EPISTEMOLOGICAL CONCEPTS FOR TEACHER

DEVELOPMENT IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS AND IN THE

TEACHING–LEARNING PROCESS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED

STUDENTS

Elmara Pereira de Souza, Claudia Pinto Sena

Universidade Federal da Bahia, Avenida Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n

Campus Canela - 40.110 100, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Avenida Transnordestina s/n

Novo Horizonte - 44.036 900, Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil

Cláudia Vivien Carvalho de Oliveira Soares

Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Estrada do Bem Querer s/n, Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil

Keywords: Teacher Development, Virtual Learning Environment, Visually Impaired.

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the teacher development process in a virtual learning

environment as well as to link this process to the teaching–learning contexts of visually impaired students.

In this perspective, the paper addresses two objectives which, although distinct, are connected by the same

theoretical–epistemological reference, pointing to language as an essential tool through which individuals

constitute themselves as historical and cultural subjects. The conclusions tend to show that the formation of

teachers in virtual learning environments may favor the construction of new knowledge based on dialogic

and collaborative network communication. In this sense, it is possible to build a construction space of the

senses for the visually impaired in learning processes utilizing educational strategies which also allow for

dialogues and the construction and diffusion of knowledge.

1 INTRODUCTION

The term epistemology may be understood

etymologically as discourse about knowledge.

Literally, it means the Theory of Science; however,

the term has been reduced to Theory of Scientific

Knowledge. Habermas (1982, apud Franco 2008)

states that, after Kant, the Theory of Knowledge

slowly disappeared with the disruption of the

relationships between philosophy and science. Yet,

an attempt is made through epistemology to study

the origin of knowledge, how to use it, and how to

determine its value.

We understand that reality is complex; therefore,

the possibilities and perspectives of knowing it are

uncountable. This may make us rethink our

epistemological positions. According to Abreu

Júnior (1996, p. 39), “… entrar no cenário da

complexidade implica compreender que o

conhecimento, qualquer que seja ele, é limitado e

não oferece garantia absoluta de compreensão

completa e definitiva da realidade”

. Morin (1999)

says that we are physiological, biological, social,

cultural, psychic, and spiritual beings, and this

means that complexity is that which tries to

understand the articulation, identity and differences

of all these aspects.

The perspective of complexity leads us to reflect

on the single and absolute truth imposed by the

positivist theory of science. Yet, what is truth when

faced with a complex, multi-dimensional reality?

What is the emergence of today’s world? In the

complex view of the world, scientific knowledge is

only one of the possible interpretations of reality or

Author’s translation: “entering the scenario of complexity

implies understanding that knowledge, whatever it may be, is

limited and offers no absolute guarantee of complete and

definitive understanding of reality”.

Pereira de Souza E., Pinto Sena C. and Carvalho de Oliveira Soares C. (2010).

EPISTEMOLOGICAL CONCEPTS FOR TEACHER DEVELOPMENT IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS AND IN THE TEACHING–LEARNING PROCESS

FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS.

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Computer Supported Education, pages 29-36

 SciTePress

one of the forms of representation of knowledge. We

might say that reality, from this perspective, is

constructed and – why not say it? – defined by the

relationships between things.

In this sense, we understand that the context of

relations becomes the focus providing meaning to

the instabilities marked by the actions of the

individuals participating in the process and,

therefore, represents the continuity of constantly

evolving facts. Reality, then, stems from actions,

i.e., from a process of individual and collective

construction, thus establishing a systemic thought in

relation to the process as a whole.

Morin (2003) says that one of the principles to

understand complexity is the systemic principle

which links the knowledge of parts to the knowledge

of the whole. Thus, the whole is more than the sum

of its parts. This epistemological position allows us

to have a broader understanding of the world, of

people, of knowledge, and of science.

It is this perspective that this essay adopts, in two

distinct moments: (a) our questions concerning the

preparation of teachers to use Information and

Communication Technologies (ICT) in education

and (b) the aspects related to the teaching–learning

process in the broader sense of understanding what

learning is and the questions concerning how the

visually impaired can make use of ICT as

facilitators in the representation of knowledge by

using a teaching–learning process based on Problem

Based Learning (PBL)

methodology.

In the first part, the study will address the

formation of teachers in relation to the following

issues: How is it possible to approach teacher

development to enable them to use ICT in education,

maximizing the potential of technologies and of

virtual learning environments as a space for self-

development, taking into account the need to deal

with subjectivities, to deal with others and all their

differences, providing a space that will allow for

reflection about the action and, within this action,

the development of a dialogic space? But what is

formation? How can technology favor teacher

development?

