Isabel Araújo and Pedro Miguel Faria
4. The Higher M@T-EduTutor platform
In order to increase the proximity between teacher and student, during office hours, an online environment/platform was developed to allow expanding the space of the students’ attendance, beyond the walls of the teachers’ offices. This platform was designed taking into account the practice of clearing up student doubts, in person. In this sense, the Higher M@T-EduTutor platform was created, applying the ADDIE Instructional Design model (Gustafson & Branch, 2007) (Figure 1). Each of the 5 phases is described below.
Figure 1: The ADDIE instructional design model
4.1 Analysis
Students’ lack of interest in going to office hours was identified as a problem, although those students who look for this attendance are able to achieve approval on the course. On the other hand, the lack of students to the evaluation elements is high, and consequently school failure occurs, contributing in the medium and long term to school dropout. In this sense, an opportunity arises to take measures in order to minimize this reality. Aware of the almost natural habits of our students, confirmed by previous studies already done that reveal the use of technologies promotes school success (Bringula, 2017; Fabian, 2016), it was considered the implementation of a virtual space. In this sense, it was decided to develop an online platform, that would expand the space of the students’ attention beyond the walls of the teachers’ offices, in which communication between teacher and student would be feasible simultaneously, facilitating doubts clarification, without the student and teacher had to move to the same physical location.
4.2 Design
Emerging mobile technologies are effective platforms for the delivery of digital learning resources, anytime and anywhere (Churchill, 2017; Saman, 2017). Thus, it was planned the design of an online web platform, responsive and suitable for mobile devices. The platform was designed taking into account the practice of clarifying doubts in person. One of the main objectives was to create an area in which both users could freely interact, collaborate, using different tools, which would enable, among other things, to scratch, draw and write simultaneously. In this
Isabel Araújo and Pedro Miguel Faria
way it would be possible for the student to write/draw on the canvas (typically an HTML element used to draw graphics on a web page) and thus to present his/her doubts to the teacher. On the other hand, the teacher, besides visualizing, can scratch and write at the same time. In this way, it will help to clarify the student’s doubts.
4.3 Development
With the objective of having a virtual environment, for both students and teachers, the Higher M@T-EduTutor platform was developed, as a prototype of a collaborative, real-time, responsive and mobile-compatible web platform (e.g. smartphones and tablets). One of the main objectives that it is intended to achieve with the development of this platform is to substitute the use of a whiteboard like the one that is present in a classroom.
This platform has features of an online editor, which includes basic writing and drawing tools, being able to write and freely draw, in real time, with other connected users, having the user at his disposal several tools, among which, a text tool, a brush, a rubber, the possibility of loading images, cleaning the drawing area and export the work area as an image. It should be noted that there was a concern to implement a sufficiently large and flexible working area (canvas), allowing users to freely write/draw/browse. Three of the developed functionalities are:
in order to identify what each user writes (student and teacher), in one of the displays, what the user draws appears in blue colour, while in the other user display it appears in brown colour. Such variance allows the teacher to identify what the student wrote and vice versa. Another functionality allows the user to upload documents (such as .pdf files) to the canvas, so that both students and teachers can more easily expose and clarify doubts. A third functionality allows the student to record/export, as an image, the canvas where he is working with the teacher, in order, later he may use, when carrying out his individual study.
4.4 Implementation
In the implementation phase it was decided to verify the relevance of the eLearning platform for the students.
Within a mathematics course, the students were asked to use the platform to clarify doubts. For this purpose it was necessary to provide the URL address, as well as to arrange the online meeting day and hour, with the teacher, ensuring that both users (teacher and student) would be online simultaneously. Among several students who used the platform, one of the students, who showed greater readiness to test it, was selected (besides being one of the students who did not use office hours regularly) to do a more detailed analysis of the platform usage. To do this, a date and an hour were scheduled, ensuring that both users (teacher and student) were simultaneously online. The clarification session started with both, teacher and student, connected online, through the Higher M@T-EduTutor platform. The student initiated the communication by using the text tool to write, “I have doubts about an exercise. Can I transcribe it and what I’ve been able to do?” The teacher agreed and the student uploaded an image with a few steps of the resolution of the exercise, as far as he could get.
