Digital Management of Academic Olympiads: Pilot Experience in Pre-University Education

Abstract

The manual management of academic olympiads in the Dominican pre-university system presents structural limitations in terms of efficiency, traceability, and evaluative objectivity. This article documents and analyzes the design, development, and implementation of the first integrated digital management system for academic olympiads at Regional Education Directorate No. 15 (Santo Domingo III), developed as a module of SIGACOM (Teaching Accompaniment Information and Management System). The study is framed within the applied research paradigm with technological development and innovation (R&D&I) orientation, using a mixed methods approach and institutional case study design. The unit of analysis was the first edition of the 2026 Spanish Language Olympiad, with the participation of 96 students across four categories by academic level, representing six educational districts and 89 schools. Results show a substantial reduction in total operational time, from a full day to less than half a day for the application phase, and from several days to less than 24 hours for results availability. The system integrated automatic scoring of closed items, manual assessment of open written productions, and oral interviews with digital rubrics in a single workflow, with complete traceability per participant. Logistical and curricular areas for improvement were identified for future editions. The experience provides empirical evidence on the feasibility of implementing evaluative technological innovation under limited public infrastructure conditions in the Latin American context.