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Higher education and virtual learning environments in chiapas mexico

Table of contents:

Anonim
higher-education-learning-environments

In the state of Chiapas there is an educational demand of a higher level than what is satisfied, due to the installed capacity in the existing educational centers; In addition to this, the geographical location, work or domestic activities and other living conditions of said demanding population, the distance education model is adopted with multiple approaches of complacency, due to its nature of flexibility in its execution, without losing sight of the high level of demand of the profile of the actors involved in the teaching-learning process and the due virtual environments.

Key words: Distance higher education, virtual learning environments.

1.-APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM.

1.1.- Background

The design and creation of new software and hardware demonstrate that technology is progressing with enormous steps and, of course, it has influenced various areas such as labor, market and education position; and it is in the latter where the interest is focused on pointing out an important aspect that has had an impact, that is, the revolution in the modality of distance higher education and the virtual learning environments in which it develops.

When talking about the modality of higher distance education, we refer to a growing aspect of our times, since, derived from many factors of student demand at this level, the context of this modality is attached to satisfying them, since By means of the technological reach of today, the approach of education to numerous geographical points is more fluid and at the same time the student is facilitated to carry out multiple non-educational activities according to their needs.

It is of utmost importance to be aware and convinced when making the decision to study in the distance modality, since this undoubtedly requires knowing and knowing how to use all kinds of technological equipment and systems and virtual environments necessary for its development; determine if as a student there will be the due commitment to belong to the model and that success will be achieved with it, if you are a qualified and qualified person to execute all the activities that the modality entails, recognize if you have the relevant clear communication skills verbal, oral and written, keeping the critical, analytical and investigative spirit at all times and of course being self-taught.

The motive of a student interested in distance learning will always be the objective that he / she intends to achieve, undoubtedly, so that this should not be lost sight of and always extol to have it clear and well established; This is where the relevance of the task of the teaching advisor-tutor lies, not only as a knowledge guide or provider of didactic-pedagogical resources, but as a motivator, constantly maintaining the infatuation with the higher education model at a distance, giving feedback to the benefits and benefits of the modality, creating an environment of trust and comfort between the actors and the virtual media since at a certain moment they become cold and indifferent.

In the same way, it is preponderant to take into account the practical and infrastructure aspects that distance higher education must have, such as: a pleasant room, at a pleasant temperature, adequate lighting, a comfortable desk, a comfortable chair and of course, a space to dispose of the materials and equipment for elemental use at that time in which you have to work. With regard to study periods, short and continuous breaks should be taken during the course of the study, since it is beneficial for learning and not the opposite because it is tired and tedious, bringing with it little or nothing beneficial for the learning that is carried out. aims to achieve.

It is relevant to highlight that the technological and material resources and virtual means to be used for the development of the model will depend particularly on the conditions of each of the institutions that offer the modality and the student itself, always aiming to optimize them without intending to adopt or adapt new ones if you are not properly trained.

In order to carry out distance learning, there are various virtual environments, currently the most popular of these is MOODLE, as it is a free distribution course management system and helps educators to create online learning communities.

Based on statistical data issued by the Institutional Program of the Ministry of Education (Education Sector Program 2013-2018) it is known that in the state of Chiapas there is a potential demand, in the age range of 18 to 22 years, for higher education of 504 thousand 746 people, of which only 20.7 percent are served, between public and private universities. One of the reasons that prevent educational attention to this population is the territorial dispersion of potential applicants and the installed capacity of the educational offer. Due to a more delicate situation similar to the above, the Tecnológico Nacional De México Campus Tuxtla Gutiérrez, in alliance with the state and municipal government, set about adopting the model of distance higher education since 2005,and to be able to support in covering part of that helpless demand located in remote places and / or with different availability of time.

As is well known, the National Technological Institute of Mexico, Tuxtla Gutiérrez Campus, is a prestigious public school that has always been concerned with offering quality processes in its variety of engineering. Proposals for distance education in the headquarters are not an exception. in Soyaló, Tiltepec, La Concordia, Siltepec and Acala, or as a virtual student from a preferred connection point.

