Herramientas de Aprendizaje Social

Nuevas propuestas de aprendizaje reportan exito rotundo en los talleres de Educamp en Bogotá y otras ciudades de Colombia.
Liderados Por Diego Leal y el MEN, se están realizando en el pais talleres para capacitar docentes de IES en el uso y apropiación de las herramientas Web 2.0.Grupo de trabajo de Podcasts y Wikis. Educamp Bogotá (Noviembre 2008).

Dinamizador Carlos Ortiz carlosorley200@gmail.com

Colaboradores

Ana Tulia Torres Manrique anat75@gmail.com,Dora Lucia Torres Manrique dorat88@gmail.com,Neyla Hernandez Garcia neyhg2008@gmail.com,Franci Liliana González Niño francililiana@gmail.com
Comentarios sobre el Educamp de Bogotá (noviembre 2008) Tomados de colombiaaprende:

Edna Sandoval, docente de la Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia:
"Quede fascinada con la metodología, me parece que es muy innovadora y quiero ponerla en práctica en mi calidad como docente. Aprendí que sí se puede utilizar las herramientas de la web 2.0 ya que antes las veía muy lejanas. Voy con mucho ánimo de utilizar todas estas herramientas en mis cursos, esto va ser muy bueno para mis estudiantes. Me gustó mucho la herramienta audacity porque no conocía que se podía hacer audio para las presentaciones".
Javier Ceballos, docente de la Corporación de la Educación Nacional de Administración, Centa:
"Con estos encuentros uno se da cuenta de lo poco que sabe de este tema y sale contaminado de conocimiento. Es mucho lo que uno se lleva para sentarse a practicar y poder dar a conocer estas aplicaciones a mis colegas. Uno de las temas más interesantes es el desarrollo de contenidos".
Jenny Cardozo, docente de la Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano:
"Lo más importante del taller fue el trabajo colaborativo comprender que todos podíamos aprender de todos. Me voy con varias nociones fuertes como en el caso de la herramienta de second life desde una perspectiva educativa, así como diigo y el banco de objetos de aprendizaje de portal Colombia Aprende".
Augusto Hernando Gutiérrez, docente de la Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano:
"Uno de los manejos que más aprendí en este encuentro fue la herramienta del blog tanto que monté mi propio blog llamado el taller de Augusto. También aprendí el manejo del facebook y los wikis".
Francis Liliana González, docente de la Universidad Minuto de Dios:
"Hay una herramienta muy interesante que es diigo que permite generar un intercambio de información entre los estudiantes, considero que lo voy a aplicar en clase. Hay otra herramienta que me causó mucha curiosidad que es la postcast, ya la aprendí a manejar".

Experiencias

"La práctica de estas herramientas nos permite mejorar nuestra dinámica pedagógica en ambientes virtuales generando el trabajo colaborativo"

Podcasts:

En la parte del taller donde compartimos, tuve la oportunidad de atender un numeroso grupo de docentes interesados en conocer acerca de los Podcasts.Revisamos el concepto general de los Podcasts, fuimos al sitio Audacity, lo bajamos e instalamos y revisamos su uso. Elaboramos un Podcast y lo exportamos como MP3.

Ideas del grupo:

Se puede usar en:
Cursos de Idiomas,
Ayuda educativa en charlas para explicar temáticas o actividades
A nivel de investigación se pueden grabar entrevistas
Trabajos de campo para presentar simulación de noticieros
Entrega de trabajos de los estudiantes
Relatos
Ensayo verbal
Desarrollo de competencias comunicativas cognitivas y valorativas
En educación a distancia para evaluación
Socialización y sensibilidad
Competencias de convivencia. conocimiento de otros.
Estrategia de enseñanza.
Socializar conocimientos
Desarrollar competencias y habilidades de comprensión auditivas en aprendizaje de idiomas.
Escuchar música que no puedes conseguir comprando
Recurso de entretenimiento.
Efectos prácticos laborales como conservar y difundir memorias de audio de reuniones y conferencias.
Se puede utilizar presencial o virtualmente.
Narrar libros y revistas.
Fácil escuchar que leer
Permite expresiones verbales autenticas y la intencionalidad (encontrar sus convicciones).Wikis: exploramos wikispaces, wetpaint y wikipedia.

