The participation of prominent experts in online education from the best universities in Iberoamerica showcased experiences related to the digital transformation in higher education, a topic of global significance.
This event was made possible through the organization of the Galileo University, with the support of the PROF-XXI Project, which stood out due to the collaboration of various partners who shared advances in virtual education environments.
The «IX International Conference on Digital Education 2020» spanned two consecutive days, facilitating discussions among administrators and educators who have developed and evaluated various emerging information technologies for digital environments within higher education.
The digital transformation of universities is one of the most significant challenges facing higher education institutions today, accelerated by the global pandemic.
To learn more about these processes, techniques, projects, technological tools, and other aspects, the partners of the PROF-XXI Project shared their experiences holistically, addressing changes in teaching and learning methodologies and challenges related to digital competencies, among other topics.
Among the PROF-XXI partners who participated were:
- Dr. Rocael Hernández Rizzardini, Director of the Von Neumann Institute, Director of the Research and Development Department GES, and the Telescopio Project at Galileo University.
- Dr. Carlos Delgado Kloos, Vice Rector for Strategy and Digital Education, Professor of Telematics Engineering, University Carlos III of Madrid (UC3M).
- Dr. Mario Solarte, Head of the Telematics Department, University of Cauca (UNICAUCA).
- Dr. Iván Cabezas, Teacher and Researcher, University San BuenaVentura, Colombia.
- Dr. Miguel Morales, Director of the Digital Education Area, Galileo University.
- Dr. Oscar Jerez, Director of the Teaching and Learning Center at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Chile (UCHILE).
- Dr. Carlos Alario-Hoyos, Pedagogical Coordinator of MOOCs, University Carlos III of Madrid (UC3M).
- Dr. Mar Pérez-Sanagustin, Associate Professor, University Paul Sabatier Toulouse III.
- Dr. Antonio Teixeira, Director of the Department of Education and Distance Learning and Researcher, University of Aberta.
- MSc. Alejandra Recinos, Director of the Division of Distance Education in Virtual Environments, University of San Carlos of Guatemala.
The PROF-XXI Project is coordinated by the University Carlos III of Madrid and aims to build capacities for the development of Teaching and Learning Centers (CEAs) for Higher Education Institutions (IES) in Latin America in the 21st century.
They take into account the current regional context and the specific context of the four Latin American IES that will serve as models (2 public and 2 private IES of different sizes in Guatemala and Colombia).
Regarding the participation of partners
Dr. Rocael Hernández Rizzardini, Chair of the organizing committee of this conference, opened the «IX International Conference on Digital Education 2020» and stated:
«It is a pleasure to declare the ninth digital education conference open. It has been quite a journey. Today, we do it virtually, but with great enthusiasm. We have seen tremendous impacts in terms of registered participants and the reach it has generated.»
«These conferences characterize our institutions, particularly Galileo University. From the founder of this university, Dr. Eduardo Suger, and the rest of the academic community, we have always been distinguished by innovation and a commitment to sharing important knowledge.»
He also added: «Today’s topic is digital transformation, which we are currently facing. Universities have embraced it due to the pandemic. We have shared with many colleagues and friends from different countries and regions who have accepted the challenge; we have more than 12,000 registered participants, which is a great achievement.»
Dr. Rocael Hernández
«Digital Transformation in Universities» Dr. Rocael Hernández participated as a speaker on Thursday, October 1st, starting at 7:30 AM in Guatemala. His presentation began with an overview of projects aimed at supporting the teaching and student community at Galileo University, particularly in response to the emergency shift to remote education.
The support initiatives ranged from effective communication on current issues, with the goal of ensuring that the university community was well-informed to adapt to non-presential classes. Additionally, Dr. Rocael Hernández discussed the support provided through video tutorials and quick guides created by the GES Department for both faculty and students, simplifying the digital teaching and learning process.
He also shared some of the courses they have developed for the edX virtual platform, covering topics such as «Biological Risk and Biosafety in the Workplace,» which has received a positive response.
Dr. Rocael Hernández mentioned that the post-pandemic education trend will likely be more hybrid, combining in-person and virtual classes.
