Dra. Badilla-Quintana, María Graciela

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.

The aim of this study was to describe and analyze the involvement showed by 190 students who participated in an introduction to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) project, in public schools from Spain. By means of an Internet browsing test, access and information selection processes were afforded. The purpose of the study was to explore whether students who usually worked with ICT in their classrooms, had better knowledge and management with computing tools, and if they are better prepared to research and select information. Results show that students of elementary and secondary education, who have a greater contact with ICT, but not specifically introduced to searching for information on the Internet, know how to use the technology. All these students show better knowledge and control of the computer as well as presenting better Web literacy skills. Although they found, organized, used and assessed the information better their literacy in Web information is missing key skills, especially in analyzing, assessing and summarizing information.

The impact of the information and communication technologies (ICT) has become the core of a change that involves most of the society fields, consequently, the technological and informational literacy are essential requirements in education. The research is a quasi-experimental and ex-post-facto study in schools from Spain. The aim was to describe and analyse the involvement showed by 219 students who participated in a development of ICTs project named Ponte dos Brozos. The research objective was to respond if the students who usually worked with ICT, had better knowledge and management with computing tools, and if they are better prepared in researching and selecting information. Results showed that students who have a higher contact with ICTs know about the technology and how to use it, also, better knowledge and control of the computer and operative systems, a high information management level trough the internet, although their literacy in information is devoid.