In this first part, the current situation to be studied is presented, as well as the formulation, objectives, importance and delimitation of the investigation.
1. Statement of the situation
The incorporation of technology in all areas of social life is the daily form of the new, altering the traditional forms of coexistence and communication of today's society. Within this context, education has incorporated the new information and communication technologies (ICT) into academic processes, generating the need to clearly explain what is happening in this social section.
In each era, the available ICTs have significantly influenced the ways of knowing, teaching, and learning. In such a way that the development of these technologies is transforming educational models and strategies, as well as changing the way of working.
Hence, educational institutions review their paradigms, structures, educational models and operation in light of the possibilities offered by these great technological advances.
The Internet is revolutionizing the ways of accessing higher education. From their residence or place of work, in the time they have available, and learning at the pace they want, people can study a professional career, do a postgraduate degree or take a refresher course.
On the other hand, distance education was the genesis of virtual education, which was developed in a very short period of time, overcoming this determination and beginning to address the so-called "virtual pedagogical" models. This type of education tries to complement to the traditional model, and to extend education to the most remote places, where the traditional educational system cannot perform its functions.
Therefore, it is explicit that virtual educational pedagogical models appear as new educational processes that account for the encounter between scientific technological development and education in today's society. This is how current research is aimed at strengthening existing educational systems, but at the same time looking for virtual pedagogical models in line with the new generations that were born under the predominance of ICT.
According to Henao (2002), virtual education can then be conceived as a new educational model, which makes use of ICT, however, the construction of virtual programs is given by the technological and cognitive aspects, as many point out, there is a profound pedagogical reflection, which supports and provides intentionality to all those activities that are proposed within a virtual educational program. In this sense, within these pedagogical theories that support the virtual model, the following can be cited:
- Gestalt theory, gestaltism (gestaltpsychologie, psychology of form). Cognitive theory supported by Ausubel (1968). The theory of constructivism supported by Piaget (1947), Vygostky.
Within this context, most educational institutions have, to a greater or lesser extent, computer equipment that enables students to access the Internet. Thus, university students, even those who due to financial problems do not have computers in their homes, can access a world that was previously exclusive to the wealthy classes, having the opportunity to visit museums and accessing knowledge freely available.
For this reason, the first question posed by experts in pedagogy and didactics was about the place of computing in the teaching-learning process; some theorists thought that it was a fundamental content of the curriculum, while others raised the instrumental vision, that is, as a resource for educational support. Ultimately, the discussion centered on whether computing was a means or an end. In order not to make the rhetoric long, the general consensus was leaning towards the vision of new technologies (Internet, email, multimedia, video, etc.) as support tools to facilitate learning.
In this sense, the definition of a Virtual pedagogical model, according to Unigaro (2000), must reveal the variables that will interact in the virtual educational process.
- The specific characteristics of the students to whom the programs are directed The pedagogical and technical preparation possessed by the teachers in charge of imparting this type of education The proposed teaching objectives The technological means available for the definition of the didactic strategies and methodologies to be used. The processes of evaluation, monitoring and critical aspects and / or processes
In the same order of ideas, a virtual pedagogical model is an educational space on the Internet or Intranet within which four fundamental action spaces are organized for the student: Academic, group interaction, administrative, technological.
Therefore, the academic space, within the virtual campus, allows assigning specific spaces for each of the subjects, the student finds the necessary materials for the development of each module (the materials can be found online, on multimedia supports and on CD). Each tutor has the ability to determine their forms of evaluation, in case the tutor decides to take exams, the option is given within the same campus to open a specific space, so that the student can do it online and with the characteristics and forms determined by the tutor or in person somewhere in the institution.
On the other hand, group interaction is achieved by generating spaces for reflection and collective discussion, with tools such as the discussion forum and virtual rooms. Within both, there are specific topics to be dealt with, which the tutors organize; however, in both spaces, students can organize discussions whenever they see fit. The administrative space is the site through which the registration and re-registration processes, general services (credentials, subjects, social service, certificates) are carried out and can be carried out from your place of residence.
The technological field is fundamental in virtual pedagogical models, this allows the interaction of the student with the teacher or the course participants, allowing the student to know and use new technologies since in order to carry out all the teaching-learning processes it must be done through of the technological platform giving it new skills in the management of high technologies.
On the basis of the ideas presented, and located in mid-2007 when this research begins, whose central idea is the search for a new way of learning for the new generations, which are immersed in or who have already been born with a “computer in the head ”or a chip to go no further, it is then necessary to design new virtual pedagogical models that meet the new needs of these young people, since when these new generations arrive on university campuses, the current models will be obsolete.
Research Questions
Based on the previous approach, the following questions can be asked:
- How to generate a virtual pedagogical model that meets the cognitive needs for the new generations in Higher Education? What are the methods in a virtual pedagogical model to promote learning in higher education students? What are the interactions involved in the learning process in virtual pedagogical models? What are the ideal learning environments in virtual pedagogical models? What role should the teacher play in these new virtual pedagogical models?
2. Research Objectives
Fundamental objective
- Generate a virtual pedagogical model that can adapt to the demands of the new generations in higher education.
Derived objectives
- Understand the methods for promoting learning in current virtual pedagogical models Know the interactions that intervene in the learning process in virtual pedagogical models Describe the learning environments in current virtual pedagogical models Describe the role of the teacher in new virtual pedagogical models.
3. Importance of research
Virtual pedagogical models are fulfilling their functions today; However, new software and hardware technologies are being developed, which are implemented in parallel with the birth of hundreds of thousands of children in the world, who are born seeing these new information and communication technologies already.. All this leads to the reflection that the current virtual pedagogical models will not be able to survive successfully in the future, if they do not rapidly enter into processes of radical changes, which, rather than Improvement, would mean in technical terms a process of reengineering or generation of new models virtual pedagogical.
On the other hand, the construction of new virtual pedagogical models will lead to the development of new teaching and learning strategies by teachers, which implies a new challenge for all teachers, because it involves combining pedagogical, didactic, technological and creative elements that positively impact the students.
In short, with the incorporation of new technologies in virtual pedagogical models, the changes will be more tangible and attributable to the development of new forms of communication and sources of information.
From a practical point of view, this research is justified, since it aims to provide a solution to an educational problem in the global context, that is, the need to create new teaching-learning models that are on par with technological advances, in this sense It is even more justified since if universities do not create their own virtual environments, it will then be a domain exclusively of private companies, which, given the unstoppable trend of virtual learning, the large providers of software platforms for online education are beginning to target these new models and will begin to displace global educational institutions in all corners of the planet.
4. Delimitation of the Investigation
This research is framed within the international context, since through the Internet information highway, knowledge will be exchanged with experts in the design of virtual pedagogical models in France, Spain, Belgium, the United States of America, Germany, Venezuela, among others. The exchanges will be carried out through websites, forums, chats, electronic messaging, as well as students from the first semesters of Venezuelan universities. The study will be between September 2006 and July 2008 in the Teaching and Curriculum Research line.