Digital Transformation:
In this context, he presented two dimensions that are integrated with cloud-based tools for education. Among the mentioned tools were:
Communication:
- Zoom
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
Collaboration:
- Google Docs
- Jamboard
- MindMeister
Assessment:
- Proctorizer
The second dimension:
Within this dimension, the expert discussed the concept of the «network effect,» which refers to the perception of how quickly things happen as more people connect to the network. He mentioned an initiative that took advantage of this connectivity, leading to the creation of various free webinars on specialized topics presented by experts in different fields. This effort attracted more than 125,000 participants, both actively engaged and connected at a later time, a result Dr. Rocael Hernández attributed to the network effect.
Towards the end of his presentation, he showcased how the fourth industrial revolution is impacting societies through the use of artificial intelligence and machines that optimize work. He emphasized that the primary challenge for universities is not just how these technologies will be used but how they can prepare students to face the future, as the pace of change is continuously accelerating.
Dr. Rocael Hernández concluded with the remark, «The greatest challenge for universities is not how these technologies will be used but how we, as a university, can prepare our students to confront that future. This is not only for those studying technology; it’s about teaching our students because the rate of change is ever-increasing.»
Dr. Rocael Hernández
«The Transition to Education in the New Normal: The Case of UC3M» Dr. Carlos Delgado Kloos’ participation took place on Thursday, October 1st, at 9:30 AM in Guatemala, and he began by expressing his gratitude for the event and his participation:
«Thank you very much to Galileo University for organizing this event. It is an honor for me to be here sharing ideas and reflections, not only in this initial presentation but also in the subsequent roundtable with other Rectors and Vice-Rectors from Iberoamerica.»
Dr. Carlos Delgado Kloos.
His presentation outlined the different phases of education in Spain in response to the pandemic, marking a clear before-and-after scenario, transforming educational processes from emergency online education to adapted in-person teaching and finally to education in the new normal.
Phase 1: Emergency Online Education:
- Rapid response
- Availability of video conferencing systems
- Support for teachers, students, and staff
- Additional actions: Purchases, reinforcement of IT and communications
- Result: Zero performance issues
At Carlos III University of Madrid, they have experienced various situations due to the pandemic. The guidelines from the Spanish government have evolved, leading to changes in how they conduct lectures.
Dr. Carlos Delgado Kloos highlighted some key points of this adaptation: Students must maintain a 1.5-meter distance, which reduced classroom capacity by 30% to 70%, depending on the specific classrooms and their layout.
As a result, the capacity has dropped from 16,500 students to 7,500, which is less than 45% of the students on campus, as explained by Dr. Carlos Delgado Kloos. To address this scenario, they introduced a bi-modal approach, with one group of students attending virtually and another in person, both having equal learning opportunities.
One model shows that an adapted classroom is equipped with cameras and microphones for recording in-person classes, digital whiteboard projection, a layout that respects social distancing for in-person students, and content transmission for online students.
To enhance student interactivity, Dr. Carlos Delgado Kloos mentioned some tools they’ve used for collaborative work on digital whiteboards, such as Jamboard, Kahoot, Mentimeter, and others.
In conclusion, he emphasized:
«This is an opportunity for modernizing the university. I believe we must seize the opportunity to make a leap that would otherwise be impossible. We have to learn to operate in volatile and uncertain environments where quick decisions need to be made. Therefore, having a good team, agile vision, effective communication, and special budgets are essential to achieving our goals.»
Dr. Carlos Delgado.
Forum Panel
It’s worth noting that Dr. Carlos Delgado Kloos also participated in the forum panel:
«How will the digital transformation of universities be?»
He emphasized that teacher training is essential. «I believe we should teach teachers on two levels: One, how to use the tools, and two, how to apply them in a didactic manner.» «Teaching them to be more dynamic, like dividing the class into working groups so that they can discuss what they’ve learned instead of lecturing for the entire 45-minute class. Instead, define activities that enable active student learning.»
Dr. Carlos Delgado Kloos
«Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Management from Home: Experiences of the University of Cauca in the Time of Coronavirus.» Dr. Mario Solarte’s presentation took place on Thursday, October 1st at 4:30 PM in Guatemala. In his presentation, he introduced various projects carried out at the University of Cauca, including:
Innovative Education Seminar
This is a space for promoting the exchange of knowledge with national and international experts on topics related to curriculum innovation processes, experiences, and case studies. It also includes pedagogical strategies aimed at promoting better learning and supporting training dynamics through the study of feasible and relevant educational innovations for the regional context.
