Competency training in universities via projects and Web 2.0 tools. Analysis of an experience
RUSC. Universities and Knowledge Society Journal, 11 (1):
61-75 (2014)Abstract
This article presents a university-context teaching innovation proposal that combines various ICT-supported active methodologies to undertake a project. The experience’s feature is the design of a blended learning context based on a constructivist learning approach, in which the participating students – divided into three different groups – work on the same project and play an active role, and whose learning is fostered by the use Google+, Google Docs, Twitter and a blog. To present the experience, a description is given of how the project was designed and undertaken, followed by a presentation of the results obtained from the opinions of the students themselves, who were the protagonists of their own learning. The results show how the students rated competency acquisition in this and earlier experiences, and enabled the acquired competencies to be identified for each methodological proposal applied. The conclusions highlight the fact that project work has many benefits; it improves the students’ active participation, motivation and engagement, and enhances competency development and meaningful learning. Especially noteworthy are the high ratings given to peer tutoring as a work modality for strengthening competency development, and the fact that the students perceived that taking part in this project allowed them to work and acquire the proposed competencies more effectively than in other educational experiences that they had undertaken in the course of their university studies.