Adriana Ornellas

A methodological approach to support collaborative media creation in an e-learning higher education context

This article outlines a methodological approach to the creation, production and dissemination of online collaborative audio-visual projects, using new social learning technologies and open-source video tools, which can be applied to any e-learning environment in higher education. The methodology was developed and used to design a course in the audio-visual communication degree at the Open University of Catalonia. It combines three pedagogical strategies in an e-learning environment: project-based learning, computer-supported collaborative learning and participatory culture as a new form of literacy. Here, we present the objectives, the different stages of development and an evaluation of the methodology.

Three Decades of Digital ICT in Education: Deconstructing Myths and Highlighting Realities

Deconstructing mythical thinking, in this case about the use of digital Information Communication Technology (ICT) in education, seems fundamental to promoting critical thinking, constructing sound knowledge and preventing ignorance-based mistakes. In this vein, Maranto and McShane (2012, p. 71) have identified a set of myths underpinning current educational policy in the United States. In relation to ‘The Cutback Myth’, they argue how difficult it is ‘to have sensible discussions about school funding given such widespread ignorance regarding both its current level and its effects. As Mark Twain put it, “It’s not what you don’t know that kills you, it’s what you know for sure that ain’t true’”. Taking into account this line of thought, our main purposes are to promote awareness about how our beliefs and views on digital ICT in education have been built and to invite educators to critically consider to what extent these beliefs and views have a rational and evidencebased grounding, or not. We also argue for more solid and multifaceted positions to analyse and discuss the contributions of ICT for improving education.