1.2.- Statement of the Problem

The development and implementation of a form of education, in this case at a distance, has its specific requirements and characteristics, so it would be relevant then to know whether the application of the Distance Higher Education model and the Virtual Learning Environments that are used at the Technological National Of Mexico Campus Tuxtla Gutiérrez, in each of its headquarters and other connection points, do they meet the expectations of the students enrolled in this modality?

1.3 Justification

This research seeks the proposal for improvement in the development of the higher distance education model and the virtual learning environments used in the National Technological Institute of Mexico, Tuxtla Gutiérrez Campus, in order to enrich the training of future professionals.

1.4. The Research Object

We identified the students enrolled in the distance higher education modality at the Tecnológico Nacional De México Campus Tuxtla Gutiérrez in 2016, the teachers-tutors and non-teachers, who participate in it, as the main object of study.

1.5. The Research Problem

The identified study problem is the model of distance higher education and virtual learning environments, carried out at the Tecnológico Nacional De México Campus Tuxtla Gutiérrez in 2016.

The National Association of Universities and Institutions of Higher Education contemplates its respective concept of higher distance education, as well as the following universities and authors that provide their focus and definition, Texas A&M University, University of Maryland, Distance Education at a Glance, Otto Peters, L. García Aretio, M. Luis Rodolfo Lara, Wheeler, Begoña Gros y Silva, Gallego and Martínez; They will then be valued each to amalgamate their own and appropriate to the National Technological Institute of Mexico Tuxtla Gutiérrez Campus.

The description of the UAM, UNESCO and Contreras Mayén regarding virtual learning environments is retaken. The main Content Management Systems that we can count on will be compared: CMS (Content Management Systems), LMS (Learning Management Systems) and LCMS (Learning

Content Management Systems) and the available platforms Moodle, Edmodo, among others; to determine the one most related to the needs of the National Technological Institute of Mexico Tuxtla Gutiérrez Campus.

2.- OBJECTIVES

2.1.- The General Research Objective

An investigation will be carried out to make the descriptive study, analyze and learn about the higher distance education model applied at the National Technological Institute of Mexico, Tuxtla Gutiérrez Campus, and thereby verify that it meets the expectations of enrolled enrollment, effectively and efficiently.; developed in appropriate virtual environments, and therefore, exceeds the quality criteria according to the Reference Framework for the Evaluation and Follow-up of Higher and Postgraduate Study Programs in Distance and Mixed Modalities (SEPCONACYT, 2014).

2.2. Specific Research Objectives

It will be corroborated if the model of distance higher education that is currently used in the Technological National Of Mexico Campus Tuxtla Gutiérrez:

  • It is aimed at appropriate students, who meet the determined characteristics to successfully achieve the learning process. It has participating teachers adequately trained to respond to the demands of the model itself and they know the correct pedagogical strategies. It is made up of an organizational structure pertinent for the proper functioning of it. It has the convenient virtual learning environments for the development of the model. It has the infrastructure, computer equipment and technological material that is installed, it has sufficient capacity and its utility is fully exploited.

3.- WORK HYPOTHESIS

The Distance Higher Education system and the Virtual Learning Environments implemented at the National Technological Institute of Mexico Tuxtla Gutiérrez Campus meet the expectations of the students enrolled in this modality, effectively and efficiently, since the good organizational structure that directs them has managed have the necessary infrastructure capacity and sufficient equipment, teachers are duly trained for their work, students are selected according to the requirements of the model and the other indicators referred to by the bodies in charge of regularizing the quality of the model are met.

4.-VARIABLES

These are all the changing factors that intervene in the operation of the distance higher education modality and virtual learning environments carried out at the Tecnológico Nacional De México Campus Tuxtla Gutiérrez, which will be measured, quantified, qualified and analyzed.

4.1.- External

4.2.- Internal

4.3.- Dependent Variables

4.4.- Independent Variables

4.5.- Interdependent Variables

4.6.- Subjects, Universe and Sample

5.- PRACTICAL CONTRIBUTION

Higher distance education systems and the use of virtual learning environments are aimed at establishing educational models in which learning acquires a different meaning from that found in face-to-face systems. By making adjustments that fit student profiles, "student-centered" educational models are created. These models generate an educational dynamic in which the student is located as the main protagonist; according to Moreno (2007).

