3.3. Data collection

To gain a strategic vision, as well as the guidelines and orientation to define the future of Digital Education within the institution, a committee was created by Tec’s highest authorities and by the parties currently responsible for the departments in charge of Digital Education.

To know the current state of the institution and to obtain information regarding the experiences and expectations of its various stakeholders, the following actions were carried out, having the participation of six Schools and 26 campuses:

1. Personalized interviews with teachers and administrators.

2. Focus group with graduate and undergraduate students, teachers, administrators, strategy teams, and parents.

3. Survey with a sample of over 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

4. Work session with the management committee.

5. Benchmark, research analysis, and best practices from other higher education institutions.

Findings

From the analysis of the information collected, the main findings are the following:

1. Integration of Digital Education in the university

The digital modality is positioning itself as a crucial element in universities that traditionally offer face-to-face programs when it offers added value for students.

The mix of digital modalities preferred by students and teachers is 80% face-to-face and 20% digital.

2. Expectations of application of Digital Education by students and teachers

Flexibility is highly valued in the last third of undergraduate programs and throughout the entirety of graduate programs.

Digital learning experiences should be distinctive for integrating high-quality content, multimedia and virtual reality resources, accompanied by a didactic active learning strategy.

Students expect digital learning experiences to help them personalize their journey.

The teaching and design of digital learning experiences must meet quality criteria and be implemented with the appropriate processes, educational spaces, and structures.

An essential element for the success of digital learning experiences is having a faculty with the appropriate teaching and digital competencies.

3. Comparison between distance, hybrid, and face-to-face modalities

Research carried out by the Institute for the Future of Education, in which the learning benefits and the students’ perception of face-to-face, hybrid, and distance courses during the pandemic were compared, found the following:

1. Although there are differences among the three modalities, it is not possible to assert that students learn more in one modality over the other. Further research is needed to determine the influence of the various teaching practices in their learning process.

2. Students favorably perceive the three modalities analyzed since they reported that none hindered their learning process.

3. No statistically significant differences were found between the students’ perceptions for the categories of positive emotions, negative emotions, learning community, and teaching process. However, there were statistically significant differences in the social relationships and learning process categories favoring the face-to-face modality.

3.4. Definition of Digital Education

From these findings and after meetings with the Management Committee, the following definitions were reached:

At Tecnológico de Monterrey, Digital Education is the intentional, systematic, and conscious application of innovative techno-pedagogies on digital learning experiences generated throughout the student’s journey. Digital Education goes beyond distance courses, as it also integrates digital learning experiences into face-to-face courses and various moments of the student life, in which the student learns using technology.

Vision

Tecnológico de Monterrey will be nationally and internationally renowned for its leadership in quality Digital Education.

To this end, we must ensure the best technology-based digital learning experiences that can offer value to the learning of all students throughout their student life.

Strategic objectives

To be renowned for its quality education

By developing disciplinary, transversal, and digital competencies and creating agents of change that transform society by leveraging pedagogical innovations based on technology.

To strengthen and increase the digital learning experiences within the Tec community

By enriching the student experience and creating memorable experiences in physical and digital ecosystems, achieving an integral experience.

To offer a personalized digital learning experience

Flexible and convenient to students during the teaching-learning processes, leveraging technological tools throughout their whole journey.

To expand its global presence

By widening the scope through our new digital products adapted to different markets and generating digital learning experiences with teachers, students, training partners, and national and international companies.

To foster inclusivity and accessibility

By creating and increasing educational opportunities for multiple population segments, adapting education to students’ various contexts and needs across all campuses, applying digital solutions.

3.5. Strategic projects

To deploy the new Digital Education strategy in the institution, 10 strategic projects were designed:

1. Defining the offer of programs, training units, and digital learning experiences with international quality standards

2. Having a faculty with teaching and digital competencies, as well as ensuring the necessary processes, tools, and support to teach class in digital modalities.

3. Designing and enabling the conditions on each campus to offer digital learning experiences in digital modalities.

4. Enriching each student’s educational experience by including the best pedagogical innovations through digital solutions.

5. Enabling experiences and unique national and international collaboration networks through digital technologies.

6. Personalizing the academic path and global educational resources according to the needs of each student.

7. Using digital education solutions, offering processes for leveling, evaluation, feedback, and training to enter the workforce.

8. Fostering accessibility and inclusion through digital education solutions.

9. Offering students timely and personalized feedback through educational technology.

10. Expanding the educational offering and digital products.

These projects were prioritized to be deployed in stages, thus ensuring that focus could be given to the more important needs. The four projects defined to start the deployment of the strategy were the following:

Planning and building a portfolio that integrates learning experiences, face-to-face, mixed, and distance training units and academic programs in digital modalities.

Supporting teachers to develop the necessary competencies to deploy the portfolio of training units, programs and digital experiences offerings.

Choosing the technologies and innovative educational solutions that would ensure the learning processes and the delivery of the experience.

Designing and implementing the spaces and processes enabling this Digital Education in all Tecnológico de Monterrey’s campuses.