'Digitization is here to stay', says Ciedu study
The Educational Research Center of Panama (Ciedu) carried out a study on the situation of higher education and Covid-19, which was published on July 3 in the Journal of Higher Education in Latin America.
The study - carried out between April 15 and May 15 - raises details and challenges of managing university education in these times of crisis.
Nanette Svenson and Guillermina De Gracia, authors of the publication, explain that the future of higher education will depend, to a large extent, on technological connections and knowledge. However, they claim that there are shortcomings in the current system, such as a lack of digital readiness in general and a lack of scientific research in particular, that must be corrected.
In addition, they make it clear that digitization is here to stay and universities are going to have to transform their way of teaching, as well as the tools they incorporate.
The authors also warn that technology does not create quality educational content and does not replace the intrinsic human element, but it can catalyze the transformation of educational systems.
Svenson and De Gracia indicate that academic research should be able to explore the largest and most complex problems that a society faces, and affirm that not all universities in a country need to dedicate themselves heavily to scientific research, but some should, the hand of the rulers and decision makers, for social welfare.
In fact, the study highlights that research has always been a weak point within the Panamanian university system and with the epidemic this gap has become more evident, since, historically, universities have concentrated on teaching almost exclusive.
Svenson, who is director of Ciedu, explained that to carry out this study, they collected data presented on the different websites of the universities and also surveyed professors, researchers and administrators of official and private universities, in order to have a more complete view of the situation. .
The Panamanian university sector has five accredited state universities, 18 accredited private universities, a dozen international university programs, and many other recognized, but not yet accredited, university entities. A little over 60% of the student population is in public universities, the vast majority (73 thousand) being students from the University of Panama.
Svenson explained that Ciedu was founded in May 2019 as a project of the National Secretariat for Science, Technology, and Innovation and is affiliated with the Institute for Scientific Research and High Technology Services (Indicasat-AIP) and the ProEd Foundation.
Nanette Svenson and Guillermina De Gracia, authors of the publication, explain that the future of higher education will depend, to a large extent, on technological connections and knowledge. However, they claim that there are shortcomings in the current system, such as a lack of digital readiness in general and a lack of scientific research in particular, that must be corrected.
In addition, they make it clear that digitization is here to stay and universities are going to have to transform their way of teaching, as well as the tools they incorporate.
The authors also warn that technology does not create quality educational content and does not replace the intrinsic human element, but it can catalyze the transformation of educational systems.
Svenson and De Gracia indicate that academic research should be able to explore the largest and most complex problems that a society faces, and affirm that not all universities in a country need to dedicate themselves heavily to scientific research, but some should, the hand of the rulers and decision makers, for social welfare.
In fact, the study highlights that research has always been a weak point within the Panamanian university system and with the epidemic this gap has become more evident, since, historically, universities have concentrated on teaching almost exclusive.
Svenson, who is director of Ciedu, explained that to carry out this study, they collected data presented on the different websites of the universities and also surveyed professors, researchers and administrators of official and private universities, in order to have a more complete view of the situation. .
The Panamanian university sector has five accredited state universities, 18 accredited private universities, a dozen international university programs, and many other recognized, but not yet accredited, university entities. A little over 60% of the student population is in public universities, the vast majority (73 thousand) being students from the University of Panama.
Svenson explained that Ciedu was founded in May 2019 as a project of the National Secretariat for Science, Technology, and Innovation and is affiliated with the Institute for Scientific Research and High Technology Services (Indicasat-AIP) and the ProEd Foundation.