ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: DYNAMICS, OBSTACLES AND CHALLENGES

Universities in the 21st century can’t afford to ignore the potential of a society that places knowledge within easy reach of students. The world we live in today requires the adjustment of certain attitudes. ELearning at the universities can play an important role in the mobilization of both teachers and students.

With our presentation, we want to contribute to a reflection on the pedagogical value of ELearning practices in a university context, based on our experience with one particular case, and on other cases documented in a variety of research articles.

After having worked for several years with the e-platform Moodle, as a complement to the physical learning environment, the University of Évora decided to develop several ELearning courses in the context of a Distance Learning program. Which were the goals and suppositions that guided this development, from a pedagogical as well as from an operational point of view? How do teachers and students evaluate the courses that have been implemented? Knowledge of good practices helps but does not prepare one for the strong resistance encountered in the field, and which diminishes the possibilities for pedagogical and technical innovation. The questions we have raised, will guide our presentation of this experiment, showing how some of the obstacles encountered may weaken the sustainability of this project, or, when resolved, how the same can strengthen already present dynamics, thus contributing to a greater flexibility in the organization of the university itself, as well as enriching academic teaching.

References:
[1] SALMON, G. (2013) “E-tivities: The key to active online learning” (2nd ed.). London and New York: Routledge.
[2] GARRISON, D. R (2011) “E-Learning in the 21st Century: A Framework for Research and Practice” (2nd ed.) London: Routledge/Falmer.
[3] MORGADO, L. (2001) "O papel do professor em contextos de ensino online: problemas e virtualidades”, in: Revista Discursos, nº especial, III Série, pp. 125-138, Lisboa, Universidade Aberta.