Abstract:

To adapt to the needs of today's society, higher education institutions must become more flexible and develop ways of integrating information and communication technologies into training processes. At the same time, it is necessary to apply a new conception of student users as well as changes in the role of teachers and administrative changes regarding communication systems and the design and distribution of teaching. All this implies, in turn, changes in the teaching-learning standards towards a more flexible model. To understand these processes of change and their effects, as well as the possibilities that the teaching-learning systems entail changes and technological advances, it is convenient to place ourselves within the framework of innovation processes.

For this research, a survey was carried out on a representative sample of professors from Spanish universities (both public and private) in technical areas. In this survey, the university professors were asked about which they consider are the most important aspects regarding the implementation of educational innovation projects in relation to the support system for teachers: student support, team policy, new relationships and network infrastructure, and hardware and software.

There is no doubt that the university teaching group needs, first of all, a training process, and its planning and the very existence of trainers are key issues. However, we must also think in terms of continuing education and professional development. The university professor should not only keep abreast of the discoveries in his field of study. At the same time, it must also address the possibilities of ICT and possible innovations in the teaching-learning processes.
- There should be support for students. Students need training (communication skills, information selection, organization skills, etc.), but at the same time, technical assistance and policies are required to promote the use of ICTs (purchase plans, soft credits, etc.).

- Team policy. The team that will carry out the project of teaching innovation is one of the key pieces. Its configuration, functions, and place in the organizational chart of the institution depend on the culture and history of the entity. For this reason, the policy regarding such equipment is one of the critical elements for the success of ICT integration projects in the teaching-learning processes. The way in which this team will be organized is also important: the role of the content expert, how and who will handle instructional design, digital design, whether we consider the presence of programmers, or what the role of the team coordinator will be, etc.

- New relationships. There is no doubt that opportunities in the academic market are broadened by integrating virtual teaching-learning environments into the university institution. This puts us in a different position with regard to new partners that can come from the technological field, from the economic sector, and, above all, from our relations with other institutions (consortia, university networks, etc.).

- Network, hardware, and software infrastructure. Undoubtedly, little can be done in the field of ICT-based teaching without clear strategic lines regarding infrastructure. A technological plan of the institution will be a good basis for success. In spite of this, it should be borne in mind that innovation is a human activity, not a technical one.

Keywords:

Teaching innovation; ICT; higher education; teaching learning system