This study aims to examine the existing evidence on gamification in educational settings, highlighting its impact on motivation and academic performance. Methodologically, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was developed under the PRISMA statement criteria using three multidisciplinary databases: Web of Science, Scopus, and Scielo. According to the inclusion, exclusion, and quality criteria, it was determined to include 9 SLR articles on gamification that address at least one of the two key variables: student motivation or academic performance. The articles were published between 2016 and 2022, available in open access, written in English or Spanish, and with content that is directly related to the research questions. The results reveal that gamification significantly influences motivation by facilitating the assimilation of knowledge, the improvement of skills and academic competencies of students, and specifically refers to a wide range of capabilities that are essential for success in the educational environment and that can be enhanced through playful and interactive learning experiences. These skills can be cognitive, self-learning, social, or collaborative, among others. It is concluded that creativity and adaptability are key to successfully implementing gamification in the classroom.

The main objective of the research described here was to learn how young learners self-evaluate their digital competence. A non-experimental and descriptive quantitative methodology was employed, an electronic survey being used to collect the data. Among the main results, we can highlight that these learners self-evaluate their attitude towards Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as favourable, their handling of them as moderate and their knowledge of them as scarce. It became clear that they do not have a level of digital competence suitable for being called ‘digital natives’, nor sufficient ability to use ICT in their academic life or in their professional future.

Digital competences can be defined as the set of techno-pedagogical and communicational skills that allow teachers to function effectively within the educational contexts that new technologies generate. This research work was aimed to establish the relationship between the level of university professors’ digital competences concerning their gender and generation. The study was based on a sample of 613 professionals with an undergraduate degree, who came from different areas of Ecuador; they were the attendees to the "Training Program for Leveling Tutors using Virtual Modality" at Tí©cnica del Norte University (Ibarra -Ecuador). This research applied a quantitative and explanatory approach where the non-parametric statistical test of Chi-square was used to corroborate the validity of the data; it was obtained from a survey applied to the participants in this training course. The results show that the level of digital competences is gender independent but generation dependent. Generation Z is the one with the best digital capabilities, with an average of 61.14%. Regarding the gender, a dependence is observed only with two out of five groups of competencies analyzed in this study; the cloud storage and the interaction of social network. The research line of digital competences is extensive, the results should not be generalized or extrapolated without considering the characteristics of the educators and the context, it is suggested to assess the teaching staff digital competencies, considering other types of demographic variables, so that higher education institutions can carry out a comprehensive training planning in digital skills.

In the last decade, the extensive use of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in education in recent years has changed the nature of the teaching–learning environment. However, the adequate use of ICT is necessary for promoting educational practices that contribute to sustainable development. The systematization of the research in this area is presented as an opportunity to provide a contribution to the already existing theories and practices related to the use of ICT and the development of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review of articles that address innovative approaches to sustainability in digital education. The PRISMA 2020 guidelines were used to review the literature of articles published in the last decade in the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases. The results presented are based on the research questions that will guide the search and analysis of the information. They are divided into theoretical and practical research, giving relevance to the relationship between educational innovation with ICT and sustainability. The main variables that are taken into account in contributing to the SDGs through the use of ICT in educational practice are also presented. A critical discussion on this topic is elaborated, which will help to support a solid theoretical framework. Last, a conclusion on the effectiveness of digital education and its contribution to a sustainable development are provided.

In a society marked by continuous technological changes in favor of education, digital competence is an unavoidable feature in the professional profile of the university teaching staff. This systematic literature review aims at answering the following questions: what basic standards are established by the literature for teacher training in digital competence to strengthen their work inside and outside the classroom? What models or frameworks do they use as references? What are university professors’ training needs? What contributions have been made in this line of study and what technologies are recommended for teacher training in digital competence? Based on the four phases of the PRISMA flowchart: identification, selection, eligibility, and inclusion, the articles indexed in the Web of Science, Scopus, and Scielo databases, both in English and Spanish, and published in 2015 until the end of May 2022, were analyzed. The initial search resulted in a total of 187 potentially useful articles, 26 of which met the inclusion and quality criteria. The authors of the selected papers concur in identifying the dimensions of competence and, subsequently, in establishing the standards, direction, and focus of training.

Currently, 21st century students need competences that enable them to adapt to a new type of individual information and individual knowledge relationship, and, therefore, the education system should contemplate new ways for learners to develop in accordance with this so-called information and knowledge society. One of special importance is so-called digital competency. This article presents the results of a research study to determine the influence that the variables of gender, age, and academic degree have on the acquisition of digital competence by pre-service educators, with a sample of 370 students from different education degrees from the University of Salamanca (Spain). A quantitative methodology was used, employing a non-experimental method and the electronic survey technique to collect information on the dimensions of knowledge, as well as the management of and attitude towards information and communication technologies (ICTs). Data were analyzed inferentially from a comparison of means using nonparametric tests. This analysis was completed with the incorporation of Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, which allowed us to graphically verify the differences between the subsamples and thus compare the different groups in relation to the proposed dimensions. The main conclusion was that the three variables studied can be considered as influential, though not determinant, in the acquisition of digital competency.