Some years ago, several investigations (Almeida

1996, Moraes 1999, Axt 2000) were conducted to

PBL is an educational strategy which attempts to encourage

the student to become the constructing agent of his/her own

knowledge, guided by a teacher. It is systematized in a 7-

stage cycle (reading the problem, brainstorming ideas,

systematization, formulation of questions, definition of goal,

evaluation of process, follow-up). These stages occur during

tutorial sessions and meetings of the members of the tutorial

group. Each group is composed of a teacher and an ideal

maximum number of 10 students (see Santos et al. 2007).

understand how the use of technologies has changed

the educational context. Much has been said about

the importance of teacher development towards this

end. We understand that teacher development,

research, and the construction of knowledge are

inter-connected concepts that operate together within

the broader context of teacher development.

In the second part, we will address learning in

general and its relationship with the construction of

knowledge, guided by the following issues: What is

learning? How does PBL behave as a teaching–

learning strategy? How can ICT collaborate in the

representation and diffusion of the knowledge

generated for a visually impaired audience?

We understand that, although we grasp reality in

a complex way and, therefore, do not exclude any

theory that may help understand the reality under

investigation, there is the need to take a theoretical–

methodological–epistemological stand, defining,

even if temporarily, a starting point from which to

present our ideas.

In this quest for a theory (or theories) to provide

a foundation for this study, we have had the

opportunity to listen to many voices, re-visit some of

the authors that were part of our professional and

academic journey (e.g., Bakhtin, Freire, Vygotsky,

Piaget, Wiener), to be introduced to many others

(e.g., Morin, Maturana, Haberman, Nietzche), and to

maintain a dialog with them.

The text is organized around five parts. Initially,

the formation of teachers will be addressed. The

following sections will concern language, learning

and development, important aspects both for the

formation of teachers and the teaching–learning

process of the visually impaired. Finally,

conclusions and reflections will be presented.

2 TEACHER DEVELOPMENT

When we refer to the development of teachers to use

ICT in schools, it is important to describe the

delimitation of the topic in this broad field of

possibilities. We believe it is necessary to choose a

space, a time, and the subjects because it is

impossible to know everything in the world as well

as their transformations (Morin, 2003). We have

opted for a multi-referential epistemological concept

which views all human knowledge as relative,

partial, and incomplete (Froes, 2001). We can thus

see that the topic chosen for this study is like a

hologramatical figure where each part presents

characteristics of the whole, that is, the part

integrates the whole. This delimitation corresponds

CSEDU 2010 - 2nd International Conference on Computer Supported Education

to the study of the construction of a dialogic space as

a methodological proposal for a collaborative

communication network in the continuous

development of teachers, enabling them to use ICT

in education. Given the complex nature of the object

of this study, this topic will allow us to observe the

phenomenon in its continual motion. Vygostky

(1998) states that to study something historically

means to study it during the process of change.

From this perspective, it is necessary to articulate

our understanding of teacher development, since

authors provide various views in this field of

research (Nóvoa 1995, Kincheloe 1997, Pimenta

1999, Macedo 2000 & 2006, Schon 2000, Pimenta

& Anastasiou 2002, Josso 2004). Teacher

development is understood, in this paper, as a

process that views the subject as the constructor of

his/her own history, a development that seeks an

active role for the teacher, one based upon the

experience of living the dialectic tension between

theory and practice (Freire, 1997). It is a

phenomenon which occurs within the subject as

he/she relates to another person. Therefore,

development is experiential, connected to moral,

ethical, and political values, and views the subject as

the learner. We may say that learning is what gives

foundation to teacher development. Araújo and

Moura (2008) state that “a qualidade profissional se

assenta não apenas no saber ensinar, mas na

relação entre aprender e ensinar

”.

