International Conference: "Innovative methodologies and technologies in work based learning within the VET sector"26TH SEPTEMBER 2014, BUCHAREST, ROMANIA

CONSCIOUS USE OF TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION. EVALUATION OF A PROJECT.

SANDRA SOLCO PHD OF METODOLOGIA DELLA RICERCA EDUCATIVA

UNIVERSITY OF SALERNO

The article is a reflection on a project during the school year 2009/2010 that involved the students in primary school in the realization of a multimedia work by using the tool "1001storia," a multimedia environment developed by the Politecnico of Milan.

The theme of this work involves a reflection on the benefits of a conscious use of ICT to sustainable education. It starts from the presentation of a specific experience and emphasizes the link with the theme of motivation.

The author presents methods for practical use of ICT and summarizes the positive data resulting from the questionnaires administered to teachers and students. The most recent research in the field show that the introduction of technology in schools does not mean a factor of improvement of the results, if other contextual factors related to teaching methods and especially if there are teachers who use these methods are not motivated to use them.

The project

PoliCultura is an initiative proposed and developed by Hoc-Lab of the Politecnico di Milano. From 2007 to 2012 more than 900 teachers and 20,000 students have produced more than 800 multimedia stories. Technological results consist in a story that can be found with web. It can be downloaded to your I-Pod or burn to CD-ROM, thanks to the use of the technological tool “1001storia” created by Politecnico di Milano (www.policulturaportal.it) which is designed as a tool for non-professionals of multimedia, it is easy to learn and use, and at the same time, very versatile.

The manual advised to organize the process of production of a narration in 10 steps:

1 Gather the raw material for the narrations (1-2 hours) 2 Define the publishing schedule (1-2 hours) 3 Choose the illustrations (3-8 hours) 4 Write the text of topics and subtopics (8-16 hours) 5 Produce audio files from the written texts (4-8 hours) 6 Insert the content into the engine - first version (2 hours) 7 Carry out a quality control (2-4 hours) 8 Carry out a review of texts and audio (4-8 hours) 9 Carry out a total review of visual communication overall (1-4 hours) 10 To produce the final version (2 hours)

ResultsStudents Questionnaire

1.How much you enjoyed use the pc to build the story of Camilla?

2. 2 The proposed activities have been instructive?

3. How important was on your work the presence of an external person to make recordings?

4. How much do you think that the use of pc with 1001 history has improved your performance?

5. How much the immediate correction of mistakes affected the rest of your work?

Teachers Questionnaire

1. How much do you think was effective and efficient the use of the instrument "1001 History" in the classroom?

2. How much did Use "1001 story" contributed to improve student performance BES?

3. Do you think that the use of "1001 story" has fostered collaborative learning?

4.To what extent do you believe that "1001 story" has improved the performance of its pupils?

5. To what extent do you believe that "1001 story" has improved the interpersonal relationships among the students?

Analysis of the data collected showed that the experience of PoliCultura has produced real benefits of different educational levels: cognitive, relationship, motivation, conscious use of technology. In relation to the purely cognitive sphere, we found positive results especially on the comprehension of the content, on the ability to grasp complex relationships and storing of the aspects of greatest importance. THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY HAS ALSO ENABLED THAT IT WOULD BE CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATIVE LEARNING AND TUTORING IN WHICH STUDENTS MOST SKILLED HELPED THOSE MOST IN NEED. THE PRESENTATIONS OF THE STORY IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE CLASS HAVE ALLOWED MOMENTS OF COLLABORATIVE CONSTRUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE. ALL PUPILS HAVE PARTICIPATED WITH INTEREST TO REALIZE NARRATION AND PROVIDED SUGGESTIONS AND DIRECTIONS. SOME PUPILS WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES WERE ALSO ABLE TO EXPLAIN THEIR CREATIVITY AND THEIR POTENTIAL BY MAKING THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE GROUP.

Conclusion

Operation of the engine "1001Storia" and the study of evaluation of the experience have highlighted how it is possible to promote the adoption and the 'responsible use of information and communication technologies in schools thanks to usability, simplicity, and affordability and the time of the creation of the final product.

Educational technology are both a tool that allows you to access many resources, both an amplifier as a collaborative tool: the contents which do not come from a single source, are articulated and constructed through interpersonal communication, an essential process to the creation of a critical, reflective and independent thought.

They today offer the opportunity to consider the individuality of the learner in an autonomous and independent space-time. They today offer the opportunity to consider the individuality of the learner in a space-time autonomous and independent, and consequently to involve him in a learning environment highly stimulating.

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