Information Technologies in Higher Education: Lessons Learned in Industrial Engineering

• Published in: Educational technology & society 2010-10, Vol.13 (4), p.140-154
• Main Authors: Milagros Delgado-Almonte, Hernando Bustos Andreu, Liliana Pedraja-Rejas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chile; Classroom management; Classroom Techniques; Collaborative learning; Computers; Cooperative learning; Distance Education; Distance learning; Educational aspects; Educational Technology; Electronic Learning; Engineering; Engineering Education; Evaluation; Foreign Countries; Full Length Articles; Group work in education; Handheld Devices; Higher Education; Industrial engineering; Information Technology; Online learning; Pass Rates; Scoring Rubrics; Statistical Significance; Students; Study and teaching; Teachers; Teaching Experience; Teaching methods; Team learning approach in education; Technology; Technology application; Tutoring
• ISSN: 1176-3647; 1436-4522; 1436-4522

This article describes a teaching experience in which information and communication technologies were applied in five industrial engineering courses at the Universidad de Tarapaca in Chile. The paper compares the performance and course pass rates of the e-learning platform and portable pocket PC platform with those of the same courses teaching in traditional classroom methods. Two of the courses involving 62 students used an e-learning platform and its associated pedagogical model, while the other three, covering 110 students, employed a portable Pocket PC platform and a collaborative pedagogical model. The results show that there is no statistical evidence that technology rise the students marks, but did reveal significant improvements in course pass rates.