We understand that teaching is inseparable from

learning, and therefore, teacher development must

be based on the quest for the construction of

knowledge, for continuous learning, for creativity,

and for collaborative production, stemming from the

challenges presented in our daily lives, from the

contact with the object of the work, and from the

reflections about one’s own experience

It is observed in the available literature on

teacher development that much research and teacher

development projects are impregnated with the

empirical concept that knowing how to do

something is enough for the configuration of

formative processes. However,

... o resultado da formação não se produz na forma de

uma finalidade técnica, mas nasce do processo interno

de constituição e de formação e, por isso, permanece

em constante evolução e aperfeiçoamento [...] Nesse

sentido, tudo que ela assimila, nela desabrocha. Mas

na formação, aquilo que foi assimilado não é como

um meio que perdeu sua função. Antes, nada

desaparece na formação adquirida, mas tudo é

Author’s translation: “…professional quality is consolidated

not only in knowing how to teach, but in the relationship

between learning and teaching.”

preservado. A formação é um conceito genuinamente

histórico [...] (Gadamer 1997).

If we consider a teacher’s practice as a

historically constructed social practice, it will be

realized as praxis, in a dialectic process, becoming

different from the merely technicist process

composed of a succession of methodological

procedures (Franco, 2008).

Teacher development in the perspective of this

study, in relation to the interconnectedness of theory

and practice, points to language as the essential tool

through which individuals constitute themselves as

historical and cultural subjects. Through language,

several senses are put into play. For Bakhtin (2000),

the conflicting and therefore ideological aspect of

language highlights the importance of the process of

understanding meanings which takes place

dialogically, in a plot that presupposes the

simultaneous existence of reflection and refraction

of multiple social voices.

Habermas (1982 apud Franco 2008) says that

there is no possibility of individualization without

socialization, as well as no socialization is possible

without individualization. In this sense, the voices,

the interactions, what is said or left unsaid, the

meeting with the other in the dialogic space, may

favor the development of teachers and the

assignment of new meanings to their practices,

because the subjects of the dialog construct each

other and, together, construct the text and its

meanings.

Based on the theoretical concepts of Mikhail

Bakhtin and Lev Vygotsky, we can broaden our

horizons and create new methodological, analytical,

and study paths, starting from language and the

context lived by teachers in virtual learning

environments (the dialogic space).

3 LANGUAGE

Human sciences study people in the process of

expression and creation. Studying people

independently of texts, that is, of the language they

create, means to locate them outside the sphere of

Author’s translation: …the result of (teacher) development is

not produced in the form of a technical end, but springs from

the internal process of constitution and development and, thus,

remains in constant evolution and improvement […]. In this

sense, all that is assimilated, blossoms. Yet, in development,

that which was assimilated is not a means that has lost its

function. On the contrary, nothing disappears in the acquired

development; everything is preserved. Development is a

genuinely historical concept [...] (Gadamer 1997)

EPISTEMOLOGICAL CONCEPTS FOR TEACHER DEVELOPMENT IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS AND IN THE

TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS

human sciences. For Bakhtin (2000), it is not

possible to understand people, their lives, their work,

their struggles, except through the use of sign-texts

already created or to be created.

From a social–historical perspective, the

interaction or the relation between subjects is made

possible through language. Although words – the

ideological signs by excellence – are mediators of

the dialectic process between the individual and the

social (Jobim e Souza & Kramer 2003), language

does not limit itself to and come to an end in words.

Language is “tudo o que en-caminha e movimenta”

(Heidegger 2003 p. 163) and “é antes de tudo um

meio de comunicação social, de enunciação e

compreensão” (Vygotsky, 2000, p. 11)

Vygotsky (2000) defines two processes for how

this language-discourse works: “exterior” as a

process of transformation of thought into words

(materialization of thought) and “interior” as a

process that is realized from outside to inside

(“evaporation of language in thought”).

Language is an integral part of the subjects

themselves as they interact with others during

situations requiring discursive communication, and

their awareness, their knowledge of the world, in

fact their very selves. The subjects complete and

continuously construct each other through their own

and their peers’ discursive practices. Throughout

his/her own history, then, the subject constitutes

him(her)self as s/he hears and takes ownership of

his/her peers’ words and discourses (parents, friends,

classmates, teachers, etc) transforming them, in part,

into his/her own words. In this sense, Bakhtin

(1979) states that it is not words that we pronounce

or hear but rather truths and lies, things that are good

or bad, important or trivial, pleasant or unpleasant.

The word is always loaded with an ideological or

experiential discourse

Bakhtin shares the Marxist principle that people

transform the world and are transformed by it

through the utilization of tools, as in a two-way

street. He attributes to language the role of “essential

tool” in describing its transformational ability and its

function as a psychological tool in the organization

and constitution of subjects. He also points out the

organization of discourse as a determining factor in

the relationships between individuals involved in

any type of interaction.

