Abstract:

In recent decades we have experienced an impactful technological revolution, which has had and continues to have repercussions in all sectors of society. In relation to education, it is verified that institutions are transforming and adapting to new habits and behaviors, since the teaching and learning process changes as society evolves. Encouraging the use of digital technologies in an educational context has been a constant in educational programs for some decades now [1]. However, technologies should not be seen as an educational purpose, but a means to facilitate the learning process [2]. It should be noted that studies have been carried out on the effectiveness of the use of technology in the educational context [3], which indicate that its use facilitates the teaching/learning process. Students improve their performance when using information and communication technologies, as they enhance their effective involvement and participation, encouraging autonomy and regulation of their own learning, leading the student to be the main protagonist in the construction of their knowledge [4]. In addition, a new trend is gaining prominence in the use of technologies in education: “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD), that is, each student brings her own device (computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone), which allows them to use tools /resources inherent to the m-learning education modality. There is an urgent need to boost the true digital transformation in education [5]. The main objective of this article is to study the potentialities of technologies in teaching and learning concepts in the subject of physics. Thus, in this sense, a virtual simulator was used: PhET Interactive Simulations, never tested by the participants: 9th grade students. The theme explored was "Electrical circuits" and the simulator served for students to make electrical constructions based on a protocol. The students’ performance was compared to the results obtained in a class issue, in which the same theme was addressed. The methodology used assumes a predominantly descriptive content analysis, using the students’ answers. From the observation of the students during the class, the participation and involvement in the activity was evident. Although the study was dedicated to only one of the programmatic contents of the 9th year, it could be inferred that the use of that virtual simulator allowed to improve the understanding of the concepts related to the theme. In the future, it would be appropriate, in an upcoming study, to dedicate more lessons to the use of the simulator, so that students can become more familiar with its functionalities and apply to more programmatic content.

References:
[1] Ponte, J. P. (1994). O Projecto MINERVA Introduzindo as NTI na Educação em Portugal.
[2] Moran, J. M. (2008). A Educação Que Desejamos: Novos Desafios e Como Chegar Lá. Revista de Educação PUC-Campinas, 24, p.129-131.
[3] García-Valcárcel, A., Basilotta, V., & López García, C. (2014). ICT in collaborative learning in the classrooms of primary and secondary education. Comunicar, 21(42), p. 65-74.
[4] Leite, B. S. (2020). Tecnologias digitais e metodologias ativas no ensino de química: análise das publicações por meio do corpus latent na internet. Revista Internacional de Pesquisa Em Didática Das Ciências e Matemática, 1(e020003), p. 1-19.
[5] Moura, A. (2019). Para onde caminha a educação na era digital móvel? 133 anos a desenhar o futuro. Publisher: Escola Secundária Carlos Amarante, p. 235-242.

Keywords:

e-learning, Active Learning, Virtual Simulator, Physics, Electrical Circuits, Mobile Devices.