One of the flagship products is the Diploma in Educational Innovations, which used to be taught in person on a semester basis, aimed at training faculty members.
The topics covered in this diploma include educational innovations, flipped classrooms, audiovisual resource production, perception and learning, gamification, research as a learning strategy, among others.
In response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, they proposed various strategies, including:
- Spaces for learning management
- Flipped classrooms
- Creating educational resources from home
- Active learning
- Accessible curricula: universal design for learning
- Evaluations from home
«Parallel to this, we worked with edX and secured 5,000 scholarships for free certification in a list of 800 courses that this virtual platform offered us,» emphasized Dr. Mario Solarte. He went on to say, «The idea was to enable teachers, students, and anyone interested to take at least one course. In this way, we contributed to the development of courses on edX and provided access to free certification.»
Selene (Open edX)
We have an instance on edX called Selene, where we have replicated these contents. Anyone with access can enter these contents without any restrictions. The expert also shared other projects focused on virtual education and training on various platforms, as well as strategies for teaching practice.
«The Importance of Online Assessment in the Time of COVID: Challenges and Opportunities.» On Friday, October 2nd at 11:00 AM in Guatemala, Dr. Miguel Morales delivered his presentation where he analyzed the key sequences of changes in education due to the global pandemic and strategies for redesigning didactic approaches for digital formats.
Dr. Miguel Morales emphasized the importance of assessment in the context of online education. He explained that assessment goes beyond simple paper tests. New digital environments bring new challenges that require new competencies, strategies, and technological tools.
«When we talk about assessment, it’s essential to recognize that it reflects the knowledge, skills, and competencies that students have acquired, and these results influence their employability,» noted..
Dr. Miguel Morales.
Different Models of Assessment:
- Diagnostic: This model aims to understand the students’ initial state at the beginning of the learning period and make decisions to facilitate and improve learning during the educational process.
- Formative: It gathers information that can be used by the teacher to enhance the student’s learning and help correct their mistakes.
- Summative: This model measures the level of success or competence achieved at the end of an instructional unit, comparing it with a specific standard or reference point.
While technological tools provide substantial support for digital education, they also offer opportunities for plagiarism and cheating in various online formats, as pointed out by Dr. Miguel Morales.
He emphasized that the issue is not just about the tools for cheating but extends to the broader topic of academic integrity. He questioned how many universities are taking action to promote academic integrity and noted that it is an area where more attention is needed.
What Is Academic Integrity?
Academic integrity means acting with values such as honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility in learning, teaching, and research. Dr. Miguel Morales shared a figure outlining priority areas for promoting academic integrity, including:
- Promoting Honesty and Academic Integrity: This involves recognizing and declaring academic integrity as a fundamental institutional value, fostering a continual commitment to learning, acknowledging the role of the teacher as a guide and mentor, helping students understand the potential of the internet, and encouraging student responsibility regarding academic integrity.
- Preventing Dishonesty in Assessments: This includes clarifying expectations for students, developing fair and creative ways to evaluate academic written work, and reducing opportunities for academic dishonesty.
Within this context, he recommended two tools:
- UNICHECK: To identify the sources from which students obtain information for their assignments.
- Proctorizer
Dr. Miguel Morales mentioned that Universidad Galileo had been piloting this technology for several months and planned to expand its use across the university to ensure academic integrity at a technological level.
«Digital and Cultural Transformation of Assessment.» Dr. Oscar Jerez’s presentation took place on October 2nd at 11:45 AM in Guatemala. Under the theme of «Digital and Cultural Transformation of Assessment,» he emphasized the significance of this moment for everyone working in higher education, especially in the context of the current pandemic and its impact on assessment practices.
Dr. Oscar Jerez discussed how assessment often remains in a quadrant that is more independent, authoritarian, and less flexible. He referred to this as a cultural challenge, noting that while teaching has progressed, assessment practices often lag behind. He explained that this discrepancy arises because university professors tend to replicate the teaching models they have experienced themselves.
He pointed out that the difficulty of changing lies in the concept of evaluation itself. The challenge isn’t related to the use of technology but is rooted in the conceptions of what constitutes true assessment and its relevance to what is being taught.
