PANDEMIC: A STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF ICT ON TEACHING PRAXIS IN ECUADOR

ABSTRACT

Objective. The research aims to carry out a documentary review framed in the impact of ICTs in the pedagogical praxis in Ecuador. Design/Methodology/Approach. A bibliographic review was carried out through the identification, selection and organization, analysis, interpretation and presentation of information, through written documents in order to account for the topic addressed, prioritizing academic and scientific literature where contributions on pedagogical practice and ICTs during the validity of the pandemic in Ecuador. This made it possible to account for the advances in educational practices with ICTs, and the demands for their use in the Ecuadorian pedagogical sphere, as well as reveal judgments and prejudices around the subject. Results/Discussion. Investigations emphasize that the arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 virus showed that governments gave proof that they were not prepared to deal with a disease of this magnitude. Similarly, educational institutions and students were not. This constituted a traumatic disruption to the face-to-face classes of educational institutions and very particularly in the university environment. The educational institutions were faced with a scenario that they had not foreseen. Although ICTs had been implemented at a moderate pace in the Ecuadorian educational system, the arrival of the pandemic created great uncertainty in the evaluation and pedagogical work. The measurement of the impact of ICTs in the pedagogical praxis in Ecuador has been carried out fundamentally in a limited way to certain programs, localities or educational levels. Conclusions. The present investigation reveals that although, before the COVID 19 scenario, research and proposals for the implementation of ICTs in the Ecuadorian pedagogical field were being carried out in Ecuador, protected by national regulations derived from the development of international agendas, the arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 virus caused a disruption in these developmental processes. Given the outbreak of the pandemic, the national government established the suspension of face-to-face classes. This caused the acceleration of the use of ICTs in the educational field, such as teleworking and distance education, in the midst of a context of high uncertainty as a result of the health emergency and the lethality of COVID-19 in the nation. Originality/Value. The study allows us to offer a prismatic view of the opportunities offered by the inclusion of ICTs as a core element in education during the crisis. At the same time, it allows exploring the background of ICTs as a complement and transformative aspect of pedagogy before and after the pandemic. © 2023 The Author(s).