Does Using Technology Really Mean Innovating in Education?

Digital technologies are increasingly present in the educational context, especially in higher education. However, an important question deserves reflection: does using technology necessarily mean innovating in education?

Based on this concern, I share in this infographic some reflections on the role of digital technologies in educational innovation processes. The material discusses to what extent the incorporation of these technologies can be considered innovation, who participates in defining what is truly innovative in the university context, and which institutional, pedagogical, and cultural conditions are necessary for these changes to occur in a meaningful way.

More than presenting definitive answers, the infographic seeks to encourage a critical perspective on the use of technologies in education. After all, innovation is not only found in the tools used, but in the transformations they enable in pedagogical practices, educational relationships, and in the ways we learn and teach.

And what do you think about it? Does using technology really mean innovating?

References:

HARIYANTO; RAHAYU, Agus; SENEN, Samsul Hadi; WIBOWO, Lili Adi. Innovation Agility and Its Role in Advancing Educational Outcomes: Systematic Review of Future Research Directions. IJORER: International Journal of Recent Educational Research, v. 6, n. 6, 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46245/ijorer.v6i6.1166. Disponível em: https://journal.ia-education.com/index.php/ijorer/article/download/1166/932. Acesso em: 14 mar. 2026.

IMBERNÓN, F. Formação docente e profissional: formar-se para a mudança e a incerteza. São Paulo: Cortez, 2011. 

KOBAYASHI, Maria do Carmo Monteiro. Quando inovar é a única saída: os processos de transformação na vida e na educação. In: CELESTE FILHO, Macioniro; KOBAYASHI, Maria do Carmo Monteiro (Org.). Inovação educacional e formação de professores: a experiência contemporânea dos municípios de Duartina e Ubirajara. São Paulo: Cultura Acadêmica, 2020. Disponível em: https://www.fc.unesp.br/Home/ensino/pos-graduacao/programas/docenciaparaaeducacaobasica/ebook_inovacao-educacional.pdf. Acesso em: 14 mar. 2026.

PETTER, Ana Amélia; SOUZA, Douglas Grando de; ESPINOSA, Tobias; ARAUJO, Ives Solano. Innovation in education: a systematic analysis of literature reviews. Revista Brasileira de Educação, Rio de Janeiro, v. 30, e300017, 2025. Disponível em: https://www.scielo.br/j/rbedu/a/kv8VqTPwzb39t7mCJqPxgpL/?format=pdf&lang=en. Acesso em: 14 mar. 2026.

PIMENTEL, F. S. C. P. Jogos Digitais, inovação e ensino na Saúde. In.: PIMENTEL, F. S. C.; SILVA, A. P. (Orgs.). Tecnologias digitais e inovação em educação: abordagens, reflexões e experiências. São Carlos: Pedro & João Editores, 2023. p. 23-42. Disponível em: https://arquivos.pedroejoaoeditores.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/03170224/EBOOK_Tecnologias-digitais-e-inovacao-em-educacao.pdf Acesso em: 14 mar. 2026.