Digital skills for teachers in the Era of Education 4.0: Challenges and Opportunities in Universities.

Education 4.0 has profoundly transformed the role of university lecturers, demandingthe development of digital competencies that enable the effective integration oftechnologies into teaching and learning processes. This comparative, multi-countrystudy conducted in Ecuador and Peru involved a sample of 210 university educatorsand employed a mixed-methods approach, combining a systematic literature review withthe administration of structured surveys. The aim is to identify strengths, weaknesses,and areas for improvement in the use of digital tools, innovative methodologies, andtechnology-mediated teaching strategies. The findings reveal significant gaps in the useof learning management systems, videoconferencing applications, and digitalassessment tools. Moreover, a lack of specialised training is evident, which limits theoptimal pedagogical use of these resources. Factors such as limited access to ongoingprofessional development and deficiencies in technological infrastructure directly affectthe effective implementation of digital education. The study concludes that educationaltransformation requires sustained institutional commitment to promoting continuousteacher training, ensuring equitable access to digital resources, and fostering thedevelopment of advanced digital competencies. These efforts are essential foraddressing the challenges of Education 4.0 and enhancing the quality of learning inincreasingly digitalised academic environments.