It is intended that students are able to plan, organize, control and evaluate their own training processes and the work that this implies. All this against the great diversity of situations where it is possible to learn, the institutional limitations and limitations on situations and ways of learning, and the new possibilities that open up as science and technology advance.

In the Technological National Of Mexico Campus Tuxtla Gutiérrez the improvement of the application of the distance modality will be promoted in order to contribute to the favorable impact of student satisfaction and therefore the latter will enrich the economy starting from the immediate one.

6.- CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

In the present century, the discussion on education with ICTs acquires singular importance in the international framework, it has been pointed out that:

The use of new technologies should be generalized as much as possible, to reinforce academic development, expand access, achieve universal dissemination, spread knowledge, and facilitate education throughout life. All this through the creation and / or reinforcement of academic networks, which allow taking advantage of the technology, recognizing national and local needs. (ANUIES)

6.1.- What is Distance Education?

Of all the definitions that we can find, I name some of them that seem appropriate to me:

  • "Distance Education is a method of imparting rationalized knowledge, skills and aptitudes through the application of division of labor and organizational principles, as well as through the extensive use of technical means specially created for the purpose of reproducing high-quality material, which makes it possible to instruct a large number of students at the same time "(Otto Peters). M. Luis Rodolfo Lara defines Distance Education as" An educational modality in which there is no direct contact between the student and the educator, replacing the teacher-student personal interaction in the classroom by the use of resources and technological means previously structured by a tutorial organization, which facilitate two-way communication that makes the subject the protagonist of their own learning ”."Distance learning is a technological two-way communication system, which can be massive, based on the systematic and joint action of didactic resources and the support of an organization and tutoring that, physically separated from the students, promote independent learning.. " (L. García Aretio, 1996, p. 39). Distance education refers to relevance and autonomy (Wheeler, 1999).

Within the various definitions of Distance Education, we can identify certain common characteristics:

  • It involves the physical separation between tutor and student, who will connect through the numerous computer tools, synchronous (Chat) or asynchronous (forums) within a virtual classroom. Use of new technological means (audiovisual, computational, or both) Generally, the new forms that Distance Education has taken are based on the use of New Technologies, and not on textbooks or postal mail as in the beginning. It encourages self-learning, autonomous learning, either individually or through collaborative work. This last type of work is extremely effective, since it allows to distribute responsibilities and incites solidarity among students. In this form of work,the teacher becomes a facilitator of educational content and is the one who structures learning opportunities and encourages them to work together to build a common body of knowledge. It is an education specially designed for adults and higher level students, since it requires a great commitment and responsibility, that it is difficult for the youngest to grasp. This way of working, where everyone works at their own pace, allows students to carry out tasks when they have time and from where they are, thus favoring meaningful learning. Support for students with a tutorial nature: It is the humanizing element of the process,, the facilitator, the counselor. Without an effective and responsible tutor, the entire process would be lost. Hence, not only must you have adequate academic knowledge,but also a preparation and a special gift that allows him to have empathy towards his students. Flexibility in space and time: The person who chooses this type of teaching knows that he will be able to do it from wherever he is, and whenever he wants. However, you must therefore have a great responsibility to fulfill the planned tasks.

6.2.- Who is the tutor-advisor-teacher?

According to García Aretio (2001), the word guardian refers to the figure of who exercises protection, guardianship, of another minor or needy person. In distance education, its fundamental characteristic is to promote the development of independent study, it is a guide for learning for the isolated, solitary student and lacking the presence of the usual teacher. It is here where the figure of the tutor takes on its greatest significance as he takes charge of his personal assistance and help, while representing the link with the institution.

According to Begoña Gros and Silva, these professionals are fundamental to the success of teaching and training experiences that use computer-mediated communication for collaboration, since a different role is required from the teacher, closer to the student, putting the emphasis on The student's own intellectual process and collaborative learning.

