The new educational models and the demands of today's society require collaborative strategies and the appropriate use of ICTs, which offer potential advantages to teachers and students, facilitating collaborative work, the search for information, development of cognitive / technological skills., intercultural relations, among others typical of this globalized world.
The use of ICTs in collaborative work is proposed as a mediation for learning and an element of updating and teaching innovation; as well as a necessity to achieve educational quality.
Introduction
The challenges presented by current education and the knowledge society require the appropriate use of technology and communication and information tools. Today's teachers need to develop a series of competencies that allow them to play a leading role in their classroom practice, characterized mainly by the development of creativity, criticism, self-criticism; as well as for carrying out pedagogical processes based on constructive and innovative practices.
The globalizing world demands more and more the use of technologies and collaborative work, where students learn from their own experiences and work among equals. The previous approaches guide this modality through the appropriate use of technological tools, which become the main input for online work.
Conceptualization
What is understood by collaborative work?
Starting from the collaborative term, it is understood as one that is developed based on the contribution of all the members of a team, who work according to the achievement of a common goal, based on the ideas and participation of each and every one. from them. In this sense, each member appeals to their individual strengths, abilities, skills and aptitudes to develop a job that results in a better finished product.
Importance of collaborative work
This style of work is important, because it develops positive values from the collaboration that the participants offer and receive; likewise, it fosters positive interpersonal relationships, balanced self-esteem and self-worth, since each participant has the opportunity to contribute according to their abilities and possibilities, since individual contributions are valued and learning is built collectively. This motivates work, because the members are active entities and co / responsible for the success or failure that results from the completion of the actions carried out.
Role of the tutor teacher in the face of online education and collaborative work
A challenge to be assumed by university teachers is the mastery of technological resources and incorporation into their classroom practice; Because technology closes the gaps in relation to space and time, promotes teacher exchange, and gives students the opportunity to use unconventional learning resources. The teacher who does not master technology limits the acquisition of new experiences and the development of technological skills, this being an essential element to produce the changes that the modern world requires. Briceño, M (2002) expresses "that the changes require the formation of actors that enhance creative activity and take responsibility for assuming the scientific-technological revolution with all its scope and consequences", this justifies the demand that teachers master and use technology properly.
Collaborative work tutors must create the conditions to develop the maximum potential of students, through collaborative practice and critical reflection on their own actions, help them form cooperative and innovative learning environments.In this sense, Bain, K (2006) considers that “the best teachers create an environment for natural critical learning, in which they include the skills and information that they want to teach, through works that students find fascinating, authentic tasks that they motivate to rethink their assumptions and to examine their mental models of reality ”. In addition, when understanding from Perdomo, M (2008) the role of the teacher as a mediator of technology, it is applied to the one who encourages the use of technological resources and electronic communication media, as tools to promote independent learning.
Starting from the ideas expressed, it is obvious to understand that to promote collaborative work on the Internet, the use and effective appropriation of basic technological techniques and tools for online education is required.
Relationship between coaching and collaborative work
The leadership of the teacher tutor, needs to be developed through Coaching, since this positively improves the work and develops skills and abilities that make it possible to carry out the tasks. Permanent motivation and feedback helps people to reflect on what they do and want to improve their practice; This, together with the recognition of good work, the confidence of the tutor and the positive relationships between them and their students, as well as between themselves, increases the satisfaction of the latter and therefore their productivity in collaborative work. Galeano, Eduardo (2000), considers that in times of multiple changes and transformations, more is expected of those who assume the responsibility of piloting broad organizations. This tells us that every dayIt becomes more necessary to have tutors teachers capable of carrying out their institutions, projects and educational programs, who have the required quality and are in a position to train their peers and students, helping them to make their tasks more efficient, create confidence and teach by example. Tutors must be better every day, if they want to make their organizations succeed, they have to give the best of themselves, to achieve the best of others.
The leadership of the collaborative work tutor is linked to the ability to generate processes of awareness and call to work in collaboration with others to achieve the goals.Organizational change is related to teamwork, the capacity for collaboration, reflection among members, the stimulation of innovative behaviors and the organizational culture that it generates and sustains. Leadership collectively builds a network of work, performance, dreams, representations and qualities, has the ambition to generate a shared vision of the future and tries to inspire collegiality, cohesion, integration and meaning, it opens the doors to permanent learning, to the experimentation and exploration of collective solutions, and the search for shared criteria and not for repetitive and individualistic practices.Collaborative work promotes the construction of intellectual and social processes jointly, thus contributing to overcome islands within groups and form true learning communities.
Implications of learning in the virtual environment
This learning / teaching modality implies the use and effective mastery of basic technological communication tools in virtual environments by both the teacher and the students; It also requires a good disposition of the tutor teacher for online work, the intrinsic motivation of the students, having the basic technological resources for work, access to electricity, sufficient knowledge of the teacher in their area of performance; both in the management of content, as well as ICT. This learning implies the planning and previous organization of the work, the establishment of achievable goals, selection of the contents based on the theme that is going to work, interests and needs of the students; as well as available resources.An important factor is having the basic skills for collaborative work and understanding this as an opportunity to incorporate ICTs in pedagogical work and improve the capacities of the students. In this sense, Echazarreta, Prados, Poch & Soler (2009) consider that collaborative work in a network offers a series of advantages, among which the following are mentioned:
- Students can access quality teaching and learning anytime, anywhere Information previously only available from faculty can be obtained when needed via computer and internet Well-designed multimedia learning materials can be more effective than traditional methods, because students can learn more easily and quickly through illustrations, animation, audiovisual technology, allowing them greater control of learning materials and greater interaction with them. they can be designed to develop and facilitate the learning of competencies that can hardly be carried out in pedagogical spaces ”.
As stated in the previous section, the use of ICTs in collaborative work has multiple advantages for both the tutor and the participants, for this reason the use of technology in education should be encouraged and the means for an application should be provided. effective.
Conclusions
Technological tools constitute the basis for the development of learning in virtual environments in a collaborative way. There is a variety of them, which require basic training for the effective use of them. Technology offers multiple advantages to users and is an indispensable component for the development of creative and innovative pedagogical work, which responds to the main challenges of today's education, since modernization and globalization require teachers and students to update and seek new forms of teaching, according to the new generations; in order to awaken the interest of students and update teachers.The appropriate use of technology will depend on the success of the goals set and one of them must be to ensure that students work collaboratively building collective learning.
References
- Bain, K (2006). What the best university professors do. Valencia, Spain: Palacios.Briceño, M (2002, June 7) Current leadership of the Simón Rodríguez University: technology and transfer.Echazarreta, Prados, Poch & Soler (2009) The «Collaborative work» competition: an opportunity to incorporate the ICT in university teaching. Description of the experience with the ACME platform (UdG) Galeano, Eduardo (2000) UNESCO, Module 3: Leadership. International Institute for Educational Planning. García, L (1999) History of Distance Education. National University of Distance Education (UNED). Spain. Retrieved on 09/10/09 Perdomo, M (2008) The role and profile of distance education teachers. Barquisimeto, Venezuela: Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado.
