ECLECTIC as a learning ecosystem for higher education disruption

Fernando Moreira,Alex Sandro Gomes,David Fonseca Escudero,Carla Santos Pereira,Maria João Ferreira,Cesar Collazos

doi:10.1007/s10209-019-00682-x

Abstract

The learning teaching paradigm in higher education is currently undergoing great transformation due to the irrefutable imposition, on the one hand, of the new technologies and, on the other, by the characteristics (habits and abilities) presented by the students that arrive to universities. These factors are not compatible with the teaching methodologies commonly used to date, that is, with the traditional model (lectures) consolidated in the nineteenth century. In this context, teachers who resort to active learning have attracted a lot of attention, since this type of approach stimulates students’ motivation and autonomy to acquire more competencies and is one of the guidelines of the European Norms and Guidelines for Quality in Higher Education. Thus, as a way of responding to these challenges, an innovative pilot project was developed, from the pedagogical point of view, implemented in a first cycle course (Management and Information Systems) using active methodologies. In this framework, an approach called ECLECTIC was developed and implemented with the use of three active learning techniques (group project, peer review and peer teaching) in the “New Trends in IT” course, from first semester, second year. The results obtained are very promising, since they have allowed students to engage in and out of the classroom and have resulted in a high-rate course success.

Highlights

Information technologies are the essence of up-to-date organizations in general and higher education institutions (HEI) in particular
If we focus on educational innovation, based on the ideas expressed in [6], this can be described as the process of changing teaching or learning activities that produce improvements in student performance
There are several authors in the literature who define the concept of active learning, for example Vos and Graaff [31], who identify the concept of active learning as an effective teaching methodology to stimulate students to become actively involved in their own learning, to achieve complex goals, to think critically and to solve problems

Summary

Introduction

Information technologies are the essence of up-to-date organizations in general and higher education institutions (HEI) in particular. According to Freeman et al [14], “Active learning engages students in the process of learning through activities and/or discussion in class, as opposed to passively listening to an expert. It emphasizes higher-order thinking and often involves group work.”. Bligh [34] states that traditional lecturing could be defined as “...continuous exposition by the teacher.” Under this definition, student activity is considered as limited to taking notes and/or asking occasional and unprocessed questions by the instructor. To counteract this tendency, according to Duron et al [35] a university should offer multiple opportunities for students to engage in the analysis, synthesis and evaluation levels of Bloom’s taxonomy, since active learning at these levels (analysis, synthesis, evaluation) helps students to think critically—one of the skills suggested as fundamental for the twenty-first century [36]

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