The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly influenced society and educational in-stitutions, particularly within universities. It has hastened the integration of digi-tal technologies (ICT) into both teaching and learning methods, significantly al-tering educational delivery, especially through online platforms. This study seeks to explore how university students assess and interpret their Digital Competen-cies (DC) according to the DIGCOMP framework introduced by the European Union in 2020. A survey was crafted and distributed to 335 engineering students from a multi-campus university in Chile during the years 2022 to 2024. The re-search adopts a quantitative and descriptive approach, concentrating on five areas of digital competencies: (1) Information and data literacy; (2) Communication and collaboration; (3) Digital content creation; (4) Security; and (5) Problem-solving.

The rapid digital transformation and global labor market dynamics demand that higher education institutions foster competencies beyond disciplinary expertise. Hackathons, as intensive and collaborative innovation formats, are increasingly recognized as promising environments for the development of Future Skills according to the Future Skills Framework by Ehlers (2020). This paper presents the design and evaluation of a five-day international hackathon conducted with students from Stellenbosch University (South Africa) and TU Dresden (Germany). The event challenged participants to collaboratively design AI-based prototypes for email classification and response automation, supported by cloud-based tools and iterative feedback loops. Employing a quantitative pre-post survey (n = 10), the study assessed students’ self-perceived competence development across seven Future Skills domains, using adapted scales for digital literacy, communication, ambiguity tolerance, design thinking, collaboration, and self-determination. While no statistically significant differences emerged, small-to-medium effect sizes indicated practical gains in digital literacy and ambiguity tolerance, complemented by the diversity of student-built technical solutions. The findings highlight three contributions: (1) the hackathon design as a competence-centered, transferable learning format, (2) the student-developed prototypes as artifacts reflecting divergent yet functional solutions, and (3) preliminary evidence of hackathon participation as a catalyst for Future Skills development. Limitations due to the small sample size and reliance on self-reports are acknowledged, and recommendations for future iterations include larger cohorts, qualitative interviews, and log-data analyses. The study demonstrates the potential of international hackathons to foster Future Skills in authentic, cross-cultural learning environments and calls for further empirical exploration of their long-term effects.

<p>Artificial Intelligence (AI) is swiftly revolutionizing the educational arena, serving as a significant driving force in the improvement of teaching and learning experiences. Despite the increasing interest in the integration of AI in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction, the perceptions of EFL teachers regarding this integration remain underexplored. This study addresses a significant gap in literature by examining EFL teachers’ perceptions of using ChatGPT as an AI-powered chatbot for improving EFL learners’ English language learning. The research employed in-depth interviews with EFL teachers as the primary method for data collection. Analysis of the interview results revealed diverse perspectives regarding the effectiveness of ChatGPT. While some EFL teachers acknowledged its advantages in delivering rapid and precise answers to a variety of inquiries, others voiced concerns that ChatGPT could impede students’ development of critical thinking and research skills, and may inadvertently perpetuate biases or misinformation. Moreover, EFL teachers discussed various ethical considerations associated with the use of ChatGPT in language learning. The obtained findings have some implications for EFL teachers, teacher educators, syllabus designers, and practitioners in EFL contexts for the incorporation of AI within educational settings, especially in the field of English language teaching and learning.</p>