Marc Romero Carbonell

La construcción colaborativa de proyectos como metodología para adquirir competencias digitales

Actualmente presenciamos una etapa de importantes cambios como consecuencia de la emergencia de las tecnologias de la informacion y la comunicacion (TIC). La educacion superior ejerce un papel clave para ayudar a los estudiantes a adquirir las competencias que les permitan desenvolverse en los entornos academico y profesional. Entre estas, las vinculadas a las TIC y los procesos de colaboracion se consideran claves. La finalidad del presente estudio es analizar la percepcion de los estudiantes a fin de evidenciar como la construccion colaborativa de un proyecto digital facilita la adquisicion de las competencias digitales. Para ello, se aborda el planteamiento metodologico de la asignatura «Competencias TIC» de la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, la cual se desarrolla a traves de un proyecto colaborativo en red organizado en cuatro fases: inicio, estructuracion, desarrollo y conclusion y cierre. Mediante una investigacion evaluativa se triangulan datos de naturaleza cuantitativa y cualitativa provenientes de un cuestionario. Los resultados muestran la evolucion en la propuesta metodologica de la asignatura a la vez que ponen de manifiesto como el proyecto digital en equipo facilita la adquisicion de las competencias digitales, destacando concretamente las vinculadas al trabajo en equipo en red y la actitud digital. Las conclusiones refuerzan la importancia de los procesos CSCL, la necesidad de trabajar propuestas pedagogicas para la adquisicion de competencias digitales.As a result of the emergence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) we are currently experiencing a period of major changes. Higher education plays a key role in helping students to acquire the competences which enable them to be autonomous in both academic and professional environments, where ICT literacy and collaborative processes are considered crucial. This study analyzes students’ perceptions about how the collaborative construction of a project online facilitates the acquisition of digital competences. It examines the methodological approach, within the context of the Open University of Catalonia, of the subject: «ICT Competences». This subject is conducted fully online at the UOC, and learners are required to engage in a collaborative project organized in 4 phases: starting, structuring, developing and concluding. Based on an evaluation research approach, quantitative and qualitative data from a survey have been triangulated. The results support the pedagogical methodology which forms the basis of this subject and indicates that collaborative projects facilitate the acquisition of digital competences, highlighting those linked to digital teamwork and digital attitude. The conclusions reinforce the importance of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) processes, the need to put forward pedagogical proposals for the acquisition of both digital and collaborative competences and the relevant role of the teacher in this process.Actualmente presenciamos una etapa de importantes cambios como consecuencia de la emergencia de las tecnologias de la informacion y la comunicacion (TIC). La educacion superior ejerce un papel clave para ayudar a los estudiantes a adquirir las competencias que les permitan desenvolverse en los entornos academico y profesional. Entre estas, las vinculadas a las TIC y los procesos de colaboracion se consideran claves. La finalidad del presente estudio es analizar la percepcion de los estudiantes a fin de evidenciar como la construccion colaborativa de un proyecto digital facilita la adquisicion de las competencias digitales. Para ello, se aborda el planteamiento metodologico de la asignatura «Competencias TIC» de la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, la cual se desarrolla a traves de un proyecto colaborativo en red organizado en cuatro fases: inicio, estructuracion, desarrollo y conclusion y cierre. Mediante una investigacion evaluativa se triangulan datos de naturaleza cuantitativa y cualitativa provenientes de un cuestionario. Los resultados muestran la evolucion en la propuesta metodologica de la asignatura a la vez que ponen de manifiesto como el proyecto digital en equipo facilita la adquisicion de las competencias digitales, destacando concretamente las vinculadas al trabajo en equipo en red y la actitud digital. Las conclusiones refuerzan la importancia de los procesos CSCL, la necesidad de trabajar propuestas pedagogicas para la adquisicion de competencias digitales.As a result of the emergence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) we are currently experiencing a period of major changes. Higher education plays a key role in helping students to acquire the competences which enable them to be autonomous in both academic and professional environments, where ICT literacy and collaborative processes are considered crucial. This study analyzes students’ perceptions about how the collaborative construction of an online project facilitates the acquisition of digital competences. It examines the methodological approach, within the context of the Open University of Catalonia, of the subject: «ICT Competences». This subject is conducted fully online at the UOC, and learners are required to engage in a collaborative project organized in 4 phases: starting, structuring, developing and concluding. Based on an evaluation research approach, quantitative and qualitative data from a survey have been triangulated. The results support the pedagogical methodology which forms the basis of this subject and indicates that collaborative projects facilitate the acquisition of digital competences, highlighting those linked to digital teamwork and digital attitude. The conclusions reinforce the importance of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) processes, the need to put forward pedagogical proposals for the acquisition of both digital and collaborative competences and the relevant role of the teacher in this process.As a result of the emergence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) we are currently experiencing a period of major changes. Higher education plays a key role in helping students to acquire the competences which enable them to be autonomous in both academic and professional environments, where ICT literacy and collaborative processes are considered crucial. This study analyzes students’ perceptions about how the collaborative construction of an online project facilitates the acquisition of digital competences. It examines the methodological approach, within the context of the Open University of Catalonia, of the subject: «ICT Competences». This subject is conducted fully online at the UOC, and learners are required to engage in a collaborative project organized in 4 phases: starting, structuring, developing and concluding. Based on an evaluation research approach, quantitative and qualitative data from a survey have been triangulated. The results support the pedagogical methodology which forms the basis of this subject and indicates that collaborative projects facilitate the acquisition of digital competences, highlighting those linked to digital teamwork and digital attitude. The conclusions reinforce the importance of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) processes, the need to put forward pedagogical proposals for the acquisition of both digital and collaborative competences and the relevant role of the teacher in this process.

