Learning in a Web-Based Environment - Outclass Project

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IST-Africa 2007 Conference Proceedings Paul Cunningham and Miriam Cunningham (Eds) IIMC International Information Management Corporation, 2007 ISBN: 1-905824-04-1

Learning in a Web-Based EnvironmentOutclass Project António Batel Anjo, Rita N. Gaspar , Alexandre Mota Silva Department of Mathematics, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal Tel: +351 234 372548, Fax: + 351 234 370207, Email: batel@ua.pt, rgaspar@pmate.ua.pt, alex@pmate.ua.pt Abstract: The Internet and web-based environments increase learner’s opportunities to develop educational and cultural competences. Outclass is an e-community project of informal education for children of elementary educational levels. Engaging in intercultural interaction and developing the Portuguese language and digital literacy, increases the use of computers and Internet as a tool for teaching Mathematics and others sciences. The Portuguese Cooperation jointly with the Minister of Education Mozambique created a different way to use and put the Internet in the centre of the education process. Keywords: Assisted learning, informal learning, e-community, intercultural competencies, learning environments.

1. Introduction Several researchers have acknowledged the importance of the intercultural interaction and informal learning [1]. Attentiveness to the influence of the one’s cultural background and one’s learning system makes it easier to understand the reaction when confronted with another culture and learning system. New methods are needed for intercultural training and informal education in schools and with a web-based environment we can develop this type of informal learning [3]. With the exponential expansion of web information and the number of users accessing and working over the Internet, the appearance and implementation of Communication Learning Platforms (CLP) on the web [2] became possible. In these platforms, knowledge is categorized by flexibility of training and increases of interactive learning processes. Thus, the web is not defined just as a technology of transmitting and accessing information, but also as an interactive and edification learning platform for users. With these conditions, and having the information and communication networks as support, learning is developed from the creation and interaction of e-communities where new pedagogic perspectives of learning are focused [5]. These perspectives can be described as an informal education, which is defined as a non-institutional, non-programmed and unexpected model where people/students learn in accordance with their requirements, time and determination. This form of education is created outside the normal system of teaching (schools), where activities are organized according to the user needs, in a natural way. Outclass Project [6, 7] is integrated logistically within PmatE and Pensas@moz projects, and represents this type of informal and intercultural education very well, while

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