EVALUATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL SKILLS IN ITLAC STUDENTS POST-COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the difficulties students and teachers faced in adapting to online education. This research evaluated the evolution of digital skills among Industrial Engineering students at TecNM - Lázaro Cárdenas, comparing the levels recorded at the beginning of the pandemic with a new measurement taken in 2025, with the aim of identifying significant changes and areas of opportunity to strengthen online and blended learning. A quantitative, descriptive study of population trends was conducted using independent samples. A survey based on a previously validated instrument with a five-level Likert scale was used. The population consisted of students from the Industrial Engineering program; 96 valid responses were obtained. The data were processed using Excel and SPSS version 25, comparing the 2025 results with those obtained in 2020. To determine if the observed differences between the two periods were statistically significant, a mean comparison test using the Z-statistics was applied. The overall average increased from 2.73 to 3.19. The one-tailed statistical test yielded a Z-value of 6.86, exceeding the critical value of 1.645 with α = 0.05, thus rejecting the null hypothesis and identifying a statistically significant increase among the analyzed measurements. Specialty competencies showed the greatest average increase (27%), followed by academic (19%) and generic (12%) competencies. The results confirm a statistically significant increase in digital skills following the pandemic. The main contribution of this study lies in the paradox identified in specialized skills: although they registered the greatest relative growth (27%), they continue to be the lowest in absolute terms (2.99 out of 5.00) compared to generic (3.40) and academic (3.07) skills. It is concluded that experience in virtual environments consolidated communication and transversal skills, but is insufficient for mastering advanced engineering technologies, which necessitates specific and intentional curricular strategies for blended learning.