Evaluación cuasi-experimental del uso de herramientas digitales en el desarrollo de competencias investigativas en estudiantes universitarios

Objective: The effect of using digital tools on the development of research competencies in university students was evaluated, given its relevance to strengthening formative research and improving the quality of higher education graduation processes. Methodology: A mixed-methods approach with a predominantly quantitative orientation was employed, using a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with three natural groups (N = 180) from three Ecuadorian universities. Group 1 received a structured intervention that integrated digital tools with methodological guidance; Group 2 received traditional methodological training with limited technological support; and Group 3 received intensive training in digital tools without explicit research orientation. The Research Competencies Scale (α = .91) was administered before and after an eight-week intervention, and the data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (repeated-measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests). Results: Improvements were observed in all three groups, with significant differences in the magnitude of change; Group 1 showed the largest increase (ΔM = +1.12) and statistically significant differences compared to the other groups (p < .001), with a relevant effect size (η²p = .21), highlighting improvements in information retrieval, academic writing, data analysis, and research autonomy. Conclusions: The pedagogical integration of digital tools, when accompanied by systematic methodological guidance, significantly strengthened research competencies, providing evidence applicable to curriculum design, teacher training, and the implementation of institutional strategies to optimize formative research and thesis work; future research should extend longitudinal follow-up and consider probabilistic sampling.