Proceedings of Informing Science & IT Education Conference (InSITE) 2013The generalized use of Communication Networks and Information Technologies is nowadays a global phenomenon. It has multiple impacts on how to teach/learn and on the contexts in which this process takes place (the Learning Environments). These areas include Physical Learning places, Virtual Learning sites, Collaborative Learning Spaces, among others. These proposals provide new scenarios for the teaching/learning process, but their outlines are not well defined yet. A Learning Space requires a complex set of materials and human resources. Further and continued research is significant and justified by the relevance of Higher Education Institutions.The overall objective of the present research is to understand the perceptions of the Professors in their
Learning Environments. In this context it has been considered relevant to gather opinions on the needs/priorities, utility, quality and sustainability, as a result of the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the teaching/learning spaces

Gouveia, Luis Borges

Silva, Pedro

Apresentação realizada no InSITE 2013, Porto, 2 a 5 de julho 2013The impact of digital in learning spaces: an analysis on the perspective of teachers in higher education

Institutional Repository of the Fernando Pessoa University

The impact of digital in 
learning spaces:  
An analysis on the perspective 
of teachers in higher education. 
 
Pedro Silva  
Escola Superior de Tecnologias de Castelo 
Branco  
Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco 
Castelo Branco, Portugal  
psilva@ipcb.pt 
Luís Borges Gouveia 
Universidade Fernando Pessoa 
Porto, Portugal 
 
lmbg@ufp.pt  
Introduction 
 This presentation is the result of a qualitative research conducted between February 
2012 and June 2012 
 
Main objective : 
Understand the perceptions of Professors in their Learning Environments.  
It has been considered relevant to gather opinions on the:  
needs/priorities, utility, quality and sustainability, as a result of the use of 
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the teaching/learning spaces. 
 
Contribution : 
Facilitate the creation of new Learning Environments and make a discussion of 
space’s component organization as one of the important factors in the creation of a 
learning space.  
 
The proposals advanced (resulting from the interviews to the teachers of Higher 
Education) produced important contributions and confirm the need to make changes. 
  
Introduction 
 
University are face to face (f2f) with a new teaching reality  
STUDENTS are different 
- Digital 
- Connected 
- Want to create and learn at the 
same time 
KNOWLEDGE SOURCES 
Students can access to that contents and 
study by themselves, developing therefore 
individual and group skills 
 
Study by themselves in any place 
with Internet and the also can, if they 
have questions, use the email to clear up all 
doubts and solve problems with their tutors 
THE TECHNOLOGY 
The technology changes affect the 
teaching and learning processes 
and the places they are possible 
Introduction 
 
University are face to face (f2f) with a new teaching reality  
The impact of digital in 
learning spaces  
Universities have insufficient or inappropriate learning spaces; they are too 
small, very dark or cold, made in the wrong places, etc.  
 
These places have many deficiencies and so, they waste learning opportunities.  
 
A Learning Space requires a complex set of materials and human resources.  
Introduction 
 
Find new ideas about space needs represents a significant 
opportunity for higher education to make learners and learning 
more successful  
human resources and materials.  
Data and Research Methods 
 
The purpose of the perceptions of Learning Environments 
was to capture a set of personal experiences related to 
spaces used by teachers, particularly the “classroom", 
collaborative spaces, social spaces and virtual spaces.  
 
All the interviews were tape-recorded with the 
teacher's permission, and later transcribed to 
provide accurate records for the analysis.  
 
Standard procedures were followed to 
maintain the confidentiality of the interview 
data and the anonymity of the teachers 
Data and Research Methods 
 
Data and Research Methods 
 
A criterion Sampling scheme has been used to select 
teachers for the interviews.  
The interviews were face-to-face.  
 
Between the first and second interviews, almost three months 
passed. 
  
Based on our previous research experience, interviewing 
teachers, we felt a second interview was required to build a 
theory. 
 
 A strong rapport was necessary to obtain trustworthy data. 
Data and Research Methods 
 
The analysis of data : 
 
First the participants were assigned identification numbers.  
 
 
Data and Research Methods 
 
Audio-taped interviews were verbatim 
transcribed 
 
Checked for accuracy and edited by the first 
author, to ensure that the transcriptions 
reflected the actual interviews, by 
simultaneously listening to the recordings 
while reading the transcriptions and making 
corrections where necessary 
Results and Discussion 
 This investigation suggests many positive consequences 
and different points of view on the Best Practices 
about the use of teaching/learning spaces. 
 
