Critical thinking in digital times: the role of virtual strategies in university education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17548480Keywords:
higher education, critical thinking, educational technologyAbstract
This study analyzes the relationship between virtual learning strategies and the development of critical thinking in university students in teacher training programs. In a context of increasing educational digitalization, it is recognized that the mere incorporation of technology does not guarantee the strengthening of complex cognitive skills, particularly in public institutions in rural areas. The research, with a quantitative approach, non-experimental design, and cross-sectional approach, was conducted with a census population of 65 third-year students in the Education program at the National University of San Agustín in Arequipa. A structured questionnaire with Likert scales was used to evaluate the informational, communicative, and tutorial dimensions of the virtual strategies, along with the dimensions of interpretation, analysis, and evaluation of critical thinking. The results showed a moderate positive correlation between virtual strategies and critical thinking (r = 0.641; p < 0.05), highlighting the communicative dimension as the one most closely linked to critical development. From a sociological perspective, it was identified that pedagogical practices centered on interaction and teacher support are more conducive to critical thinking than the isolated use of digital resources. This study concludes that the development of critical thinking in virtual environments requires intentional pedagogical interventions and cannot be limited to technological access alone. It offers theoretical and practical contributions to the redesign of university education with a critical and contextualized approach.
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