Then the teacher managed to interact on the image presented by the student, writing and scratching. At the same time, both were writing and scratching, and the teacher was able to clarify the student doubts. The Figure 2 represents part of the experience here described.
Figure 2: Example of a clarification session using the Higher M@T-EduTutor platform.
Isabel Araújo and Pedro Miguel Faria
At the end of the clarification session, the student informed the teacher that he would use the platform tool that allows the canvas to be saved under the .jpg image format. Thus, later he could use it in his individual study.
In this way it was possible to exemplify, through a practical example, the use of the developed platform.
4.5 Evaluation
Taking into consideration the purposes for which the Higher M@T-EduTutor platform was developed, it was possible to verify that its objectives were achieved. It was possible for the student to share his doubts with the teacher, through the platform, just as the teacher was able to clarify the student doubts, in a collaborative way in real time using a web platform, suitable for mobile devices.
After using the platform the student was asked to fill a small questionnaire. The student, when asked about the pertinence of this platform, as a support for the clarification of doubts, answered that the concept was innovative and he had enjoyed participating in the experience. He also mentioned that he was able to clarify the doubts he had. The student was also asked to indicate some of the advantages and disadvantages he encountered on the platform. The advantages indicated were: the possibility to clarify doubts about some content, without the need to physically be in the school; the possibility to record the drawing area (canvas) with the explanations, as an image, which in a face-to-face session does not happen. As disadvantages the student mentioned the difficulty in arranging an online meeting with the teacher, and the URL address for such clarification session; and he also mentioned as a disadvantage of the platform the lack of audio support, becoming necessary to use an external application (e.g. Skype) to be able to communicate through this mean.
In addition to this empirical study, carried out by a teacher and a student, this platform prototype had already undergone a usability study (Araújo & Faria, 2017) in order to validate its use in mobile devices. This study involved 16 students between the ages of 18 and 25 and the System Usability Scale survey (SUS) was used. It was concluded that the use of this platform has been recognized by the students as suitable and useful in an educational context, has a high degree of usability and may contribute to learning mathematics, namely in the clarification of doubts.
5. Conclusions
In ESTG-IPVC higher education institution the use of ICT for educational purposes is already a reality. In addition to the Moodle platform, other platform, the M@T-Educate With Success is used in some Mathematic courses.
These two platforms do not completely comply with the students’ needs, though. Additionally, there was no experience at ESTG-IPVC of using a platform, having an interactive area, where teachers and students, collaboratively, at distance, clarify doubts in real time. Moreover, the use of platforms of this type for this purpose (free, responsive, suitable for mobile devices, having touch support for tactile screens, with a flexible canvas size, a “rubber” tool to erase part of the drawn object, support to files import and allowing to export the drawing canvas as an image.) was not found in the literature.
Thus, it was decided to develop the Higher M@T-EduTutor platform, applying the ADDIE Instructional Design model. This platform would allow the student to clarify their doubts, without having to move to the same physical space where their teacher is in a particular moment. In this way, it is possible for the students, using the electronic devices with which they are familiar, to clarify their doubts about certain contents, and thus to contribute to the improvement of their learning.
In short, using ICTs can help students synchronously overcome their difficulties, in any place, using virtual spaces that allow them to associate, in the same environment, image and communication, which facilitate the clarification of doubts.
References
Andrade, P., (2002) “Aprender por projectos, formar educadores”. Formação de educadores para o uso da informática na escola, Valente, J., Núcleo de Informática Aplicada à Educação – Nied.
Araújo, I., Dias, S., Mesquita, T. & Faria, P. M. (2010) “M@t-educar com sucesso – Uma plataforma de aprendizagem”, In XXI SIEM – Seminário de Investigação em Educação Matemática.
Araújo, I., Faria, P., Araújo, S. & Oliveira, R. (2016) “Adapting the “M@T-Educate With Success” Platform to Mobile Learning of Mathematics in Higher Education”, In Edulearn16: 8th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies.
Isabel Araújo and Pedro Miguel Faria
Araújo, I. & Faria, P. (2017) “Higher M@T-EduTutor - A prototype of a platform to support tutoring at distance using mobile devices”, 10th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, ICERI2017 Proceedings, pp 6048-6055.