Moderators need to develop skills in all four areas - pedagogical, social, technical and administrative - to develop a work plan in a virtual learning environment. The tutor is the one who accompanies, mediates and provides feedback to the participant, is in charge of managing group and individual learning, so it requires possessing social skills that allow them to create an interactive and empathetic learning environment, generating that geographical distance is every time less noticeable. Technically and administratively, you must have skills in the use of technological tools provided by the virtual environment that allow you to track the participant and manage work groups.

In this way, taking into account the functions that virtual tutors must fulfill, the basic characteristics that they must fulfill can be detailed:

  1. Solid academic training. Experts in handling technological tools and adequate experience in virtual learning environments. Being able to develop the following social skills:
    • Optimal mediation of the materials, facilitating reading and guiding the participant towards self-learning. Motivation that generates dialogue and reflection in the group. Avoid the anxieties of the group, product of the distance in which the participants are. Generate a permanent interaction between Participants appealing to innovative resources such as virtual workshops, social forums (cyber café, bulletin board), exchange of experiences, permanently putting themselves in the student's place, understanding the position of who sits in front of a screen to carry out an activity far away of the presence of the teacher. Urge the formation of interactive groups, either through chat sessions, discussion forums, in addition to the officially existing ones, distribution lists, among other tools.Promote concern for research and deepening knowledge. Adapt to the difficulties or various situations that may arise in the development of the proposed activities, or others that may arise in the process. Maintain cordial treatment with the participant. Be attentive in communications and very patient. Keep in mind that communication times and processes are not the same for all students. Respect the learning rhythms of each participant. Deeply assess the virtual environment where they work and transmit it to their group. Explain the contents in a simple way, at the moments they deem appropriate. Permanently offer their help and make their communicational presence felt. students to be independent and take risks in the development of various activities.Share the learning process in the group.

6.3.- Who studies in distance learning?

Most of the empirical studies that have had as an objective the populations of students of the distance modality agree that they are adults and young people of 18 years, that is, they are people who already have work and family commitments, or who live in places far from the universities, so they do not have the possibility of registering for face-to-face programs (Gallego and Martínez, 2003).

According to Rodríguez (2012), a student who accesses online education does so mainly for two reasons: he is not geographically in the locality where the studies he wishes to pursue are offered or he does not have enough time to access the classrooms, of which work is the main reason.

The specific requirements that must be met to form part of the student body of the modality of higher distance education and ensure the efficiency of its performance, to name a few, are the following:

☺ Self-taught.

☺ Self-regulation of learning.

☺ Commitment.

☺ Responsibility.

☺Motivation.

☺Self-discipline.

☺ Well defined goals. ☺Availability of time, space, resources and person. ☺ Metacognitive strategies.

☺Strategies and techniques of resource management: time and space.

☺ Learning independence.

☺ Self-confidence.

☺Self-efficacy.

UtoSelf-control.

UtoSelf-critical.

☺ Self-evaluation.

Despite the fact that every student must comply with these virtues, in the field of distance learning, the punctuality that must be done in them is greater, due to the very nature of the model.

García Aretio (2006) reports that students in the distance higher education modality show certain attitudes and are guided to choose the model for the various personal situations in which they find themselves, for example:

  • Students in distance education form heterogeneous groups in age, interests, occupation, motivations, experiences and aspirations. They are usually people who work and who also dedicate time to study. The concerns of distance students focus on their work, well-being family, social and work promotion, self-esteem. They start from a spontaneous motivation for the study, which generates higher levels of attention and self-regulated work. They express greater concern about the results obtained in their evaluations. They tend to be more insecure regarding observations and criticism of their teachers, as well as exams. They present greater responsibility for their actions; develop a feeling of guilt for unfulfilled expectations. They have to work when others rest;The study is not their only obligation. They receive the knowledge together with previous experiences and knowledge, favoring that they question it or not assimilate it immediately. They are located in varied and remote geographical points, some of them not close to educational centers.