Dr. Oscar Jerez then introduced a model for fostering a culture of honesty and academic integrity, characterized by an inverted triangle. This model encompasses three key components:
- Promotion: This involves promoting honesty and academic integrity as integral aspects of the institutional culture.
- Prevention: Addressing dishonesty in assessments by developing strategies to prevent it.
- Management: Handling cases of dishonesty with appropriate processes and measures.
In the context of managing education, the expert presented a triangular model. This structure revolves around three core areas: teaching and learning processes, training management, and institutional management, all of which contribute to the development of a culture of academic integrity and effective assessment.
«New Educational Normal: Experiences from Spain.» Dr. Carlos Alario-Hoyos delivered his presentation on October 2nd at 12:30 PM in Guatemala. Before commencing his lecture, he expressed his gratitude to the event’s organizers, praising their ability to host a highly impactful online event.
Dr. Carlos Alario-Hoyos began his presentation by outlining his objective: sharing his experiences from the perspective of an educator. He discussed how the onset of the pandemic in Spain triggered a series of changes in the country’s educational landscape.
The evolving nature of the pandemic in Spain forced higher education to adapt its strategies. With a second wave of infections on the rise in August, educators had to take new measures, as analyzed by Dr. Carlos Alario-Hoyos.
From a teacher’s perspective, he mentioned, «If we think about the content, maybe that’s not the part that has changed the most. Some teachers had already enriched their content, recorded educational videos. Others had to do it as a result of this period.»
He added, «Perhaps the reflection is that teachers who had experience with virtual environments adapted better to emergency online teaching. Those who did not had to catch up.»
Some of the lessons learned regarding content included the importance of teacher training, technological reinforcement to ensure good support and prevent virtual attacks, and the benefits of anticipation, with those who had taken MOOCs or online courses coping better with the situation.
Throughout his presentation, Dr. Carlos Alario-Hoyos shared various projects, tools, lessons learned, teaching and learning methods, assessment types, and interactions with the audience.
Towards the end of his presentation, the lecturer remarked, «We’ve accelerated a lot in this digital transformation. I believe we’ve progressed in six or eight months what hasn’t been achieved in several years. Different paths will remain as a memory. Each student will have a different path—students who need to attend class, those who can learn online, and others whose learning falls in between. But I believe we should always motivate students and continually train teachers, and classrooms should maintain that human relationship between students and teachers.»
«On the French Institutions’ Response to COVID»
On October 2nd at 12:30 PM in Guatemala, Dr. Mar Pérez Sanagustín represented the French educational community’s response to COVID-19. She mentioned that the expression «Oh lala» was used in her presentation because it is a French phrase that has been heard frequently lately, reflecting the uncertainty and need to adapt to the pedagogical challenges brought about by the pandemic.
Dr. Pérez explained that the French education system can be somewhat complex and different from what is known in other countries. In the higher education system, there are various types of institutions, including traditional universities, university technology institutes, and specialized schools, with pathways combining these. Each type of institution is overseen by a specialized ministry, which led to a somewhat fragmented response to COVID-19.
She discussed their response to the pandemic:
- Confinement Stage: During the initial lockdown phase, everyone worked as best as they could to adapt to online teaching. This was a challenging time with no preparations in place.Solutions during this stage included the cancellation of exams and in-person classes, generating new academic calendars, and the cancellation of university entrance exams.Technical solutions involved the use of Microsoft communication tools like TEAMS and the Microsoft 365 virtual platform, along with platforms like MOODLE.
- Pedagogical Reorganization: There was a reorganization of academic calendars, a shift to digital materials, and a change in evaluation methods, including project-based and oral assessments.
- Post-Confinement: After the lockdown, institutions adapted their physical infrastructures with signage, hygiene materials, and classroom reconfigurations to ensure social distancing.
- Pedagogical Adaptation: Universities adopted various modes of teaching, including in-person, hybrid, and online, depending on the context and the progression of the pandemic.
Dr. Pérez also presented specific cases of French universities and their adaptation measures. For instance, some universities separated students into smaller groups for in-person courses, giving priority to first-year students. Infected students attended classes online.
