Educational Innovation 5.0: emerging trends to transform higher education in the digital age

Abstract

The rapid digital transformation of higher education in Latin America created the need to understand how emerging Educational Innovation 5.0 trends were incorporated within academic environments characterized by technological and structural limitations. The general objective of this study was to analyze the integration of these trends in universities and their impact on learning quality, student engagement, and institutional management. A mixed empirical methodology was applied, combining a structured Likert-scale questionnaire administered to 800 students and semi-structured interviews conducted with 250 faculty members experienced in innovative teaching practices. The questionnaire, adapted from internationally validated models, assessed technology adoption, digital competencies, perceived barriers, and the educational value of 5.0 tools using pretest and posttest measurements. Qualitative data were processed using SPSS Text Analytics to identify thematic categories, code frequencies, and co-occurrence relationships. Results indicated that pretest responses reflected low to moderate levels of technological adoption, while the posttest demonstrated substantial improvements in the use of intelligent platforms, positive perceptions of AI-based learning tools, and strengthened digital competencies. Faculty interviews confirmed the pedagogical value of emerging technologies but highlighted persistent challenges related to infrastructure, continuous training, and institutional support. Overall, the findings demonstrated that Educational Innovation 5.0 generated significant improvements when supported by robust organizational strategies.