Information and communication technologies in higher education: Comparison of stimulated motivation

The use of technologies in the classroom has become one of the main allies for university teachers in pedagogical innovation, especially during, and after the pandemic. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to investigate how different types of innovative technologies are most effective in increasing motivation among university students. For this purpose, the level of motivation for learning stimulated by different technologies used as pedagogical support is compared. A motivation focused instructional model was implemented in conjunction with technologies such as machine learning, augmented reality, additive manufacturing, smart mobile devices, Moodle platforms, interactive smart TVs, as well as traditional lectures. The motivation was quantified through an extensively validated questionnaire designed for this purpose. A non-experimental quantitative research approach was applied to collect, process, and analyze the research data. A three-stage experimental design was used. The questionnaire was administered to 540 engineering students. The data extracted showed significant differences between the different technologies studied, highlighting interactive television, machine learning, and augmented reality over other technologies, which serves as input for academic management to direct efforts, funds and teacher training in new tools to support the teaching process.