6.4.- Distance Education Educational Models

The following classification is obtained from Conacyt (2014):

  1. Guided independent study (open modality).

Guided Independent Study is the “classic” print-based distance education model, also known as “correspondence study,” in which the student learns virtually only with the help of print materials. These materials use what is known as “guided didactic conversation” (Holmberg, 1986). This open modality model takes special care in printed materials because the student will be alone and isolated when reading them. These materials provide a feeling of personal relationship with your teacher and with the institution responsible for the studies.

It is recommended to use a colloquial language, easy to read and not very dense; give advice on what to do and what to avoid; invite the student to contribute personal ideas, questions and judgments; involve the student to achieve a personal interest in the subject or problem in question; and use a personal style of writing, among others.

  1. Remote classroom (distance mode)

The remote classroom model is based on the use of ICT to reproduce in the distance what normally happens in a classroom. In this model, also called by Miller “distributed classroom” (2004), technologies that allow synchronous transmission (in real time, live and spontaneous) of audio and / or video are generally used (Bates, 1995; Levenburg, 1998). In this model of distance education, only predetermined sites chosen by the institution and not by the students are reached. The remote classroom is defined by its technological infrastructure and not by its instructional design (Heydenrych, 2000) since it largely reproduces the traditional classroom model in which the interaction between teacher and student is very limited.

  1. Interactive model based on ICT

(remote mode)

The interactive ICT-based model uses Internet technologies to access materials and to maintain contact between academic advisers and students, in synchronous and / or asynchronous interaction. In this model, also known as network-based distance education or the “online” model, the opportunities for teacher-student interaction increase as the teacher does not hold the word as it normally does in the traditional classroom. The latter favors, but does not ensure, the implementation of educational models based on the construction of knowledge by students.

  1. Hybrid model (mixed mode)

Hybrid or mixed educational models (blended, in English) are those that mix face-to-face and distance education in such a way that both learning experiences are essential to successfully complete the learning objectives. A mixed model is one in which not only some online modules are added to a classroom learning unit or vice versa. To create a hybrid educational solution requires that the different parts, face-to-face or at a distance, fit together in a logical way like the parts of a machine (Zenger, 2001). In a hybrid solution, each educational model does its best. The interactive ICT-based educational model is used for the delivery of content, simulations, the development of collaborative activities,the feedback process and the interaction process between students, and between the teacher and the student. The face-to-face model is used to sensitize the student to the content, practice, discuss the challenges that the students will have to implement this knowledge and skills in the workplace and ensure social commitment among the participants. Another characteristic of the mixed model is that it can provide variety, that is, the same content can be taught in different modalities, giving the student the opportunity to choose which one seems most attractive to them.discuss the challenges that students will have to implement these knowledge and skills in the workplace and ensure social commitment among participants. Another characteristic of the mixed model is that it can provide variety, that is, the same content can be taught in different modalities, giving the student the opportunity to choose which one seems most attractive to them.discuss the challenges that students will have to implement these knowledge and skills in the workplace and ensure social commitment among participants. Another characteristic of the mixed model is that it can provide variety, that is, the same content can be taught in different modalities, giving the student the opportunity to choose which one seems most attractive to them.

  1. Face-to-face model supported by technology

(Face-to-face modality)

Some authors consider face-to-face models that incorporate the use of technology within the term mixed model without reducing the number of contact hours. However, these more than mixed models are face-to-face supported with the use of ICT (ICTenhanced, in English). There is no single mixed model, but rather a continuum between traditional face-to-face education and distance education (Cheese, 2003). However, at the ends of this spectrum we will find face-to-face education with very little distance support and distance education with very little face-to-face.

  1. - What is a Virtual Learning Environment (AVA)?

With the advent of the so-called Web 2.0, virtual learning environments (VLEs) appear as emerging technologies to support teaching, extending the traditional class beyond the borders of the classroom, as well as being useful for teachers to continue with their academic training enabling collaborative learning, reflection with others and interaction with their peers.

