Define a virtual environment for teaching and learning (EPA), criteria and teachings

Abstract

The current teaching culture, mainly oriented from the trends of the vertical communication, standardization and external evaluation, must be reconfigured to adapt to the needs and characteristics of the remote learning, through virtual exchanges. Opposite to the former, these are based on both, horizontal communication and on network, besides the personalization of messages, as well as in self-regulation and self-evaluation. This text describes and argues in favour of the process of creation, application and development of virtual technologies that support the teaching-learning relationship in the university. The model depicted here is framed in the concept of Personalized Learning Environment-Portfolio (EPA) that designates the analyzed proposal. Its conceptual support is consistent with the EDUCAUSE proposal (Brown, Dehoney and Millichap, 2015), that is, the rejection of using individual tools, but integrating all of them into a single platform, with its various functionalities. The developed EPA model was configured according to the purpose of going beyond the use of a variety of virtual tools. The reflection developed about using these resources by teachers and students is based on data gathered from a wide survey and collection of student evaluations. Among other important aspects, these data revealed that any attempt by teachers to develop and implement a certain EPA in their courses, requires the assumption of a role that could be termed as 'agent of change' instead of that of passive consumer of digital platforms whose designs are alien to a specific teaching. This capacity of adopting the role of changing agency, however, requires taking into account some aspects that are considered in the conclusions.