Abstract:

Currently, there are many forms of online use to support training, education and information dissemination. There have been some misconceptions about the concept of distance learning, online learning, mixed learning, hybrid learning; and we may not be able to arrive at a definitive definition of the concept. However, based on some conceptual frameworks, we hope to clarify these concepts, in the context of the development of Online Learning courses at our university.
The main objective of this presentation is to be able to have a definition and a context that can frame this model, to understand the way our institution uses online content in order to promote learning by university students.
Online learning in higher education is often indicated as an alternative in a complementary model, in planning and organizing and increasing the quality of face-to-face teaching/learning activities.
Even so, there is still some resistance to its adoption by some segments of teachers, partly because they are unaware and unable to operate digital technological tools, and to use them to implement pedagogical innovation.
Additionally, we identified resistance to online teaching and learning strategies associated with the fear that they might relegate the teacher's role to a secondary level, shifting the learning axis to the student.
Our university currently uses an internal platform developed for online learning, supported by short courses, which are complementary to face-to-face classes. The disciplines involved in this offer are part of the range of cross-curricular units (in soft skills), the frequency of which occurs in the first year of the degree programs.
The structure of these online courses comprises two parts: a) a set of expository video modules, which cover the main theoretical contents of each course, and b) an online questionnaire evaluation process (online quiz), which must be completed immediately after viewing one of the video modules, in order to evaluate the contents retained by the student. To transition to the next video module of the same Course Unit, the student must necessarily obtain a minimum percentage of classification in that quiz. As the third component of this model we can consider the moments of teaching and learning in person, in which both students and teachers have the opportunity to monitor and consolidate the learning process. This stage is based on the content and moments of assessment previously carried out through online tools, which enhance dynamics that stimulate and increase the construction of spaces for dialogue and debate, being supported by practical exercises.
This model proves to be particularly relevant in the development and application, by students, of soft sklils highly valued in recruitment processes and in their future work contexts.

Keywords:

Blended-learning, higher education, online learning.