Abstract:

This article is a report on the online course for volunteers who worked in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The organization of this mega sporting event took place within the context of socio-political transformation and visibility of the country. Therefore, one of the Brazilian government's actions in support of the society’s organization for hosting the World Cup was the creation of the project for Public Policies for Volunteers in Mega Events. The University of Brasilia, which is the main partner of the Brazil Volunteer Program of the Brazilian Sports Ministry, together with other partner entities, developed a theoretical and practical methodology for the online training of volunteers, which began in the Confederations Cup in 2013. The online training was developed by the Center for Distance Education of the University of Brasilia (UnB), in a partnership with the University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). UnB and UFRN performed the LMS Moodle modeling for the course. The pedagogical framework was characterized by a strong iconographic visual identity, a user-friendly and intuitive interface, Problem-Based Learning (PBL), a flexibility of online learning itineraries, transversal contents, examples, fighting sexual exploitation of children, and competency management of volunteers. The teaching and learning methodology included the participation of tutors and multimedia resources such as videos, dynamic tutorials, avatars, hypertexts, chats and forums, etc. The training was provided to approximately 15 thousand active citizens in the virtual learning environment who applied to work as volunteers in the 12 World Cup host cities. The specific aim of the training was to prepare them to carry out the volunteer activities faithfully and conscientiously. The course was developed totally online, aimed at strengthening the competencies and skills needed by the volunteers during the World Cup, as well as in other events or situations requiring dedication and care toward others. The analysis of the results of the course was made through the volunteer applicant profiles, a satisfaction survey, and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that the training achieved its aim of developing competencies and skills for volunteer work. The virtual learning environment enhanced interactivity and expanded spaces for sharing and further learning. The content of the forums and the carrying out of problem situations, which required decision-making, demonstrated that the participants developed an awareness of voluntary action as solidarity, of valuing the Brazilian culture and hospitality toward the different nations that visited Brazil. Still, some challenges may be pointed out: balancing the use of hypertexts by improving the browsing of contents without overloading the participants, improving the graphic interface by introducing resources for moving ahead and back, including self-explaining icons, and reducing the number of clicks to get to the desired point. Hopefully the training will contribute to the volunteer profile, fostering the volunteer culture in Brazil. Further research is recommended to assess the impact in the creation of this culture for other segments and social situations within Brazil.

Keywords:

Pedagogical proposal, Moodle customization, volunteer work, online training.