USE OF TELEMATIC TOOLS AS A SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS’

TRAINING

Helena Caldeira

Consórcio Ibérico de Estudos sobre Educação Científica

Departamento de Física, Universidade de Coimbra,3004-516, Coimbra, Portugal

Carlos Gomes

Department of Science Education, University of Azores, 9501-801, Ponta Delgada, Portugal

Keywords: Telematic tools, learning community, blended learning.

Abstract: The use of telematic tools by online learning communities, through the true involvement of all the

participants, allows strengthening of net learning models. These models, if adequately designed, may

stimulate the development of competencies in teachers’ training. Technological evolution has made the use

of telematic tools more and more of an option in distance learning; these tools have become an

indispensable support for achievement of educational aims in learning institutions, namely through the

provision of means for the interaction between participants. This work now aims at describing some of the

results obtained from a study involving telematic tools in a model of online teachers’ training. In particular,

we will describe the benefits and difficulties that were found and we add some reflections on solutions for

the improvement of this model.

1 INTRODUCTION

Distance learning models that use ICT, namely

telematic tools, may help building up heterogeneous

learning environments that stimulate learning and

the evaluation of knowledge acquisition, and, at the

same time, ease permanent access to a kind of

learning that adjusts itself to the individual, group or

community needs. This way several barriers usually

associated with distance learning models, such as

social isolation of the student, limited resources and

materials, or the loose relationship between teacher

and student, are overpassed (Gomes & Caldeira,

2003; Morueta, 2002). Additionally, the use of

telematic tools allows for the flexibility of training

models, as it diversifies the ways by which

participants communicate and interact, this way

meeting each and everyone needs, not only in terms

of material resources, but also with regards to the

requirements of individual or group learning; it thus

contributes to the reinforcement of metacognitive

learning strategies. The pedagogical process

achieves a new dimension, as the use of telematic

tools contributes to the involvement of all

participants in the generation and dissemination of

knowledge.

The possibility of choosing the more adequate

technological resource among all available allows

for the diversification of the methodologies used and

of the several didactical support material. It also

contributes for the generation of online learning

communities involving participants from different

geographical regions and based on real time

interaction (Morueta, 2002). Additionally, teachers

are able to help students in real time and, depending

on the circumstances and objectives, to individually

supervise students. Indeed, as Gray, Ryan and

Coulon (2004) have stated, distance learning is not

merely another means for the transmission of

knowledge; it is a true way of changing the

relationship between teachers and students and one

that requires new skills and competencies. Morueta

(2002) points out that one of the advantages of the

usage of telematic tools is its ability to help teachers

to focus teaching on the student. As such, in the

context of teachers’ training, whose final aim is

doting teachers for their future practice, it endows

students interactive and socializing abilities, this

way enabling them for the development of their own

412

Caldeira H. and Gomes C. (2006).

USE OF TELEMATIC TOOLS AS A SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS’ TRAINING.

In Proceedings of WEBIST 2006 - Second International Conference on Web Information Systems and Technologies - Society, e-Business and

e-Government / e-Learning, pages 412-417

DOI: 10.5220/0001255704120417

 SciTePress

responsibility, which permits that students may

manage their own learning process. Thus, a balance

should be sought between individual and shared

responsibilities in collaborative work. Sorensen

(2003) has suggested that cooperative work allows

participants to acquire introspection and to develop

meta-reflective abilities, which contribute to work of

a higher quality. It also leads to development of an

argumentative speech that contributes to the

development of knowledge (Weinberger & Fischer,

2006).

The use of telematic tools may stimulate the

generation of cooperative procedures as it

emphasizes interactions in which participants

actively cooperate in the learning process, namely

through group discussion of questions and solving of

problems. This leads to the attainment not only of

specific objectives of the learning process, but also

of social and cognitive aims.

On the other hand, one of the main concerns of

internet training models regards the credibility of all

learning process, as it takes place online. This matter

has been dealt with by several authors. For instance,

Osuna and Almenara (2002) suggest that the main

limitation of online training is related to the

evaluation process and to virtual accreditation.

In spite of the relation between evaluation and

accreditation, evaluation should be continuous;

being an activity that involves procedures, it is not

exclusively a technical action, as it is a human action

that involves several ethical and moral values.

Accreditation always refers to the final product and

may be achieved through assurance of face-to-face

interactions.

Insecurity regarding the evaluation of online

teaching is related to the novelty of this kind of

training and to the constant evolution of technology.

