Abstract

We present in this paper the results of a study analyzing the scope and use that teachers make of ICT in classrooms and schools with abundant availability of information and communication technologies: one computer per student, interactive whiteboards, multimedia projectors and internet access. The main goal of this study is to detect models or patterns of educational use of ICT resources available in classrooms related to some personal and professional characteristics of the teachers that took part in the study, such as gender, years of experience, educational stage, digital competence and degree of use of ICT in their daily lives. A descriptive correlational design based on a survey study answered by over 3160 teachers from all over Spain who participated in the School Program 2.0 was used. The results show two clear different patterns of ICT use according to frequency and type of tasks assigned to the students: a weak integration-teaching model against a strong educational integration of ICTs. We come to the conclusion that teachers who develop a model of intensive educational use of ICTs are teachers with many years of professional experience, that make regular use of ICTs and, moreover, perceive themselves as sufficiently trained and with a highly developed digital competence.

Abstract

The present paper exposes a teaching resource, designed to serve as a complement to the Vocational and Professional Counseling Program of High Schools. The WebQuest intended to facilitate students´ self-knowledge, the knowledge of the academic and professional environment and to help them in the process of decision-making. This work also presents the characteristics of the tool, the websites where it is housed, the working methodology, the objectives of the teaching resource, a description of the process the learners should go through in order to accomplishing the task, the most representative result and the final conclusions. As a final conclusion, we underline that the ICTs use in professional counseling could optimize and enrichment those interventions developed in High School centers.

Abstract

This paper explores the uses of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the universities of Castilla y León. We believe that the integration of ICT in the universities is essential for the development of a university system in line with the requirements of the knowledge society. This piece of work must be placed within a research that has analyzed the use of ICT in higher education in the universities of Castilla y León. In our view, the uses of ICT in higher education are one of the main key indicators for its level of integration. With this research, whose goals relate to ascertaining the level of integration of ICT in the universities of Castilla y León, we seek to identify the factors that influence the use-avoidance of ICT by the professors, and to describe the uses that they do of ICT in the development of their profession (teaching and research).For this reason, we have conducted an ex-postfacto research with a descriptive and improvement-seeking motivation. Even though the results of this research highlight the widespread use of ICTs within the universities, they also point out that this use is superficial and indicate a lack of actual integration of ICT in the universities of Castilla y León.

Abstract

The potential of technology in digital society offers multiple possibilities for learning. E-books constitute one of the technologies to which great attention has to be paid. This article presents a case study on the perceptions held by a teacher and his students on the use of e-textbooks in a Primary education classroom. It examines students’ meaning-making practices and the perceptions that teachers and students have towards their engagement in learning activities in this context. In the analysis of the data generated, the classroom is considered a multimodal learning space, where virtual, physical and cognitive environments overlap, allowing students to negotiate meaning across multiple contexts and reflect upon it. Results show that e-textbook users’ perceptions greatly depend on the institutional culture in which they are embedded. While the adoption of e-textbooks does not necessarily mean a transition from traditional textbooks to e-textbooks, students and teachers may develop a more demanding range of criteria which must be met by e-textbook providers. By doing this, e-books become a real alternative to free internet resources. Although e-textbooks favor a communicatively active style of learning, there are still real challenges to be overcome by publishers so that e-textbooks do not become the next forgotten fad.

Abstract

This investigation allowed us to learn about the reality of educational centers and preschool teachers who work in the metropolitan area of Caracas, specifically in reference to the methods used by the teachers to promote literacy development and the use of different teaching practices to achieve the desired objectives in this area. The results point to a gradual change on the part of teachers as to the methodology employed to promote literacy development, ranging from the traditional use of basic reading programs and reading readiness exercises to the use of varied and functional literacy materials and activities. As to the type of resources employed, the use of printed materials prevails, with some incursions into the use of multimedia programs.