Miriam José Martín Cáceres

Virtual games in social science education

The new technologies make the appearance of highly motivating and dynamic games with different levels of interaction possible, in which large amounts of data, information, procedures and values are included which are intimately bound with the social sciences. We set out from the hypothesis that videogames may become interesting resources for their inclusion in the education processes in formal contexts. Videogames become laboratories for social experimentation where the scenarios, conditions and situations affecting a given human phenomenon are reproduced. In this article, 35 videogames are analysed to find out which contents can be approached through them for the teaching of Social Sciences using problem-solving strategies. To this end, instruments for information gathering (data collection grid) and analysis (category system) were designed. The different contents of a social nature are analysed according to the study categories and in turn from the areas of social issues detected in them. We present a working proposal for the use of videogames in the classroom on the basis of resolution of relevant problems, determining which are the issues that we consider relevant, what questions the pupils can be asked to approach through videogames and what the characteristics, benefits and obstacles are in the use of these resources in the teaching of Social Sciences.

Patrimonio, educación, identidad y ciudadanía. Profesorado y libros de texto en la enseñanza obligatoria

espanolEl patrimonio es un elemento clave dentro de los procesos de ensenanza y aprendizaje, segun se ha podido constatar a traves de diferentes estudios llevados a cabo desde hace ya mas de 20 anos. A partir del patrimonio se pueden trabajar contenidos y problemas relevantes para la sociedad y la educacion, entre ellos los aspectos relacionados con ambitos tan complejos como la identidad y la ciudadania. Desde la perspectiva que se presenta en este trabajo se concibe una vision de la educacion patrimonial de caracter complejo e interdisciplinar, conectando las ciencias sociales con las ciencias naturales y experimentales. Es una vision basada en la resolucion de problemas socialmente relevantes, en la interaccion, la innovacion y en la concepcion sociocritica de la educacion. El estudio, fundamentado en este planteamiento teorico, combina tecnicas cuantitativas y cualitativas desde el paradigma interpretativo. Se disena una tabla de categorias (elaboradas como una hipotesis de progresion) que permite un analisis riguroso de los datos obtenidos a traves de cuestionarios, rejillas de toma de datos y grupos de discusion. La informacion es aportada por el profesorado y los libros de texto de educacion primaria y secundaria de las materias de Ciencias Sociales, Ciencias Naturales, Geografia e Historia, Biologia-Geologia y Fisica y Quimica. Los resultados permiten aproximarnos a la concepcion del patrimonio y de su ensenanza y aprendizaje que se aborda en estos niveles y materias de ensenanza. Se ponen de relieve las relaciones del patrimonio con la identidad, asi como los obstaculos existentes para trabajar el patrimonio desde una perspectiva educativa, que provocan un predominio de visiones esteticas y temporales, con estrategias metodologicas de caracter tradicional y finalidades academicas y conservacionistas, que se aproximan a las caracteristicas del segundo nivel de la hipotesis de progresion en el que se basa este trabajo. EnglishHeritage is a key element in the teaching and learning process, as has been noted by different studies conducted for 20 years. From heritage we can work relevant contents and problems for society and education, such as identity and citizenship. This paper presents a complex and interdisciplinary vision of heritage education, connecting the social sciences with natural and experimental sciences. It is a vision based on socially relevant solving problems, interaction, innovation and social criticism conception of education. This study presents a methodology that combines quantitative and qualitative techniques, from the interpretive paradigm. A table of categories is designed (developed as a hypothesis progression) which allows a rigorous analysis of data obtained through questionnaires, data collection tables and discussion groups. The information is provided by teachers and textbooks of primary and secondary subjects of Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Geography and History, Biology- Geology and Physics and Chemistry. The results allow us to approach the concept of heritage and its teaching and learning that work at these levels and subjects. It becomes relevant the relationship between heritage and identity, as well as obstacles to working heritage from an educational perspective, causing a predominance of aesthetic and temporal visions, with methodological strategies of traditional character and academic and conservationists purposes, approaching the second level of progression hypothesis defended in this work.