DEFINITION APPROACH TO UNIVERSITIES' DIGITAL CULTURE AND ITS CONSTITUENT DIMENSIONS

Abstract

Digital culture has a significant impact on contemporary educational discussions, since it transforms its main actors, and the context of higher education is no exception; in this sense, it is essential to promote the integration of University Digital Culture (UDC) as an inherent element in its activities. However, even recognizing its importance, there are inaccuracies and ignorance of the concept, to which is added its polysemy, which altogether hinders its incorporation, development and positioning among the university community. The objective of the article is to analyze the relevant elements of the UDC to generate an approach to its meaning, study and appropriation. The methodology adapts the systematic mapping of the literature to identify what is known about the subject, and what is unexplored through the application of specific criteria of inclusion and exclusion of academic Google search. As a result, concepts inherent to the UDC were identified, categorized to establish a macro-dimension, three dimensions and six sub-dimensions, which together clarify the relationship between its constituent elements. Regarding the findings, the absence of a definition of the construct on the UDC is identified, which affects the scarce possibility of generating a field or line of research as a subject of study, due, among other factors, to the different approaches, as well as to the absence of scientific production related to it. Therefore, it is relevant to identify, describe and classify the technologies understood as technological resources, environments, and educational practices, as the main dimensions of the UDC included in cyberspace.