A Virtual Learning Environment is the set of synchronous and asynchronous interaction environments, where, based on a curricular program, the teaching-learning process is carried out, through a learning administration system. (UAM)

By virtual learning environment, we understand the physical space where new technologies such as satellite systems, the Internet, multimedia, and interactive television, among others, have been potentiated, surpassing the traditional school environment that favors knowledge and appropriation of content., experiences and pedagogical-communicational processes. They are made up of the space, the student, the advisor, the educational content, the evaluation and the information and communication media.

Learning environments are not limited to formal education, nor to a particular educational modality, it is about those spaces where the conditions are created for the individual to appropriate new knowledge, new experiences, and new elements that generate processes of analysis, reflection and appropriation. Let's call it virtual in the sense that it does not take place in a predetermined place and that the distance element (not physical presence) is present.

7.- METHOD

One way to measure the impact that distance higher education, from the Tecnológico Nacional De México Campus Tuxtla Gutiérrez, has both in the state of Chiapas and in the country, in the first place, is to know the one related to terminal efficiency: how many students graduate? And how many of them are titled? And also, how do recent graduates get into professional life? Likewise, to evaluate the satisfaction of the development of the modality of higher distance education in the TNMCTG and the virtual learning environments created by it, the measurement and analysis of the active student population will be carried out, to teacher-tutors, non-teachers and the system itself.

Therefore, the Exploratory Method will be used to give us a general and approximate vision regarding the reality of the distance modality and the virtual learning environments with the information that is presented and can be collected externally since they will not allow deepening in Therefore, it is pertinent to carry out surveys of the students, teachers-tutors and managers, with the qualitative variables that are to be quantified.

The descriptive method will help to contemplate whether the modality of higher distance education and virtual learning environments meet the characteristics and guidelines established by ANUIES, CONACYT and SEP.

Through the analytical method, the consistency and foundation of the distance higher education modality and the structure of the virtual learning environments will be analyzed in isolation, in order to determine whether the interaction between the two influences the satisfaction of the student's expectations.

The systemic method will establish the relationship between virtual learning environments and the distance higher education modality, at the same time the corresponding activities of each actor in the modality and the specific operation of the system itself.

7.1.- Theorists

In the preparation of this protocol, various sources of information were consulted and analyzed in which authors, universities (public, private, national and international) and educational regulation institutions present their concepts, approaches, characteristics and structures corresponding to the modality of higher distance education and virtual learning environments; and in the same way, the multiple available platforms and tools used in the aforementioned modality were investigated, which will allow us to endorse the results obtained based on the use of the previously described Methods, which will support the research through the different diagnostic techniques, validation, structuring and model design.

7.2.- Empirical

Interviews will be conducted with managers to check compliance with the organizational and infrastructure requirements of the remote modality established by CONACYT. The information on the respective functions of the teacher-tutor or manager and the satisfaction of the student will be obtained through the application of surveys.

The representation of the results will be made using descriptive statistical techniques, obtaining the frequency distribution table and with it the calculation of the measures of central tendency and dispersion that allow us to interpret at what level of satisfaction and compliance is the modality. of distance higher education and virtual learning environments carried out at the Tecnológico Nacional De México Campus Tuxtla Gutiérrez in 2016.

According to the Reference Framework for the Evaluation and Monitoring of Higher Education and Postgraduate Programs in

Distance and Mixed Modalities (SEPCONACYT, 2014), the main elements that must be assured regarding quality in this type of educational modality are:

Category 1. Structure and Academic Personnel of

Program

Criterion 1. Study Plan

Criterion 2. Teaching-learning process

Criterion 3. Basic Academic Core

Category 2. Students

Criterion 4. Student entry

Criterion 5. School path

Criterion 6. Mobility

Criterion 7. Dedication to the program

Category 3. Infrastructure and services

Criterion 8. Technologies for distance learning and administrative services Criterion 9. Spaces, equipment, laboratories and workshops

Criterion 10. Information and documentation

Category 4. Results and link Criterion 11. Significance, coverage and evolution of the program

Criterion 12. Relevance of the program

Criterion 13. Postgraduate effectiveness

Criterion 14. Contribution to knowledge

Criterion 15. Linking

Criterion 16. Financing

8.- TIMETABLE

9.- RESULTS

Distance Education of the National Technological Institute of Mexico Tuxtla Gutiérrez Campus is a fundamental educational institution in contemporary life, it is where future professionals are trained who will have the responsibility of directing their society tomorrow, so it is in their hands to achieve a clear development towards the construction of a society with guaranteed freedoms, tending to equality as a priority, equity, innovation and environmental commitment.