Author’s translation: “everything that leads and moves”

(Heidegger 2003, p. 163), “it is foremost a means for social

communication, of enunciation and comprehension”

(Vygotsky 2000, p. 11).

In the ideological culture of modern times,

monologism

is still present, and dialogism counters it

(Barros, 1999). Dialogism is about the relationships that

are established between the self and the other in discursive

processes constituted historically by the subjects who, in

their turn, constitute themselves or are constituted by these

discourses. Consequently, dialogic and dialectic approach

each other although they can not be confused, since

Bakhtin will discuss the self that is realized in the we,

inserted not in the synthesis, but in the polyphonic nature

of the relationship which comes to light through language

(Brait, 2001)

Dialogism is viewed as the interactional space

between the I and the you or between the self and

the other.

We understand dialog not only in the narrow

sense of face-to-face conversations, but also in the

sense of a broader communication system

connecting subjects to contexts. While dialog is

usually defined as an exchange or discussion of

ideas, in harmony, we must also consider the

dimension of dialog in the territory of conflict and

tension (Bakhtin, 1979). In this way, a dialog can be

defined as a great union of voices and various

intonations – dialogs between people, texts, authors,

feelings, lives.

In the dialogic space, it is through interactions

that meeting the other occurs, mediated by language

and, therefore, conflicts may arise as well as the

creation of affective bonds. The affective dimension

takes a central role, both from the point of view of

the construction of the person and of knowledge,

that is, emotion plays a mediating role in the

learning process (Wallom, 1986). Emotions mean

the first recourse in the interaction with the other.

Maturana (2002) says that the fundamental

emotion that makes the history of mankind possible

is love. The word love, according to him, has been

devalued, and the emotion that this word translates

has lost its vitality as a result of overstating it as

something special and difficult. Love is the

foundation of social relations and is part of human

life. When we talk about love, we are talking about

the acceptance of the other as a legitimate partner in

companionship. Human relations are social if they

are born out of love, in the acceptance of the other.

“Therefore, loving is allowing space for the

recurrent interactions with the other, in which

Monologism, based on Bakhtin’s literary theory, is the

opposite of dialogism. “According to Bakhtin, in monologism

the author concentrates in himself all the processes of

creation; he is the only center radiating awareness, voices,

(…). The monologic model does not accept the existence of a

responsive and isonomous response to the other”. (Bezerra

2005, p. 192).

CSEDU 2010 - 2nd International Conference on Computer Supported Education

his/her presence is legitimate, no strings attached”

(Maturana 2002, p. 67).

This notion of love given by Maturana helps us

think about the utilization of ICT as an interaction

tool among teachers, between teachers and students,

and among students. For dialogs to happen, the

presence of the other and his/her acceptance in the

dialog is indispensable. The role of the other is vital

to give meaning to the dialog because, whenever we

speak or write, we do it keeping in mind the other

person in the dialogic chain. The other will interfere,

conditioning the self. It is impossible to have human

development without alterity, without the other

being part of my space in the world, constituting me

ideologically and making me complete.

3.1 Language and Teacher

Development

Teacher development seeks to contribute to the

formation of sensitive people, teachers who can act

as intermediators between theory and practice,

concerned with learning to learn.

In this sense, in the dialogic space created in the

virtual learning environment, dialogs, the verbal

interactions in the discussion forums, in the chat

rooms or via other interfaces, may be seen as the

interactional and dialogic space that can contribute

to the development of teachers. By observing the

speeches

in the dialogic space, it is possible to see

that each speech is unique, each utterance is

different from the preceding one or the next one,

creating something new. This allows us to notice the

uniqueness of the dialogic situation. Each testimony

is loaded with emotions, with life experiences,

something that is at the same time individual and

collective/social. According to Monteiro (2008),

inspired by Nietzsche, the exercise of writing has a

formative force. The written texts talk about

overcoming limitations. Therefore, the production of

a text may become a privileged moment of

development. The written text, in the virtual

environment, favors network communication, the

meeting with the other located on the other side of

the dialogic chain, providing the opportunity for a

change of context.

