Entorno virtual de aprendizaje (EVA), a la apropiación de la competencia digital en seguridad y privacidad de la información

Abstract

The present research aimed to evaluate how a pedagogical strategy grounded in connectivist and constructivist approaches, implemented through the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Omniverso Digital, supports the development of digital competence in information security and privacy among upper‑secondary students at IED Rural San Cayetano, located in the locality of Usme (Bogotá D.C.). The study was conducted under a mixed‑methods approach with a qualitatively driven design, in which the quantitative component served an interpretative support function. This was integrated with a quasi‑experimental pretest–posttest single‑group design and Educational Action Research (EAR) of a pedagogical nature. The instruments applied included the Digital Competencies Scale in Information Security and Privacy (DCSISP; Spanish version: ECDSPI), an open‑ended cybersecurity survey, and the analysis of qualitative evidence derived from the Virtual Learning Environments (VLE), including digital artifacts produced by the students and word clouds built from such products. The results showed a significant strengthening in the students’ understanding of digital risks, management of online identity, and adoption of safe and ethical behaviors. The implemented pedagogical strategy, beyond serving as a technological resource, consolidated itself as a sustainable educational proposal integrating the cognitive, ethical, and social dimensions of digital competence. The project demonstrated that virtual learning environments, when articulated with connectivist methodologies and gamification strategies, can transform cybersecurity teaching in rural contexts, fostering critical, ethical, and responsible digital citizenship.