(i) Perceptions of Learning Environments;  
(ii) Perception on the space needs;  
(iii) Perception on the adoption of ICT in learning;  
(iv) Perception about the type of attended space, their needs 
and advantages. 
 
Results and Discussion 
 
They all share the idea that the classroom’s 
space must change, because of the new 
teaching methodologies 
 
Collaborative spaces must exist with all the 
needed resources  
 
Collaborative spaces - better integration with 
the space and the classroom space is possible 
 
These spaces should, besides the educational 
environment to support the student’s 
learning,  
also have : personal tools to prepare classes, 
to support material, to perform 
administrative tasks, to seek information and 
materials and to be used as an interactive-
communication tool between teachers and 
educational partners. 
Perceptions of Learning Environments 
Results and Discussion 
 
The traditional classroom space is too limited, 
knowledge flews in only one direction. 
Interaction between the teacher and students 
is almost impossible. 
 
This paradigm leads to changes in students 
and teachers attitudes  
 
Important  create a  psychological 
comfortable atmosphere between teachers 
and students in order to improve physical 
comfort 
 
it is important to create individual spaces for 
each student, the existence of open spaces, 
smaller learning spaces, classrooms with 
mobilization facilities and the creation of 
“activity islands” 
 
Perception of the space needs 
 
Results and Discussion 
 
The role of ICT is very important, but teachers 
must dominate them. More and more new 
technologies must be part of education  
 
ICT in learning process is important but only 
as an extension of instrumental capabilities 
at the service of the learning process 
 
Perception on the adoption of ICT in learning  
Results and Discussion 
 
Perception about the type of space attended,  
their needs and advantages 
human relationship between people (teachers 
and students), it is easy and makes a 
difference 
 
 activities have to go out of what is 
traditionally a classroom(…) a social space, 
and the provided spaces for group work and 
the possibility of them being performed 
 
a smart design with open areas where 
teachers and students communicate and 
technology 
 
change attitudes and practices in order to 
obtain optimization, integration and 
development of knowledge 
Our Intent : 
 complement and expand the knowledge about space use in higher 
education. 
  
The results confirm our central hypotheses: 
  
Conclusion 
 
The importance of Space in creating high 
quality Learning Spaces.  
 
That technology’s adoption is important but is 
not the only factor taken into consideration to 
create these spaces.  
 
Changes in design comfort and Decoration 
and Cultural Change must be part of a 
Learning Space. 
• New areas, such as the collaborative learning spaces, should be 
considered in the organization.   
 
• Changes in furniture design, comfort and decoration, how the materials 
are arranged and organized, seem to influence the teaching and learning 
processes.  
 
• The cultural change, Social spaces and Informal learning environments, 
seem to be a key role to a good psychological environment and motivate 
the participation in school activities. 
 
• The use of Virtual as an available tool to teaching and learning and its 
necessary integration with the physical, seem to be essential. 
 
• A flexible learning space enables the student to make choices and to have 
some control over the time and place and, sometimes, also to make 
choices in the content of their learning. 
 
Conclusion 
 


English

The impact of digital in learning spaces: An analysis on the perspective of teachers in higher education

B-Digital

The impact of digital in learning spaces: an analysis on the perspective of teachers in higher education