3.2 Language and the Learning Process

based on Problems

The teaching–learning process based on problems

The word “speech” represents, in this text, any and all

expressions of the subject in the virtual environment, whether

it is written or oral.

fosters learning to learn, the continuous quest for

answers to questions that arise during students’

group work. This non-virtual space is a space for

dialogs, for the exchange and discussion of ideas

(brainstorming), for the systematization of facts and

ideas, for new questionings. It is where knowledge is

constructed individually and collectively. Through

the use of ICT, this space can be expanded into a

virtual learning environment, one in which PBL

methodology can also be applied. In any case,

whether it be face-to-face or virtual, it is possible to

talk, to establish peer communication, respecting the

space for the exchange of ideas, respecting

emotions, individualities, abilities, and limitations.

Concepts as well as behaviors are constructed.

Human language (differently from animal language)

can adapt itself, is able to attribute new meanings to

new sounds, images, words, or oral or body

language (Wiener, 1954). Through language, we

intend to establish the relationship between the body

of knowledge generated by the visually impaired in

the tutorial sessions (e.g., meetings scheduled by

PBL where teacher and students meet to discuss a

particular problem). This language, or the

representation given to it, needs to come close to the

logic and comprehension abilities of the visually

impaired, allowing for the exchange of ideas

between those students and the non-visually

impaired.

4 LEARNING AND

DEVELOPMENT

According to Vygotsky (1993), learning allows the

awakening of an individual’s internal processes and,

therefore, fosters development. The actual course of

the development of thought does not go from the

individual to the social, but rather from the social

space to the individual. For the Vygotsky, learning

and development are inter-related. Furthermore, it is

believed that the subject, when facing a problem-

situation, already has previous knowledge that can

not be ignored, and that learning must be linked in

some way to each individual’s level of development.

It is in this sense that the concept of Zone of

Proximal Development (ZPD) arises.

The ZPD presented by Vygotsky can also help us

to understand interactions, the mediations and

learning that occur within a virtual or a collaborative

learning space. According to Vygotsky (1998, p.

112), ZPD is the

[...] distância entre o nível de desenvolvimento real,

que se costuma determinar através da solução

EPISTEMOLOGICAL CONCEPTS FOR TEACHER DEVELOPMENT IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS AND IN THE

TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS

independente de problemas, e o nível de

desenvolvimento potencial, determinado através da

solução de problemas sob orientação de um adulto ou

em colaboração com companheiros mais capazes8.

According to Vygotsky (1998, p. 110), the level

of actual development is the level of development of

mental functions that are established as a result of

the completion of certain cycles of development. In this

level, the subject is mature enough to solve problems

independently because the functions involved in the

resolution have matured.

Learning is the relationship between the actual

and the potential level of development; it is the

capacity of the subject, through socialization, to

interact with others, to solve problems which could

not previously be solved individually. The ZPD is

characterized, therefore, as the path the individual

will travel on to develop functions that are in the

process of becoming mature and which will become

consolidated functions, established in the actual

level of development. This zone is characterized as

being in a psychological domain in constant

transformation, explained by the fact that the human

being is constantly learning, therefore in constant

change. The possibility of change in the

performance of an individual through the

interference of another is fundamental to Vygotsky’s

theory. Social interactions are extremely important

for the process of construction of human

psychological functions (Soares, 2005).

The study of teacher development starting from

the interactions in the dialogic space, as well and the

study of the teaching–learning process (PBL) for

visually-impaired students, presupposes the study of

the subject in his/her daily relationships, in his/her

dialog with his/her peers and with him/(her)self, a

subject whose cognitive processes are also focused

on his/her professional and personal development.

This is the reason that the study of learning (the

construction of knowledge in the formation of

adults) requires the consideration of aspects such as

subjectivity, intuition, and affectivity as important

factors in the development process.

4.1 Learning and Development in the

Formation of Teachers

Teacher development deals with the learning pro-

Author’s translation: […] distance between the actual

development level, which is usually determined through the

independent solution of problems, and the potential

development level, determined through the solution of

problems with the guidance of an adult or in collaboration

with more capable partners.

cesses of adults, workers, educators, and teachers. In

this way, the interactions that occur in the virtual

space created to make possible the dialog among

teachers constitute a social space for learning, and

consequently, for development. In this space,

teachers are given the opportunity to see and feel

like learners because, as we mentioned before,

development is experiential and, although it happens

in the subject, it arises from his/her relationship with

the other in a historical–cultural process.