Even though some of the strategies of evaluation

used in face-to-face and distance learning are

similar, it has to be taken into account that new

technologies (internet and multimedia) always

impose new ways of understanding the process of

teaching and learning and, consequently, new means

of evaluation that are based both in synchronous and

asynchronous communication resources (Cabero &

Gisbert, 2002; Osuna & Almenara, 2002). It was

also suggested (Cabero & Gisbert, 2002; Osuna &

Almenara, 2002) that online evaluation should

generate multiple opportunities so that a constant

feedback exists with regards to the work developed

by the student, and that it should always involve

evaluation planning, taking into account several

features, such as various means of coherent

evaluation, and taking advantage of multimedia

educational material; it should also promote

bidirectional communication between teacher and

student and immediate feedback; define types,

strategies and objectives of the evaluation

(summative, formative, auto and hetero-evaluation,

time of evaluation) and use several strategies and

methods in an articulate way.

It is thus important to understand, in our context

of training, how telematic tools help in judging the

quality of a performed task, so that decisions may be

taken, and how these tools contribute to the

certification process. It is also relevant to assess the

benefits to the training process brought about by

their use. As the communicative interaction between

participants is important for the real consolidation of

learning, it is of interest to understand how the use

of telematic teaching strategies may contribute to a

supported learning. It is also relevant to understand

how to give credibility to online training models and

which would be the most adequate means of

evaluation to use. As such, it is very important to

study models of training of teachers that present

these features, even more as our society is

increasingly a technological one, and as the social

interaction between participants is essential for the

development of a true sense of learning community

among users.

The main aim of this work is to assess the major

difficulties and advantages of the usage of telematic

tools in the context of the initial training of teachers,

and to identify the main issues to be taken into

account regarding their use in our model of online

training.

We will try to elucidate several questions: how

does the use of telematic tools contribute to the

online training process? How does its use contribute

to a more responsible and conscious evaluation of

the training process? What could be its role in the

establishment of social relationships? What benefits

would it add to in class training?

2 THE STUDY

The herein presented work is part of a vaster

research project on an online teachers’ training

model, which involved the creation of an online

community and the participation of teachers in train

from the Physics and Chemistry Teaching Course of

the University of Azores as well as their supervisors.

The participants were being trained in schools from

different islands of Azores Archipelago. The study

also included a general supervisor from the

University of Azores. The use of internet allowed

the discussion of several matters of interest for the

training of the teachers to be, not only among them,

but also with the school and the University

supervisors.

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413

It is in this context of training that the use of

telematic tools is introduced as a complement to

internet. The use of these tools shortens distances

between participants through the several

communication channels available and to which

each of the participants has access, allows for a

greater socialization between participants, and

permits the diversification of learning strategies and

methodologies, this way contributing to the

alteration of the evaluation performed.

The interactions established through the net are

somewhat impersonal; this feature and the delay

associated with information exchange reinforce the

necessity of the creation of synchronous moments,

such as the chat room and videoconferencing.

Besides improving real time interaction between

participants (Gomes and Caldeira,2004), these tools

assure the development of other important skills for

initial training of teachers, as every member of the

community has the opportunity to organize and

prepare individual or group activities, to present

their work, to clarify doubtful matters, to get

answers, and to provide immediate feedback;

telematic tools provide a more direct interaction

between all community members.

In order to enrich interactions between

participants, training of teachers was supported by a

diversity of methodologies and strategies, such as

the creation of a Yahoo group that has used the e-

mail as the main communication resource, the

elaboration of a webfolio, face-to-face seminars, and

chats and videoconferencing to generate moments of

synchronous interaction, among others. This way,

enriching interactions were provided still taking into

account each and everyone availability and the

geographical distance between community members.

Teachers in train were able to interact with each

other at any time in any place, contributing to and

cooperating for their own formation. The server used

in this net community allowed participants to

exchange e-mail and to archive documents. It also

included a diary for the management of activities,

and a list of all messages sent, among other features.

For the formation model to improve significant

learning with cognitive and metacognitive processes,

it is essential a good, previous planning of the

activities to be developed online. Activities should

be planed so that their execution should benefit all

participants and meet the objectives of the

formation. Planning should follow certain rules and

include objectives, questions that may be debated,

supporting references and the definition of the

evaluation. Planning of activities in this model of

online training using telematic tools proceeded

through several stages. Among them, one may point

out the work’s plan, which involved collection of

suggestions and their online discussion,

development of the activity, discussion and the

respective evaluation. Teachers in train discussed

their plans with the University supervisor using e-

mail or other resources. Plans were then shared

through the net and the participants exchanged ideas

and clarified doubts. The task was then performed

and the planned questions debated. Afterwards, the

participants evaluated the activity.