Bettentuit Junior, J. & Coutinho, C. (2009) “A integração do Google Sites no processo de ensino e aprendizagem: um estudo com alunos de licenciatura em matemática da Universidade Virtual do Maranhão”, In P. Dias, A. Osório (org), Actas da Conferência Internacional de TIC na Educação: Challenges. (385-398), Braga: Universidade do Minho.
Bringula, R. P., Alvarez, J. N., Evangelista, M. A., & So, R. B. (2017) “Learner-interface interactions with mobile-assisted learning in mathematics: Effects on and relationship with mathematics performance”, International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning (IJMBL), Vol 9, No. 1, pp 34–48.
Cardoso, E., Pimenta, Pereira, D. (2008) “Adopção de Plataformas de e-Learning nas Instituições de Ensino Superior - modelo do processo”, Revista de Estudos Politécnicos, Vol VI, No. 9.
Churchill D. (2017) “Mobile Technologies and Digital Resources for Learning”, In: Digital Resources for Learning, Springer Texts in Education, Springer, Singapore.
Coutinho, C. & Alves, M. (2010) “Educação e sociedade da aprendizagem: um olhar sobre o potencial educativo da Internet”, Revista de Formación e Innovación Educativa Universitaria, Vol 3, No. 4, pp 206-225.
Fabian, K., Topping, K. J., & Barron, I. G. (2016) “Mobile technology and mathematics: Effects on students’ attitudes, engagement, and achievement”, Journal of Computers in Education, Vol 3, No. 1, pp 77–104.
Gagné, R. M. (1962) “Introduction”, In R. M. Gagné (Ed), Psychological principles in system development. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Gagné, R. M. (1985) “The condition of learning (4ª ed)”, New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Glaser, R. (1965) “Toward a behavioral science base for instructional design”, In R. Glaser (Ed.), Teaching machines and programmed learning, Vol. II. Data and directions, Washington DC: National Education Association.
Gomes, M. J. (2005) “E-Learning: reflexões em torno do conceito”, In Paulo Dias e Varela de Freitas (orgs.), Actas da IV Conferência Internacional de Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação na Educação – Challenges’05, Braga: Centro de Competência da Universidade do Minho, pp. 229-236, ISBN 972-87-46-13-05 [CD-ROM].
Gustafson, K. L. & Branch, R. M. (2007) “What is instructional design?”, In R. A. Reiser & J. V. Dempsey (Eds), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology, 2ª ed. New Jersey: Pearson-Prentice Hall, pp 10-16
Inácio, R. L. (2009) “Comunidades Virtuais de Aprendizagem: um exemplo. Ensino Online e aprendizagem multimédia”, Relógio D’Água, pp 154-204.
Isotani, S., Sahara, R. & Brandão, L. (2001) “IMática: Ambiente interativo de apoio ao ensino de matemática via Internet”, Anais do Workshop sobre Informática na Escola, XXI Congresso da Sociedade Brasileira de Computação, 533-543.
Junior, O. (2009) “As tecnologias de informação e comunicação nos ambientes colaborativos virtuais de aprendizagem à luz dos novos paradigmas educacionais”, Revista interdisciplinar, pp 1-13.
Martins, G. (2008) “Inovações no Ensino Superior: a utilização de tecnologias de informação e comunicação nas práticas educacionais”, VI Congresso Português de Sociologia.
Merrill, M. D. (2007) “First principles of instruction: A synthesis”, R. A. Reiser & J. V. Dempsey (Eds), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology, 2ª ed., 62-71. New Jersey: Pearson-Prentice Hall.
Miranda, G. L. (2009) “Concepção de conteúdos e cursos Online”, Ensino Online e aprendizagem multimédia, Relógio D’Água, pp 81-110.
Miranda; M & Torres, M (2009) “La plataforma virtual como estrategia para mejorar el rendimento escolar de los alunos en la I. E. P Coronel José Joaquín Inclán de Piura”, Revista Digital Sociedad de la Información, No. 15, Edita Crefalea.
Salman, H, Seeling, P (2017) “Resource utilization for access to web-based services: Browser versus mobile application”, 14th IEEE Annual Consumer Communications & Networking Conference (CCNC). Las Vegas, NV, USA.