Research Outputs
Sociological importance and validation of a questionnaire for the sustainability of personal learning environments (PLE) in 8th grade students of the Biobio Region in Chile
Contemporary society is going through a cultural transition that leads to new conceptions about the ways in which human beings organize socially and communicate. This process of deep social and cultural transformations is characterized by a technological disruption, in which virtuality forms a new dimension that behaves as an extension of human intelligence. This new form of human interaction impacts on the social imagination, demanding one to rethink social and educational paradigms for the two-dimensional citizen. In this context, this research article describes the sociological importance and the process of social adaptation of users to a personal learning environment (PLE). It includes the validation process of an instrument for the study of the PLE of 8th grade students belonging to 15 schools in the Biobío Region of Chile. A PLE is a frame of reference that can help to understand how two-dimensional citizens socially adapt and influence the sustainability of local and global systems. The validation method for this instrument considered four stages: i) Expert judgment: considering the opinions of six educators and experts in information and communication technologies (ICT); ii) a pilot test: that included a non-probabilistic sample of 472 subjects; iii) a principal components analysis (PCA); and iv) a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The Questionnaire on Work Habits and Learning for Professional Futures and the Context Questionnaire SIMCE TIC were used as a reference. When performing a psychometric analysis, a Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.89 was obtained. This confirms that the adaptation of the instrument is good. The results of the dimensional analysis help us define a structure for the new instrument considering three components that explain 55% of the total variance. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed adjustment indexes that support the theoretical model proposed for the PLE study. In conclusion, the instrument was composed of three latent variables: Open self-regulated learning (OSRL) with eight questions, information management (IM) with four questions, and creation and transfer of knowledge (CTK) with four questions
Pre-service teachers' skills and perceptions about the use of virtual learning environments to improve teaching and learning
This paper explores data retrieved from Educational Immersive Virtual Worlds to describe pre-service teachers’ skills and perceptions about the simulation tasks. This project had 10 participants who were immersed for 3 years in the Technology and Pedagogical Models in Immersive Worlds island, a multi-user virtual environment in Second Life and Open Simulator. In this project, we evaluated how three-dimensional virtual environments can facilitate the achievement of teaching and learning processes. Based on quantitative and qualitative methodologies, two data collection instruments were applied. Through observation grids and personal log books, professional performance of the 18 pedagogical challenges implemented was collected. The statistical analysis shows that the students improved their technology skills and educational aspects about good practices in classes, regardless of the type of platform used. The analysis through Constant Comparing Method reported a positive assessment of the use of virtual environments, especially about the use of teaching strategies. Main conclusions regarding the pedagogical context reflect the importance of peer assessment on teaching performance, as well as the complexity of role-plays as intellectual challenges to enhance pre-service teachers’ skills. The main difficulties identified during the development of the activities were technical in nature, reporting hardware and connectivity issues.
Innovación docente a través de la metodología flipped classroom: Percepción de docentes y estudiantes de educación secundaria
La metodología de enseñanza – aprendizaje Flipped Classroom constituye una propuesta pedagógica que fomenta un estilo de aprendizaje de mayor protagonismo del estudiante, porque previamente pone a su disposición los contenidos a fin de que en la sesión presencial se utilicen estrategias de asimilación mediante el trabajo colaborativo y cooperativo. Esta investigación de enfoque cualitativo, presenta el diseño e implementación de esta metodología en un establecimiento educativo en Chile. El objetivo general es conocer la percepción de los docentes y estudiantes de secundaria acerca del proceso de innovación docente a través de la clase invertida. Se utilizó un diseño de investigación bajo el modelo de Teoría Fundamentada. Los resultados obtenidos a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas, dan cuenta de que la metodología fomenta la interacción del estudiante con las TIC como soporte y apoyo para la preparación de la clase, genera diversos escenarios de aprendizaje que aumentan la motivación y las altas expectativas en los estudiantes y docentes que participaron de la experiencia.
Design and content description of educational videogame word-y to learn English as a second language
Videogames have taken an important role on children and adolescents through the years and gradually took a significant gap in education, leaving out its playful look at leisure. Particularly in Chile, thanks to the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), several tools like didactic presentation programs or mobile apps facilitate the teaching and learning process of a second language like English. The aim of this research is to describe the design of an educative videogame and to describe the validation process of the Word-y contents which are associated to learning vocabulary in English. The design has been developed using the incremental prototype model' using the free version of Construct2 software. As projections, the future work implies improve the first prototype applying a content survey to 30 English teachers and users.
21st Century Skills. An analysis of theoretical frameworks to guide educational innovation processes in Chilean context
Society faces multiple challenges in this millennium and education should promote skills that allow students and teachers to face them. Students will have to be prepared for jobs that have not yet been created, for technologies that have not yet been invented, to solve problems that have no yet been anticipated. As educators will be a shared responsibility to take advantage of the opportunities and find solutions. In this context, international organizations linked to educational change are rethinking the role of the current education. One initiative is the creation of frameworks to promote and develop skills for the 21st century which are defined as a set of skills necessary to interact in today’s world, mainly in study and employment, where the management of technology is crucial. In Chile, initiatives in this area are being foreshadowed and it is necessary to define a reference framework that complement this process. The aims of this paper is to propose a frame of reference of skills for the 21st century that synthesizes the diversity of referents to have a useful referent to guide educational innovation processes in our Latin American context. Based on a comparative methodology, it was applied a descriptive-comparative analysis of frameworks formulated by international organizations that promote these skills. Theoretical analysis results show concordance in five categories: Cognitive, Social, Emotional, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), and Curricular Contents for the 21st century. With this background, we are able to present a referential framework maintaining the five categories, and adding 38 essential skills.