One of the main challenges to underpin the viability of distance higher education and virtual learning environments as an option at the level of the face-to-face educational offer, is to change its mission of being an education to serve the lagging population, to become the alternative of learning throughout life.

10.- CONCLUSIONS.

The so-called virtual and distance systems that the Tecnológico Nacional De México Campus Tuxtla Gutiérrez has were created to open the doors to more students, without having to expand the number of classrooms in the same location, but by creating regional distance higher education units in places as far away from municipal seats as in them. This mission involved the creation of subsystems separate from the face-to-face school system in order to avoid, among other things, student mobility between systems.

There is an idea that students who enter this modality through their subsystems can use them as a springboard to have a place in the classroom system; This mistrust has real objective reasons, such as the risk of saturating the groups that are already numerous in the face-to-face system and the other, due to the fact that the selection criteria for calls for distance learning are less demanding than its face-to-face counterpart.

Virtual learning environments are spaces designed for people to develop learning focused on analysis and criticism, not precisely within a physical way of an educational institution, where they incorporate skills and abilities that contribute to their training process through a classroom virtual, leading to all this in the modality of distance higher education.

This modality has had an impact on Mexican society since, according to a survey by the OCC Mundial (job bank), 6 out of 10 professionals would lean towards the distance modality (E-learning) to continue their studies, that is, employment of virtual environments to strengthen their education.

With the above, it was observed that 47% of the respondents agree that companies give the same value to online studies as to face-to-face studies, this being one of the mistrusts that students of the modality have. The relevance of distance education (Elearning) in Mexico is such that in 2011 virtual environments billed around 500 million dollars, which is an indication that more and more young people prefer online study because of their innovative, flexible and powerful features.

They can be stated as the most frequent or main reasons for opting for the distance learning modality (E-learning), the decrease in investment of time and money, as well as having greater flexibility to manage their daily activities, which leads to an increase of cost-benefit. The possibilities of online study are as many as the student decides since he is the manager of his time, which is why virtual learning environments become relevant in a society that demands changes in the way communication is transmitted.

It is essential to mention that the shocking factor that favors online study is that it is a modality aimed at facilitating communication between the actors that interact in the educational platform, that is, teachers, mentors, advisors, tutors, organizational staff, students and the general student community; In this way, the communication flow is more concrete, clear and precise, since in its usual exercise, correct argumentation helps to clarify concepts and generate feedback through debate in forums, videoconferences or chats.

In our country we have the advantage of occupying a strategic position economically speaking, since it receives strong foreign investments, so that the labor market diversifies and with this the labor demand expands and the requirement of preparation and experience increases. of the candidates, directing us then to the modality of studying online, because thanks to its flexibility and the existence of functional virtual environments, it allows students to prepare themselves at the same time as they can enter the market to gain experience without having to submit to stress generated by transfers.

In turn, the modality of distance higher education and virtual learning environments have broken all paradigms about how people learn and work in isolation and that one hinders the other, or with respect to the obligations or tasks of the home, reformulating the idea that everyone can come together and achieve increased personal, professional and work development, having excellent time management.

Online distance education is a learning modality that is here to stay. However, it depends on its mission and methodological approach, the viability and quality for the training of professionals that society requires.

The institution that has decided to promote this modality requires a change in the mission that they have currently imposed on distance education, which is to remedy the educational backwardness of the system. We are talking about a shift towards an expanded vision of the role of education as a whole, which implies profound reforms at the organizational and theoretical-methodological level of teaching-learning based on ICTs.

Higher distance education must become an instance of technical pedagogical support for the dissemination and adoption of the use of ICTs from the logic of Web 2.0 or social networks; This means first that the administrative functions of these models could be assumed by the face-to-face system, which would offer the two modalities for all, at the same time that the selection of students should not be differentiated. The calls for student selection would be unique and only students with the academic capacity and requirements required by the institution would enter.

