Assessment of the students' time competence regulation in online learning Mora, Néstor. Dept of Systems Engineering. Cadiz University Vázquez Gutiérrez , Azucena. Open University of Catalonia consultant. Introduction According to Lim (2002), as we move into the 21st century, schools have to enculturate students to be lifelong learners. Students need to learn how to seek out new information, think critically and show initiative to meet up with the challenges of the fast-changing world. With the advent of e-learning students have had to assume new ways of doing, new roles, new ways of managing where the time management strategies are a crucial factor. The main objective of this paper is to show a brief view about the assessment of time competence in e-learning. First we will define the competence and the indicators/factors to be considered in the assessment. With the advent of e-learning students have had to assume new ways of doing, new roles, new ways of managing where the time management strategies are a crucial factor to acquire and processing the information collected from the indicators and we’ll close with a proposal of assessment.
Definition of time competence According to Zabala and Arnau (2007) to be a competent person implies to be capable of take a effective part in different spheres of life through actions which are mobilized at the same time and in an interrelated manner, components attitudinal, procedural and conceptual. In the nineties the term was associated to the world of work in relation to the application of knowledge, skills and attitudes in carrying out a professional task, affecting the ability to respond to problems and act autonomously, flexible and cooperative in the workplace. It will be take ground gradually in all areas and levels of formal education. International agencies, including the European Commission, taking it in their educational guidelines. The generic competences are considered as related with the long life training concept far away the traditional formative courses (Manzano, 2009). Speaking of definition of time competence we refer to the time available to plan, adequate resources and efforts to achieve specific purposes. Allocate time weighted basis according to the priorities, taking into account the personal objectives in the short, medium and long term (Villa and Poblete, 2007). In order to take a deeper understanding of time competence, Holm (2007) points time competence is related with a great amount of motivational structures. When motives and needs are overlapped, it’s necessary a find compromise solutions. Also, Goddart (1981), shows how time competence is related with the awareness and the ability to live more fully in the present. E-learning overcomes time and space barriers, thereby offering students the highest degree of flexibility in order to carry out their studies (Sangrà, 2002). In e-learning contexts, the capacity of manage their own learning time is basic because these students are the responsible of self-regulate their times.
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Indicators, factors and levels of observation According to Villa and Poblete (2007) the domain level of this competition can be set at three levels: 1. Setting goals and priorities, plan and implement the planning in the short term (daily, weekly). 2. Define and prioritize objectives and individual activity plan in the medium and long time (several weeks to a semester). 3. Setting goals and priorities, plan and meet as planned in time shared with others. The indicators that allow us to assess the proficiency level of competition are objectives’ definition, prioritization, planning, compliance and preparation. Depending on the degree to which each student internalize each of these indicators, he / she will dominate more or less the competence.
Pick and Processing of Information It’s possible collect experimental information on the estimated time on tasks from a variety of sources Jano and Ortiz (2007): • From students: asking for time spent in various stages of completion of tasks or taking data directly from the online activity. • From teachers: from surveying a number of experienced teachers in the tasks students must perform. Once time the data are recollected the next step is processing. This step is necessary to consistent answers and results. We can use statistical tools and to obtain means, standard deviations, and above all, a study of correlations of time with the assessment of the tasks performed, tasks types and interactions with the teachers and other students (Reimann & Kay, 2010).
Competence assessment Assessment of temporal patterns of e-learners’ activities is basic because it can provide us with essential information about how and when supporting e-learners in Computer-supported collaborative learning in particular and e-learning in general (Demeure et alt, 2010). The commitment to teaching skills involves a complex change in the ways of teaching and learning, and school organization, training of teachers and, of course, in the forms of assessment. If we understand that approach empowers and do more effective the actions in a specific situation; no action can be evaluated from a digital (yes-no) option but from a continuous success degrees perspective. The fact that learning skills can be improved upon involves the need to evaluate the efficiency with which the powers are applied. Therefore, screening tests should include performance indicators to evaluate the effectiveness with which the situations are applied (Arnau, 2009).
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Conclusions With this text, the authors sought to present an introductory view of Assessment of the students' time competence regulation in online learning, relating to contributions from some of the most outstanding authors in the subject. Is not an objective of this article, nor the purpose nor the characteristics, present a exhaustive analysis of this issue, but to make broader points, in a clear way, that allows the uninitiated reader to understand the most basic aspects.
Bibliography • Arnau, A & Zabala, A. (2007). La enseñanza de las competencias. Aula de innovación educativa, 161, 40-46. • Arnau, A. (2009). La complejidad de la evaluación por competencias. Aula de innovación educativa, núm. 180, 33-36. • Demeure, V., Romero, M., & Lambropoulos, N. (2010). Assessment of e-learners' temporal patterns in an online collaborative writing task. ELearn Center Research Paper Series, (1). • Espasa, A. (2010). Temporal and assessment dimension: Characterisation of feedback after assignments. ELearn Center Research Paper Series, (1). • Goddard, R. (1981). Increase in assertiveness and actualization as a function of didactic training. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 28(4), 279-87. • Holm, U. (2007). Lifelong learning and "time competence". International Journal of Lifelong Education, 26(1), 25-43. • Jano, M.D. & Ortiz, S. (2007). Estimación del esfuerzo efectivo para superar la asignatura de estadística descriptiva en las Licenciaturas de Economía y Administración de Empresas. RELIEVE, 13, 2, 191-202. • Lim, C. P. (2002). A theoretical framework for the study of ICT in schools: A proposal. British Journal of Educational Technology, 33(4), 411-421. • Manzano, R. (2009). Las competencias, hacia la práctica educativa. Aula de innovación educativa, núm. 180, 8-13. • Martinic, S. (1998). Tiempo y aprendizaje. LCSHD Paper Series, 26. • Reimann, P., & Kay, J. (2010). Learning to learn and work in net-based teams: Supporting emergent collaboration with visualization tools. In M. J. Jacobson & P. Reimann (Eds.), Designs for learning environments of the future. (pp. 143-188) New York: Springer. • Sangrà, A. (2002). A new learning model for the information and knowledge society: The case of the universitat oberta de catalunya (UOC), spain. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 2(2). • Villa, A. & Poblete, M. (2007) Aprendizaje basado en competencias. Una propuesta para la evaluación de las competencias genéricas. Bilbao: Ediciones Mensajero, S. A.
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