Quality assurance for postgraduate programs: Design of a model applied on a University in Chile
The quality of Education in Chile is a controversial topic that has been in the public debate in the last several years. To ensure quality in graduate programs, accreditation is compulsory. The current article presents a model to improve the process of self-regulation. The main objective was to design a Model of Quality Assurance for Postgraduate Programs in order to constitute a theoretical, mathematical, and informatics reference that would optimize the processes of self-regulation, self-evaluation, and accreditation of master and doctorate programs from the Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Chile. This descriptive research is based on a mixed methods approach. The proposal was intended through theoretical and empirical references related to the accreditation systems. The analysis process was conducted with key informants, and the informatics instrument was created and validated through expert judgment. After the analysis, the model was optimized considering the expert’s suggestions. As a result of the optimization process, a matrix of eight dimensions was obtained and it is available online in order to be used by the heads of postgraduate programs. Finally, a model with four main stages was achieved in order to install a self-regulation and a self-evaluated culture that leads to accreditation as evidence of the quality of postgraduate programs.
Apropiación de habilidades TIC en estudiantes en FID
La formación de docentes competentes en el uso de las Tecnologías de Información y Comunicación (TIC), tanto a nivel de usuario avanzado como en su utilización pedagógica que implica la planificación, implementación y evaluación de actividades de enseñanza-aprendizaje, es un desafío que las instituciones formadoras están obligadas a abordar en el corto plazo para dar cumplimiento a las exigencias impuestas por el Ministerio de Educación (MINEDUC) en los Estándares Pedagógicos, Disciplinarios y Estándares TIC. Esta intervención fue realizada a una población de 30 estudiantes de tercer semestre de la carrera de Pedagogía en Ciencias de una Universidad Regional de Investigación, cuyo objetivo fue “Evaluar la apropiación de Habilidades TIC en estudiantes de Pedagogía en Ciencias de una Universidad Regional de Investigación a través de la implementación y evaluación de la enseñanza utilizando materiales didácticos multimediales soportados en una plataforma virtual”. Para ello se diseñó un set de materiales que se trabajó con los/las estudiantes a través de la Plataforma Virtual ARCO en la asignatura de Computación y que apuntó al desarrollo de las habilidades TIC evaluadas por la Prueba Inicia TIC en Ambiente Pedagógico, que aplica el MINEDUC CHILE a los/las egresados de pedagogía cada año.
The new pyramid of needs for the digital citizen: A transition towards smart human cities
This article analyzes the cultural transition towards postmodernity or a knowledge society and its impact on the changing needs of cities. This transition is characterized by a growing diversification of the use of technologies in most of the economic, political, educational, social,and cultural activities of different human groups. The concept of smart cities emerges, in which the roles and behaviors of citizens are redefined in physical spaces and in their interactions, as well as the function of institutions and interpersonal relationships. Emerging models of social and cultural behavior are required to analyze and systematize these realities, to understand how to increase effectiveness in action, and to rethink education and new ways of teaching and learning.All these processes are based on phenomena of innovation and management, mediated by technology.We proposed an analysis of the new digital skills of these individuals. The elements that shape the reformulation of roles and reference models, as well as an analysis of the postmodern cultural changes and the formation of a holistic, human-community-technology vision, are based on a new pyramid of training needs in which technologies are placed at the service of people’s development,organizations, society, and culture.
ICT resources to improve learning in higher education
This article seeks to provide a view on the process of curricular integration of ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) in higher education, throughout the submission of proposals of how to use some of these resources, with practical examples of its implementation in the learning process of students in subjects from the Initial Teacher Training and Geological Civil Engineering major at the Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción in Chile. Furthermore, the innovative and educational experiences mediated by ICT, described in this paper, allow us to visualize the important role that institutions of higher education play, not only in the training of future professionals making an emphasis on the digital skills necessary for their development in the XXI century, but also as suitable spaces for development and ongoing training of teachers with innovative methodological strategies that facilitate and enhance the educational process.
Word-y: Structure and content design of educational videogame to learn English as a L2
The use of videogames in the educational area has taken a bigger role among kids, adolescents and adults, being considered a relevant element, leaving behind its playful look at leisure. Particularly in Chile, thanks to the integration of ICT, several tools like didactic presentation programs or mobile apps facilitate the teaching and learning process of a second language like English. The aim of this research is to describe the design of an educative videogame and to describe the validation process of the Word-y contents which are associated to learning vocabulary in English. The design has been developed using the incremental prototype model’ using the free version of Construct2 software. As projections, the future work implies improve the first prototype applying a content survey to 30 English teachers and educational informatics experts.