights into digital integration opportunities and challenges. A key theme was re-evaluating pedagogical strategies as students rely more on technology. Interviewees also envisioned emerging innovations enabling personalized, immersive learning, but cautioned against over-dependence on technology impeding development of clinical skills and humanism. Overall, while core medical fundamentals remain unchanged, curriculum content is adapting to incorporate new competencies like digital literacy. However, strategic integration remains crucial to balance technology’s benefits and drawbacks. Challenges like technical difficulties, costs, and over-reliance must be addressed. The outlook is increased technology utilization, with solutions like AI-enabled adaptive learning on the horizon. However, investing in infrastructure and faculty development will be vital. Medical schools must leverage technology to elevate learning while retaining humanistic values. This study provides timely insights into medical education’s digital transformation, laying groundwork for further research on optimizing technology integration while upholding the human core of medicine.
Keywords: digital competencies in medical education, healthcare digitalization, medical curriculum, medical education