Active methodologies and digital technologies

In defense of a de-centered pedagogy

Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore how active methodologies and digital technologies can foster a more active participation of students in their learning process and suggests possible changes in pedagogical practices. Blended learning, conceived in a stricter sense as the mix of face-to-face and online activities, and in a broader sense as the mix of different methodologies and spaces, is considered the future of educational activities. The following methodologies are discussed: flipped classroom, peer instruction, problem-based learning, project-based learning, and game-based learning. Research shows that these methodologies, when adequately combined with information and communication technologies, result in greater motivation and involvement of the students. Although these strategies do not generate improvement in immediate retention of knowledge, more complex skills are developed when compared to traditional education methods, such as: problem solving, the transfer of knowledge to reality, and retention of knowledge in the longer term. The article concludes with a critique of the contemporary discourses that position the student at the center of the teaching and learning process, claiming for a de-centered pedagogy, in which students interact with each other, teachers and other actors, in collaboratively groups where there is no need for a center, or in which each of these actors can alternatively perform a central function.