DIGITAL LIBRARY
COLLABORATIVE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS: PARTICIPATIVE EDUCATION
1 University of Alcalá (SPAIN)
2 Universidad Complutense de Madrid (SPAIN)
About this paper:
Appears in: INTED2012 Proceedings
Publication year: 2012
Page: 3031 (abstract only)
ISBN: 978-84-615-5563-5
ISSN: 2340-1079
Conference name: 6th International Technology, Education and Development Conference
Dates: 5-7 March, 2012
Location: Valencia, Spain
Abstract:
The new University is unthinkable without the internet. The academics are more and better connected than ever. In this context, the step between the exchange of information and the development of team work to knowledge generation and the exchange of group experiences by using interactive technologies, is critical to improve the quality of the university education.
For this reason there is a new approach to education from the field called “participative education”. The key is the development and integration of digital and interactive content in the teaching and learning process as a route for developing constructivist methodologies and the generation and management of group knowledge.

In this context, by using multimedia and innovative resources a change in the teaching and learning methodology is being encouraged. The student becomes the “content generator” and use new information technologies to build and share their new knowledge and to create collaborative content.

Specificallly, our innovation is based on the experience of the application of new technologies for the creation of digital learning content developed by the students themselves and put at the disposal of group learning during the teaching of university subjects. Its design responds to the “Bologna Plan” and is one of the first experiences of utilization of “Polimedia System” for use by the students to develop their own training contents, mixing individual learning with team learning.

Through this system, the students develop specific skills related to subjects and high impact transversal skills, for example, the capacity to manage knowledge and critical analysis of contents.
At the same time, the students “manage and play” with the information and the exchangeable knowledge among their colleagues, in a way which the training process became didactic, participating and motivating at the same time.
The purpose is to enjoy learning throw the creation and the practice.

Another objective that is desired with this Project is to convert the class into a learning community. The feeling of identity and belonging to a class is increased as a group of interest, not only as a group who shares the physical space of the room.

At the same time, this Project makes the student more responsible mixing individual learning with group learning. Student must take the initiative in the complex task of identifying his own necessities and his learning goals, as well as, choose the reasons and most appropriate strategies to send the messages to his colleagues.
Keywords:
Innovation, participate education, technologies.