TRENDS AND CHALLENGES OF TECHNOLOGY INTRODUCTION IN THE EDUCATION AND LEARNING PROCESS: A CASE STUDY AT A HIGHER FEDERAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION – CEFET/RJ

The changes in society originated from the introduction of new technologies impacts the management of the educational practice. It requires the adoption and implementation of modern methods of teaching by using new technologies in education in order to reach a continuous improvement of learning, based on the use of new features, methodology and teaching materials. The students also need to learn different concepts and acquire skills to properly operate in this new social environment generated by the new technologies, which also pressures the educational institutions to adopt new tools and methodologies, considering the changes in society.
CEFET/RJ - Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca is a federal institution under the Education Ministry of Brazil. The institution is considered a Higher Education Institution specialized in offering technical education at different levels and types, including technical, university and master programs. The institution's mission is the promotion of education through teaching, research and extension activities to provide, in a reflective and critical manner, a comprehensive and integral training of professionals that may be capable of contributing to the cultural, technological and economic development of society through interaction with its system.
The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Higher Education Institutions, like CEFET/RJ, can positively contribute to promote, expand and achieve a better education and learning process, either by introducing new technologies, redirecting the focus of the educational process or acting as support and institutional aids. Moreover, in a modern and dynamic society, the use of technological resources in daily activities impact and change the expectations and the way the students see education and learning today. The alignment and integration between technology and education can be introduced from educational teaching demands considering the structure system of educational technology represented by technological infrastructure, content delivery processes and the agents of the educational environment.
From these new perspectives of education in relation to the changes in society, this article presents a case study at CEFET/RJ, focusing on the experiences and challenges faced by that institution and addresses the trends and expectations for the future. It also covers the evolution of the educational technologies, the introduction of the information society environment, the changes of the students’ behavior and expectations in the education and learning process.