During online training and after the use of

telematic tools, enquiries were done; these consisted

of questionnaires presented to the participants, and

also interviews, regarding the main advantages and

limitations of these tools in training. One of the

questions referred to the participants’ opinion on the

contribution of the reflection model used online to

the reflective development. A videoconference was

audio recorded and its content was transcribed.

Several chat sessions were also documented; these

included not only interactions among teachers in

train, but also between teachers in train and the

university supervisor. Finally, all documents and

opinions were discussed and analysed.

3 RESULTS

In the analysis of the data we firstly describe the

opinion of the participants about the main

difficulties and advantages of the use of telematic

tools as an aid to their training. We then analyse

those that seem to be the main features of our

context of training network. We have evaluate

several features, but we have focused our attention

only on those there were pointed out more often.

Initially, data were treated in a description way; we

have only quantified the frequency and relative

frequency, as these could help us to interpret our

results. In table 1, we present the main difficulties

found. We observe that a significant number of

opinions regard the lack of technological means in

schools, as well as lack of formation in ICT. It was

also curious to note that some net members

experienced difficulties on choosing which

communication means to use.

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Table 1: Main difficulties.

Answer F %

Management of some tasks 22 11,8

Lack of decision ability

regarding the best

communication resource to be

used

18 9,7

Different participation

rhythms of the participants

19 10,2

Lack of formation of some

community members with

regards to ICT

38 25,8

Lack of information of

some members on the

procedures of the use of

telematic tools

23 12,4

Lack of resources in the

schools to where teachers in

train were assigned

45 30,1

In table 2 we present the main advantages that

were pointed out.

Answer F %

Development of collaborative

work

45 12,4

Constitute a complement to

face-to-face classes

34 9,3

Shortening of geographical

distances

58 15,9

Enabling of a closer contact

between community members

33 9,1

Allow for a quicker answer to

certain situations and doubts

35 9,6

Development of skills on ICT 25 6,9

Development of fundamental

competencies such as synthetic

ability, writing, speech, etc.

23 6,3

Allow the accompaniment of

the colleagues work

52 14,3

Allow for individual

supervising

59 16,2

We have found that these training strategies

permit that all participants may share management

and coordination tasks in a more prominent way that

in face-to-face classes. In classroom teaching,

teachers tend to manage time and resources in

his/her own way. In the herein described online

system, everybody may participate in management

of learning and teaching processes. In this way, this

kind of interaction provides individual and group

participation one that are more adequate to

everyone’s needs. However, management and

coordination are fundamental for the development of

the training process. One of the ways to overpass the

managing problem is to involve all group members

in this process.

We have also observed that the use of telematic tools

facilitates interactions and the cooperation between

participants, this way complementing face-to-face

teaching. In this context, we believe that telematic

tools may be used to consolidate online training

models. Assuring some features that may improve

communicative online interaction, which will allow

for a significant learning environment, we achieve

true cooperation and interaction between all group

members. Thus, interaction catalyses building of

knowledge, values dialogue, negotiation,

collaboration and teaching and learning processes.

As for the social interaction, group members

share activities and present a shared life. Being a

basic social process, social interaction takes place at

the sensorial level, since chat and e-mail enable

interchange of emotions, friendship, sympathy; it is

also expressed through symbols in written language.

In videoconferencing, oral and gesture languages

are privileged. As such, one may state that the use of

these telematic tools permits that social interaction is

characterized by the development of social

relationships between participants. This kind of

interaction provides a friendly mood among

participants and strengthens the relationships

established, and may occur at any moment as it

would in face-to-face classes, even when

participants are debating some formal content.

It was a common opinion among the participants

of this study that this type of training model eases

enrichment of interactions and increases knowledge

acquisition by group members and potentates group

reflection. One of the features of this model is to

permit sharing of experiences and opinions that are

based in the pedagogical experience of each and

everyone. This kind of interaction mirrors life

experiences of all group members with relation to

any subject or theme. This way, it allows

development of special skills that are essential for an

effective citizenship, as participants question

themselves about all that is said and all they stand

for, generating high quality and highly dynamic

interactions in which knowledge is built based on a

socialization process in agreement with the funded

positions of the participants. This interaction allows

participants to evaluate not only their own opinions,

but also their positions with regards to the other

members of the group, as, after interaction,

everyone’s position is questioned, this leading to

high standard results.