On the other hand, the academies of each specialty would have to redefine the new functions of the teacher so that it encompasses the tasks necessary to perform adequately in either modality, face-to-face or at a distance, and to be able to give it institutional follow-up.

It is necessary to migrate from Moodle, or where appropriate, adapt it by converging media environments similar to social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Google+) so that those interested in learning about these environments freely and constructively are interested in learning and teaching, instead of the prevailing restrictive.

It is about giving back to students and teachers their spaces, in this case virtual, where the institution supports the process instead of controlling it, in favor of lifelong learning.

11.- BIBLIOGRAPHY

  • García Aretio, l. (2001). Distance education. From the theory to the practice. Barcelona: Ariel. (1999). Competition and Education. Morelia, Michoacán. p 7http: //www.planeacion.chiapas.gob.mx/pla neacion / ProgInst.% 20Educaci% C3% B3n / P rogInst% 20SEduca.pdfHigher Education in the XXI Century Strategic lines of development- A proposal from ANUIES. Document approved at the XXX Ordinary Session of the General Assembly, Universidad Veracruzana and Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz, Ver, 1999, p. 2 M. Rita Contreras. Reflections on the use of information technology in the educational field. p. 12MATTHEWS, Roberta S. Quoted by Rita Contreras Mayen. Op. Cit., P. 15.CONTRERAS MAYÉN, Rita. Op. Cit., P. 12 Gustavo Esteban Andrade Díaz, Public Higher Distance Education in Mexico, pp. 20-29 Balboa, B. (2010)."4799 people with Distance Baccalaureate study." In El Universal, 2010, June 10. http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/.html CUAED (2011). "Araceli Meza, second student entitled from SUA and ED-Tlaxcala". SUA and ED Newsletter, October 3, http: //www.cuaed.unam.mx/boletin/boletin esanteriores / boletinsuayed27 / titulosuayed. phpHernández, P. (2007). "Web 2.0 trends applied to online education". Not only Usability 29 Reunion: Social appropriation of ict in Higher Education / 62 / December 2011 journal, no. 6. February 13, 2007. http://www.nosolousabilidad.com/articulos/web20)Mañas, H. (2006). “E-Learning” as a strategic tool in the Telefónica group ”, University of Zaragoza, 04/06/2006 http: //socienciainformacion.fundacion.telef onica.com/DYC/SHI/seccion=1188&idiom a = es_ES & id = 2009100116300069 &assets = 4.do?elem=2383 Ortega Santamaría, S. (2007). “Evolution of the user's profile: Users 2.0”, Not Only Usa-bilidadjournal, no 6. May 28, http://www.nosolousabilidad.com/articulos/usuario20.htm) Andrade Díaz, Gustavo Esteban. “Distance public higher education in Mexico. Their main challenges and alternatives in the XXI century ”Reencuentro, no. 62, December, 2011, pp. 20-29 Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco Distrito Federal, México.Ruiz, Enrique-Velasco Sánchez (1998), Pedagogical Robotics, in: Learning environments with information and communication technologies. Mexico: SOMECE.SINEDMX, 2012Gustavo Esteban. “Distance public higher education in Mexico. Their main challenges and alternatives in the XXI century ”Reencuentro, no. 62, December, 2011, pp. 20-29 Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco Distrito Federal, México.Ruiz, Enrique-Velasco Sánchez (1998), Pedagogical Robotics, in: Learning environments with information and communication technologies. Mexico: SOMECE.SINEDMX, 2012Gustavo Esteban. “Distance public higher education in Mexico. Their main challenges and alternatives in the XXI century ”Reencuentro, no. 62, December, 2011, pp. 20-29 Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco Distrito Federal, México.Ruiz, Enrique-Velasco Sánchez (1998), Pedagogical Robotics, in: Learning environments with information and communication technologies. Mexico: SOMECE.SINEDMX, 2012
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Higher education and virtual learning environments in chiapas mexico