The «MIAGE» program was mentioned as an example of online learning offered by around 14 universities in France. This master’s program is primarily digital, with a focus on content digitalization and platform use for content sharing among professors.
Additionally, Dr. Pérez highlighted the «THEME» project led by Université Claude Bernard Lyon and 14 other universities. The project aimed to produce digital content for hybrid learning and facilitate content sharing among universities.
She also mentioned the measures implemented by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health to aid in educational strategies during the pandemic.
«Back to Basics: How to Design Distance and Online Learning for Everyone?»
Dr. Antonio Teixeira from the University of Aberta delivered his presentation at exactly 1:00 PM in Guatemala on Friday, October 2nd. He shared his experiences at a university that operates entirely online, which made the transition caused by the pandemic different.
Dr. Teixeira pointed out that, as a virtual university, they were already prepared for this new environment. What set them apart is that they don’t have a single platform or a set of isolated tools to replicate the in-person classroom experience. The University of Aberta has its pedagogical model, particularly for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and open education. This pedagogical model is based on interaction and the use of various aspects of the learning process.
He explained that the institution’s institutional pedagogical models, the virtual pedagogical model, and the i-MOOC model, follow a consistent line of disruption based on four basic principles:
- Student-Centered Learning
- Flexibility
- Interaction
- Digital Inclusion
These models combine autonomous and self-directed learning with a strong social dimension, balancing flexibility with the necessary pace for student success. The i-MOOC model, in particular, focuses on promoting individual responsibility, interaction, interpersonal relationships, educational innovation, and digital inclusion.
Dr. Teixeira then presented a synthesis of the institution’s impact with respect to the pandemic. It included various aspects, such as institutional support policies, pedagogy, curriculum and learning design, teaching and learning, course structure, student support, teacher and learning support, assessment types, security in evaluation, and quality assessment.
For the new challenges of digital teacher professional development, he provided the following advice:
- Redesign teacher training models: Focus on training for change and preparing for practice in innovative environments.
- Introduce immersive online training: Prepare teachers to use digital environments and automated elements, as well as artificial intelligence.
- Learn to use digital resources: In authentic contexts.
- Train for flexibility and personalized learning: Engage students in the design and management of their learning.
- Innovate in learning assessment models: Change the forms of certification.
Dr. Teixeira concluded his presentation by answering questions and providing advice based on the audience’s inquiries regarding virtual teaching experiences.
MSc. Alejandra Recinos presented her conference, «From In-Person to Digital: A New Reality,» on Friday, October 2, at 4:00 PM in Guatemala. During her presentation, she shared three key topics, providing insight into the context of the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, strategies for transitioning to virtual education, and the challenges and opportunities this transformation presented.
The University of San Carlos of Guatemala has a history of over 300 years of providing in-person education. However, in recent years, the institution has taken significant steps toward online education.
Given the university’s size in terms of student population, faculty, academic offerings, and academic units, this transition has been a complex experience, as highlighted by MSc. Alejandra Recinos.
One of the strategies implemented by this university, despite the challenging scenario, is the «Digital Teacher Support Network.» This network provides two main services: a video conferencing system and virtual classrooms.
The work undertaken in the realm of virtual education aimed to establish consistent guidelines for all academic units to ensure alignment with every action taken.
Among the strategies implemented were the creation of a website to support teachers. This platform offers tools, video tutorials, courses, webinars, and training sessions for educators.
MSc. Alejandra Recinos emphasized that by training and equipping their teachers, the benefits extend to students, resulting in improved service quality.
Opportunities within this new preparation include:
Innovation:
- Adopting innovative teaching and learning methodologies.
- Rethinking the concept of in-person education.
- Integrating education with technology at the institutional level.
Growth:
- Developing digital competencies.
- Acquiring technological teaching skills and knowledge.
- Facilitating peer-to-peer learning.
MSc. Alejandra Recinos pointed out that technology will become an integral part of in-person education. The integration of an educational platform and video conferencing systems is already happening.
The introduction of this methodology at an institutional level is a reality, and the authorities have recognized that this should serve as a foundation for the long term, beyond the current emergency. Technology will continue to support educators, regardless of whether they teach in-person or virtually.
The presentation concluded with a Q&A session, during which the speaker addressed questions and clarified points of interest for the audience.
