Abstract:

In this communication we present the results of the assessment about the innovation related with the introduction of a MOODLE Platform for Mathematics' Students in Secondary Compulsory School.
First, we inform about the four causes that origin the introduction of the platform:
- The introduction of a new perspective in learning and teaching maths related with the development of key competences, including the digital one.
- That most of the students completing the Mathematics' course were digital natives. And the immigrant ones had also difficulties in learning mathematics and need and extra work at home.
- The difficulties of combining the use of Microsoft system that most of students use at home with the Edubuntu open source of school computers.
- The fear of the parents about which pages of internet resources where using their children at home, and the ignorance about how ICT could be used at home to help their children to excel in mathematics and science
These facts made that, as a product of SMASH Grundtvig project (“Helping parents to help their Children Excel in Mathematics and Science at home”, 230071-CP-1-2006-CY-GRUNDTVIG-G11PP), we design a MOODLE platform. We consider that this platform let to introduce an authentic digital environment, which, from a situated cognition perspective and a social constructivist paradigm, is useful for developing a blended learning approach.
Second, we introduce the contents of the course and the methodological strategies used at classroom in order to involve and motivate students in the use of the platform.
Third, we describe the tools used at the platform and how they were used at school and at home (forum, hyperlinks, documents, messages, tasks, quizzes, etc.)
Four, we present how this innovation was assessed. We selected three different tools for assessing:
- Statistics about Moodle use.
- Open interviews about the use of the platform.
- A Likert Questionnaire about how the different learning strategies developed at home and at school helped to develop key competences.
Five, we describe the results about the assessment related with how the use of the platform, in contrast with other learning strategies, help to develop “LifeLong Learning competence”.
Finally, we conclude about the importance of this blended learning approach, and how it is important to instruct parents through School for parents about the chances that the use of platform as eClass, easiest of use that Moodle, give to Excel in Mathematics, Science and Technology and reflect about their paper as immigrant learners to their children at home.

Keywords:

innovation, technology, research projects, compulsory education, mathematics.