In the case of teachers, we may consider that the

actual level of development corresponds to the body

of knowledge consolidated during their professional

trajectory, while the potential level of development

corresponds to the body of knowledge that can be

acquired (or not) with their peers. And it is in the

ZPD that the actions for their development should

occur. The virtual learning environment as a dialogic

space may become a space that maximizes ZPD by

allowing teachers through language – the sign by

excellence – to discuss and share their dilemmas,

problems, solutions, achievements, and

subjectivities, all through the network, favoring the

construction of knowledge and the reassignment of

meanings for pedagogic knowledge. This will

consequently foster their development, with their

own needs and perspectives as the starting point.

Teacher development, in this concept, makes us

consider the teacher as a subject who constructs

knowledge historically, starting from their presence

in social–cultural groups and spaces, contributing

with their learnings from the academic world or

from their day-to-day experiences, learning through

their interactions with the other, in the inter-

connection of contexts, of languages and of

constructed knowledge about and for their

profession.

4.2 Learning and Development in PBL

PBL has been used as an educational strategy for all

age groups, from children to adults. The central

element in PBL is the problem (Mamede &

Penaforte, 2001). In order to solve it, group learning

is encouraged, although time is provided for

individual learning, for internalization, for

reflections about the concepts and ideas approached.

In this sense, internal dialogs are encouraged, in

special dialogs with peers, with the teacher (who

plays the role of counselor) or with classmates. This

learning space, face-to-face or virtual, generator of

collaborative work, allows the students to assign

meanings, contextualize learned points, experiment

with the exchange and sharing of information, leave

CSEDU 2010 - 2nd International Conference on Computer Supported Education

the area of comfort (actual development level or

what is already known) towards what can be learned

and known with the other (potential development

level).

Similarly to that described in above in Section

4.1, the actual level of development corresponds to

the body of knowledge that has been consolidated by

the student during the course of his life, while the

potential level of development corresponds to the

knowledge that can be acquired (or not) with peers.

And it is in the ZPD that the planned PBL actions

should occur. “A noção de zona de desenvolvimento

proximal favorece as interações… e fundamenta

uma proposta de educação para a diversidade”

(Hernández & Ventura, 1998)

In this sense, diversity and interaction can be

given preference by PBL with the support of ICT,

broadening the possibilities of exchange between the

subjects (the visually impaired) and extending their

skills. An environment where they can experience

the PBL methodology and construct a representation

of the knowledge generated may favor this dialogic

space and potentialize the ZPD.

In this proposal, the teacher is not at the center of

the process. The dynamics of the method occur

through the roles played by the students in the

tutorial sessions or outside them and in their

interactions. The teacher becomes the mediator in

the process. This dialogic space may happen in face-

to-face meetings or with the support of ICT in a

virtual learning environment.

At each new session (meeting with peers),

students are at a new level of actual development

(Zone of Actual Development), facing again a space

that fosters exchanges, fresh points of view, and new

perspectives about the problem addressed. It is a

continuous cycle in which the acting upon the ZPD

in each session is never the same because new

knowledge and different questions arise

continuously. This constant evolution is the result of

the previous dialogic process in the ZDP and the

process involved in individual searches and

researches.

5 SOME (IN)CONCLUSIONS

From the interactions, the exchange, and the meeting

of the self and the other in the dialogic space, several

meanings can be constructed and reconstructed

Author’s translation: “the concept of zone of proximal

development favors interactions … and provides a foundation

for an educational project geared towards diversity”.

because the construction of meanings is, by

definition, endless (Bakhtin, 2000).

The theoretical discussions and the

epistemological options described here point to

language as an essential tool through which the

individual constitutes him/(her)self as a historical

and cultural subject.

We consider a network dialogic and

collaborative communication, supported by a virtual

learning environment, a proposal that may favor the

construction of knowledge in the teacher

development process.

Group sharing (also dialogic and collaborative),

whether or not supported by a virtual environment,

fosters the development of logical reasoning,

positive attitudes related to diversity and

heterogeneity, commitment to group work, to the

self and to the other, bringing people closer both as

professionals and ordinary people.

These are some of the initial reflections to think

about the possibility of developing teachers through

the utilization of a dialogic space that works as a

resource capable (or not) of constituting itself as a

collaborative and significant environment for the

construction of knowledge by using the “voices” of

the subjects – language – as indicators of possible

changes in the context. It is also an opportunity to

consider the inclusion of the visually impaired

through educational strategies that favor their

learning capacities as well as their digital inclusion

through the use of virtual learning environments that

broaden their capabilities, allow for mutual

understanding, fosters dialog and the construction

and diffusion of knowledge.

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