Promotion of Intercultural Competencies and Use of ICT: Towards a Digitally Inclusive University

Abstract

Intercultural and inclusive education has become a priority for higher education professionals due to the presence of cultural diversity in educational spaces and the heterogeneity of the student body. The university of the 21st century must promote the implementation of pedagogical guidelines aimed at facilitating the acquisition of intercultural and digital competences, with the aim of empowering students through ICT, favouring their integral development and the autonomous construction of their identity. The aim of this study is to find out teachers' evaluations of the potential of ICT to favour the acquisition of intercultural competences in their students. The methodology is qualitative through focus groups in which 14 teachers from the University of Malaga (Spain) participated. The content analysis followed a deductive category development model. The results reveal that the participating teachers use digital tools as a means of acquiring knowledge rather than to promote cultural interaction. The main conclusions include the importance of improving lifelong learning, more in line with participatory, creative, and digital strategies in university classrooms.