The technological challenges of undergraduate teachers at Universidad Católica de El Salvador in times of pandemic

Abstract

The use of technology for the development of academic subjects can represent a challenge for teachers; and in times of pandemic, this situation becomes even more intense. The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the technological educational foundations that the teachers of the Faculty of Sciences and Humanities at Universidad Católica de El Salvador have for the development of their courses in virtual mode; in addition to describing the most commonly used technological tools and identifying the most frequent difficulties in the use of technology. Interview and observation techniques were used to collect the information.

It was found that the level of technology application by professors ranges from intermediate to advanced. Regarding the use of tools and resources, most of them are used effectively in Moodle virtual classrooms. On the other hand, the difficulties experienced were connectivity problems due to the areas where both students and teachers live, as well as technical issues that commonly arise during classes.

It was verified that, after the implementation of educational technology in the transition from face-to-face to virtual teaching, it is advisable for undergraduate professors to know and apply information and communication technologies, as these favor self-learning and the creation of products with visual components that promote teachers’ didactic creativity for the benefit of student learning.