University professors’ perceptions towards the use of ICT for competencies development

Author(s):

Laura Pons Seguí(presenting / submitting)Maite Fernández-Ferrer Elena Cano

Conference:

ECER 2016

Network:

16. ICT in Education and Training

Format:

Paper

Session Information

16 SES 10 B, ICT and Assessment

Paper Session

Time:

2016-08-25

15:30-17:00

Room:

OB-E2.38 (ALE 4)

Chair:

Karl Steffens

Contribution

Technology has become part of our daily life up to the extend it is present in the simplest action of our life. For this reason, it is not strange it has also has become part of the teaching and learning process. Indeed, the information and communication technology (henceforth, ICT) is playing a key role in the formative assessment process. The development and implementation of the ICT in the last decade in the teaching and learning process are the distinctive elements of the 21st Century education. Currently, the learning and the access to it through the use of technologies are essential to successfully participate in the contemporary society (IEA, 2014).

In fact, social networks and the immediate interaction they provide are making social networks to become ideal environments to enhance feedback and, especially, peer-assessment. According to the Annual Learning Tool Survey, Twitter is believed to be the tool used the most in learning contexts.

The incorporation in education of 2.0 tools has been the field of study of a wide number of researches (Karvoundis, Chimos, Bersimis & Douligeris, 2014). Even though, the web 2.0 practices imported to the school context have been extensively analyzed (Crook, 2012), they should be further studied in Higher Education.

The research has proven students use social networks to fulfill essential learning social functions, such as help the present and past classmates, as well as, provide specific help to the development of school assignments (Greenhow, Robelia & Hughes, 2009). Likewise, Siemens and Weller (2011) ensure social networks enhance students’ peer dialogue, promote the comparison of resources and the acquisition and development of the communicative competence, thanks to the interaction between the personal and professional life.

Partially, this is caused due to the support ICT, such as blogs, Twitter, Skype, social networks, educational apps, provide to build up students’ own learning process. In this context, students overlap their personal world with their academic world. ICT enables them to access a wide range of information, share resources and discuss issues with their peers, as well as to create digital contents through formal and informal environments (Lyman, 2004; Manca & Ranierit, 2013).

It is true that ICT initially provide an excellent environment for students not only to take part in their learning process, but in their peers’. Moreover, technology-enhanced learning environments favor the development and acquisition of the competencies (Kim, 2011). Web 2.0 offer a range of possibilities to enhance reflection and peer collaboration in group work. Furthermore, there are technological platforms that allow the creation of learning activities. But above all, the efficient use of web 2.0 technologies can drive universities towards more holistic educational models (Schneckenberg, Ehlers & Adelsberger, 2011).

However, provided these initial advantages, it is worth to explore how university professors use technology for assessment purposes and the acquisition of competencies. In fact, little attention has been provided to university professors’ perceptions towards the role ICT plays in the evaluation, as well as, in the process of acquiring and developing the competencies. For this reason, two research questions are set out:

Do teachers believe technology plays a key role in the assessment and the acquisition of competencies?
Do professors use technology for assessment purposes?

Method

This paper presents part of the research conducted in the project “The impact of the educative evaluation on the development of competencies at university. The perspective of the new graduates” (reference EDU2012-32766). This study has been conducted in the Spanish context with the aim to know, in the new European Framework for Higher Education and the new degrees, how the university is contributing to the development of competencies. Especially, how the assessment is enhancing this development. Seven Spanish universities and four degrees (education, pharmacy, informatic engineering and industrial engineering) were selected to know the stakeholders’ opinion about how higher education is contributing to the development of professional competencies of the future graduates in Spain. Moreover, different instruments were used in the data collection process: short life stories, open-ended and closed-ended questionnaires, interviews and focus groups. Specifically, in this communication we are going to focus on the data obtained through the open-ended questionnaires and the focus groups of the university professors. We are going to center on those questions and interventions related to the use of ICT to develop the competencies. The participants of the open-ended questionnaire were university professors from the four degrees and from all the universities participating in the research. Initially, it was established a minimum of five participants per university and degree (a total of 65 participants). Finally, we got 105 full answers to the questionnaire. On the other hand, a focus group was organized per each university (except for the Technical College of Catalonia due to logistics constraints). There was an average of 7 participants per group. The data were analyzed using basic statistics. The answers obtained with the open-ended questionnaire were analyzed with Excel. The software QCAmap was used to analyze the focus groups. The process of categorization was data-driven and the codes were organized into categories (in general, they were the same as the ones in other data collection instruments), aiming to give an answer to the objectives set out.

Expected Outcomes

Regarding the results relative to the use of ICT for the competencies development, first of all, it is worth to highlight the positive perceptions university teachers have towards technological resources and their use as a key element, along with the training and the department interest, to the work and development of competencies. A range of professors believed ICT enhances the competencies work and, just a few professors do not have clear this influence. Secondly, professors consider the ICT enhances competencies development in some aspects, such as methodologies, feedback and the evaluation instruments. However, professors highlight the fact that technology in itself is neither positive nor negative. It is how it is used what can improve or not the teaching and learning process. Therefore, knowing different tools and strategies with technological support are welcomed by university professors. Finally, the major part of the interviewed teachers ensures using ICT through Moodle or the specific website of their subjects, the open-access resources and the online laboratories. Above all, the use of this tools aim to offer a formative assessment (with feedback) to the students with the use of assessment activities such as rubrics, involving other stakeholders through peer- and self-assessment. The use of these rubrics has been repeatedly mentioned in both the questionnaires and the discussion group. However, professors express some criticisms towards this system, since it has been planned and elaborated but not put into practice. Finally, it is important to highlight the different results obtained between the Open University of Catalonia and the rest of the universities. The fore one uses technology intensively: professors have introduced new methodologies and assessment strategies through platforms ad hoc or the electronic portfolio.

References

Crook C. (2012). The digital native in context: tensions associated with importing Web 2.0 practices into the school setting. Oxford Review of Education, 38(1), 63-80. doi: 10.1080/03054985.2011.577946. Greenhow, C., & Robelia, B. (2009). Informal learning and identity formation in online social networks. Learning, Media and Technology, 34, 119–140. Hamilton, S. (2011). Re-designing education. Paper presented at Education Leadership Summit, Singapore. IEA (2014). PREES RELEASE. Brussels: International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Karvounidis, T., Chimos, K., Bersimis, S., & Douligeris, C. (2014). Evaluating Web 2.0 technologies in higher education using students' perceptions and performance. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 30, 577-596. doi: 10.1111/jcal.12069. Kim, M.K. (2011). Technology-enhanced learning environments to solve performance problems: A Case of a Korean Company. TechTrends, 55, 1, 37-41. Lyman, P. (2004). Literature review: Digital-mediated experiences and kids’ informal learning. Available at https://www.macfound.org Manca, S., & Ranierit, M. (2013). Is it a tool suitable for learning? A critical review of the literatura on Facebook as a technology-enhanced learning environment. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 29, 487-504. Schneckenberg, D., Ehlers, U., & Adelsberger, H. (2011). Web 2.0 and competence-oriented design of learning –Potentials and Implications for Higher Education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 42, 5, 747-762. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2010.01092.x Siemens, G., & Weller, M. (2011). Higher education and the promises and perils of social network. Revista de Universidad y Sociedad del Conocimiento (RUSC), 8(1), 164–170.

Author Information

Laura Pons Seguí (presenting / submitting)

University of Barcelona

Didactics and educational organsation

Barcelona

Maite Fernández-Ferrer

University of Barcelona, Spain

Elena Cano