Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Numa sociedade onde a tecnologia digital, a multimédia e a interatividade são predominantes, os ambientes educativos das escolas parecem evidenciar alguma dificuldade em acompanhar a evolução tecnológica. Um quadro interativo multimédia (QIM) poderia enriquecer os ambientes pedagógicos e promover uma maior interação com os conteúdos educativos e com as realidades exteriores à escola. Contudo, e apesar de algumas escolas já possuírem equipamentos desta natureza, a exploração das suas potencialidades e a sua rentabilização parecem não atingir os níveis desejados.
Com o objetivo de perceber se os professores privilegiam a utilização das TIC e do QIM, na sua relação pedagógica com os alunos, e se uma comunidade de prática (CoP) online seria um meio adequado para impulsionar essa postura profissional, fez-se um estudo, sob a forma de investigação-ação numa escola do Funchal. Este estudo traduziu-se pela implementação de uma CoP virtual durante seis meses, utilizando a plataforma Moodle, dinamizando essencialmente grupos de discussão e criando bases de dados, com o objetivo de promover participação e aprendizagens colaborativas entre os professores participantes. Como instrumentos de avaliação foram utilizados três questionários diferentes, aplicados em momentos distintos, e os registos de atividade na comunidade.
Apesar da maioria dos professores preferir adiar o seu investimento formativo em QIM, para quando houver maior disponibilidade de equipamentos, ou manter um perfil pouco interventivo na CoP, registou-se uma opinião geral muito favorável quanto às potencialidades pedagógicas daquele equipamento e às CoP virtuais, como meio para promover o desenvolvimento profissional pela via colaborativa.
Digital technology, multimedia and interactivity are omnipresent in today’s world but, in schools, the educational environment seems to register some difficulties in dealing with technological development. With the contribution of an interactive whiteboard (IWB) the learning environment may be enriched and foster interactions with the educational resources and the reality outside the school. However, despite of some schools already have these equipments, the exploitation of its existence and of all its potential does not seem to reach the intended levels. In order to find out if teachers favor the use of ICT and IWB in their pedagogical relationship with the pupils and if a community of practice (CoP) online would be an appropriate means to drive such professional approach, an action-research study was held in a school of Funchal, the main town in Madeira, Portugal. This study found expression in the implementation of a virtual CoP, during six months, using the Moodle platform and basically stimulating group discussions and databases in order to promote contribution and collaborative learning among participating teachers. Three different questionnaires, applied at different times, and the Moodle activity registrations have been used as evaluation instruments. Although most of the teachers prefer to delay their investment in IWB training, for when there will be higher availability of equipments, or present a low-interventional profile at CoP, there was an overall highly favorable review regarding the pedagogical potentialities of that equipment and of virtual CoP as a means to promote the professional development through collaborative learning.
Digital technology, multimedia and interactivity are omnipresent in today’s world but, in schools, the educational environment seems to register some difficulties in dealing with technological development. With the contribution of an interactive whiteboard (IWB) the learning environment may be enriched and foster interactions with the educational resources and the reality outside the school. However, despite of some schools already have these equipments, the exploitation of its existence and of all its potential does not seem to reach the intended levels. In order to find out if teachers favor the use of ICT and IWB in their pedagogical relationship with the pupils and if a community of practice (CoP) online would be an appropriate means to drive such professional approach, an action-research study was held in a school of Funchal, the main town in Madeira, Portugal. This study found expression in the implementation of a virtual CoP, during six months, using the Moodle platform and basically stimulating group discussions and databases in order to promote contribution and collaborative learning among participating teachers. Three different questionnaires, applied at different times, and the Moodle activity registrations have been used as evaluation instruments. Although most of the teachers prefer to delay their investment in IWB training, for when there will be higher availability of equipments, or present a low-interventional profile at CoP, there was an overall highly favorable review regarding the pedagogical potentialities of that equipment and of virtual CoP as a means to promote the professional development through collaborative learning.
Description
Keywords
Comunidade de prática online Formação dos professores para as TIC Aprendizagem colaborativa Quadro interativo multimédia Online community of practice Teacher technology training Collaborative learning Interactive whiteboard