E-assessment process: giving a voice to online learners

Considering the expansion of active pedagogies that consider the student as the centre of the teaching and learning process, their role during the assessment process cannot be overlooked. That implies a change in the teacher’s role from a communicator of the student’s mark to an open system in which teachers and students get involved in the learning process and develop online assessment skills.From a description of a concrete experience of continuous e-assessment in a subject at the UOC, this paper explores the advantages of the active role of students in the e-assessment of competency acquisition. In this subject, the student is assessed, using a project based learning methodology, from two dimensions provided by continuous assessment: on the one hand, the assessment of the process followed during the development of the activities based on the outcomes of each phase of the projects and process monitoring and, on the other hand, the assessment of the final outcome. Hence, students participate in both the assessment of the process and the final outcome. The process assessment, developed in the framework of teamwork, is produced in a self-assessment process in which both the student and peer participation in a work group are analysed, thereby developing a dynamic peer-assessment. In addition, a process of reflection regarding teamwork is carried out at the end of each phase of the project, based on an interactive process among the members of the group.The evaluation of the results focuses on an interactive assessment based on the analysis of the projects developed by other groups at the final stage of the subject.In order to analyse the students’ perception about the e-assessment methodology and their role during this process, a quantitative and online questionnaire was designed and administered at the final stage of the course. The results revealed a high level of satisfaction with the e-assessment activities of the course and an improvement of the learning process.Considering the expansion of active pedagogies that consider the student as the centre of the teaching and learning process, their role during the assessment process cannot be overlooked. That implies a change in the teacher’s role from a communicator of the student’s mark to an open system in which teachers and students get involved in the learning process and develop online assessment skills. From a description of a concrete experience of continuous e-assessment in a subject at the UOC, this paper explores the advantages of the active role of students in the e-assessment of competency acquisition. In this subject, the student is assessed, using a project based learning methodology, from two dimensions provided by continuous assessment: on the one hand, the assessment of the process followed during the development of the activities based on the outcomes of each phase of the projects and process monitoring and, on the other hand, the assessment of the final outcome. Hence, students participate in both the assessment of the process and the final outcome. The process assessment, developed in the framework of teamwork, is produced in a self-assessment process in which both the student and peer participation in a work group are analysed, thereby developing a dynamic peer-assessment. In addition, a process of reflection regarding teamwork is carried out at the end of each phase of the project, based on an interactive process among the members of the group. The evaluation of the results focuses on an interactive assessment based on the analysis of the projects developed by other groups at the final stage of the subject. In order to analyse the students’ perception about the e-assessment methodology and their role during this process, a quantitative and online questionnaire was designed and administered at the final stage of the course. The results revealed a high level of satisfaction with the e-assessment activities of the course and an improvement of the learning process.