Abstract

SALVADOR, Daniel Fábio; RIBEIRO ROLANDO, Luiz Gustavo; MOTTA PINTO DA LUZ, Mauricio Roberto  and  SILVA SOUSA, André Henrique. Virtual learning community for biology teachers: use evaluation and challenges. Rev. electrón. investig. educ. cienc. [online]. 2017, vol.12, n.1, pp.12-22. ISSN 1850-6666.

This paper aims to describe an experience of using a virtual community for biology teachers throughout a three-year period. We analyzed the visualization and distribution of the participations in the tools available for collaboration and sharing, as well as presenting results of the construction of biological knowledge by teachers. There was a large difference in favor of total visualizations in relation to participations, which seems to be a common and recurring factor in virtual learning communities (VLC) over time. There was a great diversity of topics discussed related to the biology content. Participants used more frequently collaboration tools than sharing tools. The Message tool, posted in pre-existing discussion spaces, was the preferred one. A total of 1021 different collaborative areas were created, most of which using the Forum tool, but fewer than 20% of those initiatives were successful in terms of participation. Among the discussions with participation, there is evidence of the creation of a collaborative construction of knowledge community, to the extent that there were collaboration and sharing of biological knowledge with the construction of shared meanings achieved through group interaction. In the sharing tools, there was a total of 3402 participations, most of them Photos, representing the second tool with the highest percentage of participation (19.6%), followed by Link and Video, with respectively 15.1% and 4.2%. The results of the study points out that new ways of organizing, guiding and moderating the use of VLC tools by its members should be further studied and implemented so that the construction of biological knowledge may takes place in a more lasting, spontaneous and permanent way.

Keywords : Virtual Learning community; Knowledge construction; Participation; Collaboration; Biology teaching.

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