Los docentes elaboraron dos wikis y utilizaron sus herramientas.

http://dorato.wikispaces.com/http://nuestrawiki.wetpaint.com/
Utilizarlas para registrar material para las clases,
Optimizar el tiempo de elaboración de trabajos escritos colaborativamente.
Muy valioso tener la facilidad de construir,
Reconstruir y deconstruir las ideas y los aportes.
Muy funcional. A través de ellos se puede aprender a desaprender.
Hay que aprender a utilizar la herramienta para que se convierta en una facilidad y no en una dificultad.
Generar artículos en grupo para publicación.
Para crear un marco teórico de cualquier temática.
Crear grupos de trabajo y distribuir los temas.
Usarlo escrupulosamente para evitar desinformación.

Virtual Environments in English Learning. An experience in English learning supported by IC Technologies at University of Ibague.

CVI- GIELE

View more presentations from Carlos hernando Ortiz leyva.

Abstract
At first, the English Virtual Course language Centre at University of Ibagué seemed to be just a useless technological curiosity. However, It has been finally possible to turn it into a real product to face the new age of education with the help of Information and Communication Technologies in our geographical and cultural environment.
So far, we have developed two versions for English distance learning with face to face meetings, supported by ICT. The first one called Prototype 1 used free public resources from the Web, due to the apparent technological knowledge that was available at the time and the second one corresponds to an authored course in which all the activities are run on our Website on the LMS free platform Moodle.
Both versions are based on a pedagogical proposal which mixes the typical principles of computer assisted learning and the social constructivist pedagogy.
Goals
The English Virtual Course pretends to meet regional language learning necessities, providing updated and financially reachable quality solutions for prospective learners, increasing the educational impact of the University of Ibague, and considerably reducing the expenses for those students whose geographical situation, time, schedules or transportation conditions keep them from taking the regular courses at institutes or universities. Even students who have approved all their subjects at University and need to study eight English Levels as a pre-requisite for graduation can benefit from the Virtual English Course. It’s also suitable for people from small villages and towns far away from the capital city so they can access alternative opportunities for language learning without leaving their places.
Description
The proposal provides the students with a virtual environment for them to start building their own learning of English basic grammar and functions, which they can use later in communicative linguistic contexts.
Interactive activities come immediately after a topic presentation and change from repetitive to reflexive as the course progresses. These activities on line provide feedback which is typical in Computer Assisted Learning Programs. As the student advances to the next course, this feedback is enriched with corrective and didactical explanations informing the students about their errors and providing advice and links to review the topic.
The themes are provided in an integrated and sequential way which increases the complexity in a progressive form. Activities have been designed to provide opportunities to contextualize what students have learned, so they can develop wider range language competences. The forums provide spaces to ask questions pass comments and allow the creation of a friendly community atmosphere which favors learning.
The interaction among the students allows the learning process to occur as a social activity: virtual most of the time and person to person in the programmed meetings. We also emphasize the development of social competences, because we believe that is a way people can learn to achieve tolerance and respect towards each other. This is something we need badly not only in Colombia, but all over the world.
There are group and individual, collaborative and cooperative activities. Our self evaluation proposal lies on the use of a portfolio, where the students keep record of their homework, compositions, input, learning observations and everything they think might help to support the 10% of the final grade. We pretend to encourage people to increase values such as honesty and objectivity through self-evaluation.