We may thus conclude that both face-to-face and

distance learning involve development of social

Table 2: Main advanta

es.

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415

interactions and that these interactions are similar.

The main differences, which value the use of

telematic tools, are development of written language

in chat sessions and e-mail, and of gesture and oral

languages in videoconferencing and face-to-face

classes.

We have also found that through the use of

telematic tools skills that are not usually used in

face-to-face classes develop; this is the case of

synthesis and sharing abilities and responsibility for

the training.

Although, in general, participants agree that face-

to-face classes may be substituted by chat or

videoconferencing on the majority of times, they

believe that it is important to include some face-to-

face moments. This suggestion is acceptable, as this

was the first time participants experienced online

training. They were all used to traditional teaching,

in which knowledge transmission proceeds from

teacher to student and in which the effort to learn is

essentially dependent on the individual, turning it

into an isolated act.

As for evaluation, we have observed that the

consciousness of participants of its importance,

namely in the final training year, has contributed to

planning of all the activities that took place online,

taking into account all the objectives and the

respective evaluation. Those instruments were

proposed by the person responsible for planning or

by the one that suggested the theme or subject to be

debated online. This evaluation was mainly

formative, presenting a character of continuity and

was chosen based on the objectives that should be

attained. In this context, and being shared online, it

gains a new dimension, as it is of everyone’s

responsibility. Furthermore, it becomes more varied

as several training environments are generated that

facilitate learning and knowledge evaluation. It is

important to point out that it is essential for feedback

to be immediate in order to be efficient.

We have found that the use of telematic tools at

the educational level allows for the interaction

between participants, who are able to share

experiences, discuss ideas and question one another,

this way contributing to the general acquisition of

knowledge. The fact that cultural and information

diversity – skills – is discussed among participants is

essential for the learning process. Debating and

sharing has contributed to reflective development

and to a greater consciousness of all work that was

accomplished by the community.

We have also observed that it is important to

create rules, to delegate responsibilities and to

participate through the use of telematic tools.

Efficient management of the group is essential for

this kind of online training.

One of the main concerns that were highlighted

by students regarded lack of training in ICT during

their degree. They also pointed out the difficulty of

access to internet and the lack of material resources

they have found in several of the schools involved in

this work. The majority of the schools had not the

necessary resources available. As such, some of the

features that should be taken into account when

implementing telematic tools in this kind of training

system are:

- provide formation on ICT to the participants;

- assure that everyone has access to information

on how to use these tools;

- guaranty good management of resources;

- plan the activities in advance clearly stating the

objectives and the adequate evaluation methodology.

One should be aware not to generate inequalities

between participants. Lack of resources and of

adequate training for online work, as well as the

access to all tools and evaluation criteria, must be a

requirement for good functioning of the training

model. From the ethical perspective, these items

should be valued, as, if these situations are

prevented, some of the prejudices about the use of

ICT in training contexts will be abolished.

4 CONCLUDING REMARKS

We propose the use of telematic models of training

as a means to diversify training and make it more

flexible. Flexible training is a resource for

permanent learning. This way, schools will be

answering a challenge posed by contemporary

societies, which are becoming increasingly

technological. Schools will be surely additionally

contributing to the development of skills that will

enable individuals to deal with internet resources in

a secure and discerning way.

One of the objectives of this training model

should regard the education of the individual so that

he/she will become an active member of a

democratic society. For that, participants should get

used to work together for a common aim, as this way

they will acknowledge that a democratic society will

only survive if social orientation prevails.

Generation and maintenance of a learning

community through the use of synchronous and

asynchronous communication tools demands

establishment of rules that facilitate interchange.

We have found that blended learning strategies,

namely the use of telematic communication tools, in

teaching-learning processes are useful for the

consolidation of online training models.

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A good educational strategy using adequate

telematic tools is essential for quality training.

The use of ICT generates a new training

paradigm. However, in the future, it will be

important to keep on elucidating the main

characteristics of online training didactical models

that use tele-teaching.

Finally, it is important to note the emerging

necessity for the redesign of teaching models due to

the perspective of the development of new auxiliary

methodologies for academic training. These have

been suggested by authors that support a greater

technological interactivity at the University level.

In order for students to be prepared for their

professional life, it is important for them to

experience group working based on telematic

cooperation.

To conclude, a good integration of net

participants, along with well established objectives

and a well architected training model is necessary

for the development of a good educational strategy,

and are essential ingredients for successful courses

that use telematic tools.

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