Digital educational resources in school physical education: an exploratory study on the MEC RED platform

Abstract Aim: This work aims to identify the perception of school Physical Education teachers concerning the use of a digital educational resources (DERs) platform. Methods: An exploratory study was carried out with nine Physical Education teachers from different locations and teaching systems in Brazil. These teachers used some functionalities offered by MEC RED, a DERs platform provided by the Brazilian Ministry of Education, and presented their experience of use in a focus group. Results: Discussions among the participating teachers from their experience of using MEC RED led to identifying potential benefits and obstacles to using DERs in teaching Physical Education at school, motivations for using a DERs platform, and the usefulness of MEC RED in this context. Conclusion: From the participants' point of view, a DERs platform can support teachers in locating and selecting resources that could be used in their classes. MEC RED was found partially suited to these teachers mainly because it presents low availability of DERs related to school Physical Education, which may demobilize the use of this platform. The findings of this study can contribute to understanding the needs of school Physical Education teachers to create, use, and share DERs, promote a collaborative culture among them, and structure better DERs platforms.

Pediatic: desarrollo de competencias en TIC a través del aprendizaje por proyectos / Pediatic: development of competencies in ICT through project-based learning

Se describe el resultado del proyecto Pediatic luego de año y medio de ejecución cuyo objetivo era contribuir al desarrollo de competencias en Tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) a través de la elaboración de recursos digitales sobre enfermedades pediátricas. En él participaron los estudiantes de 4to semestre de medicina que cursaron la asignatura Telemática II en la Universidad de La Sabana durante el 2008 y 2009. Dentro de sus principales resultados está el desarrollo de competencias en TIC en más del 85 por ciento de los estudiantes y la elaboración de más de 50 recursos educativos digitales sobre enfermedades pediátricas.

The results of the Pediatic project one and a half year after being implemented were described. The objective of the project was to support the development of competencies in ICT by means of the creation of digital resources aimed at pediatric diseases. The students in the fourth semester of the medical studies, who had Telematic II subject in their curricula in Universidad de La Sabana during 2008 and 2009, participated. Some of the main results were the development of competencies in ICT management in 85 percent of students along with the creation of over 50 digital educational resources about pediatric diseases.