Digital competence among university professors: analysis of the impact of the COVID crisis

Abstract

The digital revolution and the consequences of COVID-19 have had a significant impact on higher education. The need to develop digital competences, especially among educators and within the entire university system, has become a priority. Furthermore, due to the change of habits required by technology, digitization has entailed a great effort by professors. Until March 2020, the development of digital competence had been increasing gradually. However, its evolution has experienced a qualitative leap due to the impact of the COVID crisis, which forced all education to be delivered initially online, and later in hybrid form. Several theoretical models have been used to determine the digital competence of professors and its impact on student learning. The European Framework for Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu) model is applied in this research. It defines the digital competence of professors in six areas comprising 22 competences, all categorized under three main headings. A survey with 271 university professors has provided the quantitative data analysis for the findings. The results will help to analyze professors’ digital competence evolution showing that self-perception has improved by 51%, which is significant. Finally, some conclusions regarding training and investment in universities are considered from the study results.