The tutor is available all the time, ready to help students solve the academic or technological problems that they may encounter. Communication with the tutor includes MSN, chat, e-mail, mobile and telephone resources. They are the key tool to help the tutor not only communicate with the students, but also to give them their oral tests and assessment which can also be taken personally.
Conclusions
The surveys among the students of Prototype 1, who were teachers from the university, acknowledge the proposal in a clear and functional way from the pedagogical viewpoint.
The authored version has been given to students from the university and the results were very good keeping in mind that the sample was not very big. From 20 students registered 18 passed their written and oral tests and 2 failed.
The proposal has undergone two stages: Prototype 1 was run using the Yahoo groups and the Authored version was run on the LMS free platform Moodle.
By now our country has already started moving towards a culture related with self learning through the use of computers and Internet. As time passes, the incidence of Technology in cultural changes is undeniable. We mustn’t forget that the lack of a proper technological infrastructure in our context is a fact that doesn’t help creating this new learning culture.
Four years after the course started, it can be said that many people have benefited from our virtual course, reaching the necessary competences to achieve their goals, especially students from San José Technological Center, who only need three levels to graduate. Most of our students who have completed three levels sequentially came from Technological Institute San José.
Other students from the university have satisfactorily finished four levels in a shorter time than regular courses. Many others have registered and started the course but deserted it. When asked about the reason why, some of them recognized it was hard for them because they are not used to technology or they don’t have the required autonomous learning skills.

Pedagogical Dimension
From the fact that most students registered in the course have managed to answer correctly their homework and passed their tests, we can infer that they have reached the proposed competences and therefore we must suppose in those cases the pedagogical proposal worked as expected.
Answering surveys, students have stated that the parts of the course where they consolidated their learning the most was when they did their interactive activities and when they corrected their homework.
Communicative Dimension
The functional communication mainly occurs between students and tutor. Communication among students is very poor and it is basically limited to the Communicative Group activities proposed in the course, such as sending e-mails to each other asking for or giving information. Apparently they don't see the importance of comunication in their learning process.
The Social Dimension
Asynchronic Forums show that in most cases students participate but do not interact. Sometimes there’s a gender factor that stops boys or girls from sending emails to each other. In general students are a bit shy and avoid to communicate with other students, or see it as unimportant for their learning process. This shows that some students take it as a self learning course and don’t get really aware of the importance of keeping a close communication with their classmates.
Trying to get synchronic communication by means of chats was not functional due to the difference in personal schedules and some technical difficulties. No chats took place.
Administrative Dimension
Many administrative aspects still have to be improved such as incorporating the grading system to the platform so the tutor only has to input the grades and Platform does all the figures. Also, the use of the Platform internal message should be encouraged.
Technological Dimension
Although the functionality of Moodle by means of content, evaluation and administration tools make a very friendly learning environment where the student can reach all the resources that the designer has prepared to facilitate the learning process, it is sensible to think of adding Moodle and course tutorials for students to improve their performance in the technological aspect.
The lack of a graphic designer and the technological shortage when the course was developed, have made the checking and redesign of the art, graphic design and animations mandatory.
It is also recommended to implement blog and SCORM as they’re useful tools that can be successfully used in social learning.
Web 2.0 tools such as podcasts will definitely improve the listening comprehension possibilities of the learner by providing much longer MP3 sound files and also open an alternative for the students to send their oral production for their assessment by the teacher.
Videos and Slides also have to be included to emphasize and strengthen understanding and therefore learning the use of vocabulary and expressions as well as modeling communicative situations.
Including a wiki will provide students and teachers with a tool to elaborate collaborative written work.
Due to emerging technologies and social software and as any technological product, this course needs to be constantly updated so as it improves, it propitiates the University a great opportunity for construction of knowledge and new learning for teachers, designers and administrative staff. It is a step on our way towards connectivist learning.

Nevertheless, there is still a lot to be done, but the age of e-learning, mobile learning and connectivist learning has already began. However, we have to keep an eye on the fact that given our social and economical condition, the educational solutions offered have to be reachable not only for an elite, but for every citizen all over our Colombian territory. That requires a great improvement in our technological conditions.
It means the Educational authorities have to take good care to provide infrastructure, networks and make sure that every school has access to the advantages of technology in education. Otherwise, technology could just enhance the gap between social classes and their educational opportunities.
Research.
At the moment, a formal reasearch project is being performed by GIELE (Grupo de Investigación de Lenguas Extranjeras) at the Language Center of Universidad de Ibagué, looking for better understanding of virtual tools, autonomous learning styles and improvements of the course.

Carlos Hernando Ortiz Leyva
Universidad de Ibagué