The impact of digital in learning spaces:  An analysis on the perspective of teachers in higher education.  Pedro Silva  Escola Superior de Tecnologias de Castelo Branco  Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco Castelo Branco, Portugal  psilva@ipcb.pt Luís Borges Gouveia Universidade Fernando Pessoa Porto, Portugal  lmbg@ufp.pt  Introduction  This presentation is the result of a qualitative research conducted between February 2012 and June 2012  Main objective : Understand the perceptions of Professors in their Learning Environments.  It has been considered relevant to gather opinions on the:  needs/priorities, utility, quality and sustainability, as a result of the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the teaching/learning spaces.  Contribution : Facilitate the creation of new Learning Environments and make a discussion of space’s component organization as one of the important factors in the creation of a learning space.   The proposals advanced (resulting from the interviews to the teachers of Higher Education) produced important contributions and confirm the need to make changes.   Introduction  University are face to face (f2f) with a new teaching reality  STUDENTS are different - Digital - Connected - Want to create and learn at the same time KNOWLEDGE SOURCES Students can access to that contents and study by themselves, developing therefore individual and group skills  Study by themselves in any place with Internet and the also can, if they have questions, use the email to clear up all doubts and solve problems with their tutors THE TECHNOLOGY The technology changes affect the teaching and learning processes and the places they are possible Introduction  University are face to face (f2f) with a new teaching reality  The impact of digital in learning spaces  Universities have insufficient or inappropriate learning spaces; they are too small, very dark or cold, made in the wrong places, etc.   These places have many deficiencies and so, they waste learning opportunities.   A Learning Space requires a complex set of materials and human resources.  Introduction  Find new ideas about space needs represents a significant opportunity for higher education to make learners and learning more successful  human resources and materials.  Data and Research Methods  The purpose of the perceptions of Learning Environments was to capture a set of personal experiences related to spaces used by teachers, particularly the “classroom", collaborative spaces, social spaces and virtual spaces.   All the interviews were tape-recorded with the teacher's permission, and later transcribed to provide accurate records for the analysis.   Standard procedures were followed to maintain the confidentiality of the interview data and the anonymity of the teachers Data and Research Methods  Data and Research Methods  A criterion Sampling scheme has been used to select teachers for the interviews.  The interviews were face-to-face.   Between the first and second interviews, almost three months passed.   Based on our previous research experience, interviewing teachers, we felt a second interview was required to build a theory.   A strong rapport was necessary to obtain trustworthy data. Data and Research Methods  The analysis of data :  First the participants were assigned identification numbers.    Data and Research Methods  Audio-taped interviews were verbatim transcribed  Checked for accuracy and edited by the first author, to ensure that the transcriptions reflected the actual interviews, by simultaneously listening to the recordings while reading the transcriptions and making corrections where necessary Results and Discussion  This investigation suggests many positive consequences and different points of view on the Best Practices about the use of teaching/learning spaces.  (i) Perceptions of Learning Environments;  (ii) Perception on the space needs;  (iii) Perception on the adoption of ICT in learning;  (iv) Perception about the type of attended space, their needs and advantages.  Results and Discussion  They all share the idea that the classroom’s space must change, because of the new teaching methodologies  Collaborative spaces must exist with all the needed resources   Collaborative spaces - better integration with the space and the classroom space is possible  These spaces should, besides the educational environment to support the student’s learning,  also have : personal tools to prepare classes, to support material, to perform administrative tasks, to seek information and materials and to be used as an interactive-communication tool between teachers and educational partners. Perceptions of Learning Environments Results and Discussion  The traditional classroom space is too limited, knowledge flews in only one direction. Interaction between the teacher and students is almost impossible.  This paradigm leads to changes in students and teachers attitudes   Important  create a  psychological comfortable atmosphere between teachers and students in order to improve physical comfort  it is important to create individual spaces for each student, the existence of open spaces, smaller learning spaces, classrooms with mobilization facilities and the creation of “activity islands”  Perception of the space needs  Results and Discussion  The role of ICT is very important, but teachers must dominate them. More and more new technologies must be part of education   ICT in learning process is important but only as an extension of instrumental capabilities at the service of the learning process  Perception on the adoption of ICT in learning  Results and Discussion  Perception about the type of space attended,  their needs and advantages human relationship between people (teachers and students), it is easy and makes a difference   activities have to go out of what is traditionally a classroom(…) a social space, and the provided spaces for group work and the possibility of them being performed  a smart design with open areas where teachers and students communicate and technology  change attitudes and practices in order to obtain optimization, integration and development of knowledge Our Intent :  complement and expand the knowledge about space use in higher education.   The results confirm our central hypotheses:   Conclusion  The importance of Space in creating high quality Learning Spaces.   That technology’s adoption is important but is not the only factor taken into consideration to create these spaces.   Changes in design comfort and Decoration and Cultural Change must be part of a Learning Space. • New areas, such as the collaborative learning spaces, should be considered in the organization.    • Changes in furniture design, comfort and decoration, how the materials are arranged and organized, seem to influence the teaching and learning processes.   • The cultural change, Social spaces and Informal learning environments, seem to be a key role to a good psychological environment and motivate the participation in school activities.  • The use of Virtual as an available tool to teaching and learning and its necessary integration with the physical, seem to be essential.  • A flexible learning space enables the student to make choices and to have some control over the time and place and, sometimes, also to make choices in the content of their learning.  Conclusion  

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The impact of digital in learning spaces: an analysis on the perspective of teachers in higher education

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