Maria José Sousa, Provost for the Development of Distance Learning at ISCTE-IUL, is another guest author invited by FCCN for this month's featured topic on the FCCN Blog. Her article highlights the potential of Distance Learning (DL) as a driver of skills development for the digital transformation of organizations. She also addresses the variety of pedagogies, technologies, and digital resources available for DL (including reference to Learning Management Systems (LMS), such as NAU) as well as the various dimensions of digital learning that comprise it, including students, learning contexts, learning processes, and learning facilitators. By presenting specific pedagogical techniques and learning contexts, the Professor highlights the importance of distance learning as a planned and effective form of learning, capable of preparing students and trainees to face the challenges of digital transformation in organizations.
Distance Learning (Distance learning) can be a driver of skills development to enhance the digital transformation of organizations. A wide range of pedagogies, technologies, and digital resources can be used. Furthermore, digital learning encompasses several dimensions, such as students/trainees, learning contexts, learning processes, and learning facilitators, all of which are framed by factors such as motivation and expectations, which can influence learning outcomes and effectiveness.
Digital learning often happens spontaneously and unconsciously, without any previously defined objectives using mobile educational technology, but this article is about formal Distance Learning.
Thus, formal distance learning in higher education institutions occurs through digital technologies, but as a planned process, through the identification of a training offer, creation of courses in digital format, teaching them through platforms (Learning Management Systems - LMS), based on planned and defined learning activities, such as watching videos recorded by teachers, discussion forums or others, as a way of creating mechanisms for more effective learning.
In Distance Learning, digital learning contexts and pedagogical techniques using technology seek to improve the quality of learning and engage participants in the process. Processes include cooperative learning, collaborative learning, online knowledge sharing, and digital storytelling. The main learning contexts are: LMS; YouTube; WhatsApp; search engines such as Google; websites; learning object repositories; MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses); and educational games. Furthermore, the main pedagogical techniques used are project-based learning; problem-based learning; active learning; gamification; simulation; and the flipped classroom., among others.
These processes, contexts, and pedagogical techniques have the potential to prepare students and trainees to think critically and solve problems, prepare them to work collaboratively, and develop greater independence and autonomy in the learning process. Ultimately, they enable the development of technical, digital, and collaborative learning skills, which, when transferred to organizations, contribute to their digital transformation.
