The contribution of digital learning platforms to undergraduate teachingt

Abstract

This study approaches the Digital Platforms phenomenon that has become more present in this century, however, it is a result of the technological advance caused by the Industrial Revolutions that triggered innovative changes such as the automation of processes, the technical-scientific knowledge, the cybernetic physical systems, the spread of networked computers, the big data, the cloud computing, the artificial intelligence, the robotics, among other inventions. Thus, digital platforms act as online facilitators in the communication process between entities and people, adding value to the provision of services and products. This digital transformation scenario, starting with one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century, the Internet, has revolutionized the ways of relating on a global scale, and information has gained new relevance, going from individual to patrimonial. There are those who consider that digital platforms are hosts of information so that relationships become possible, regardless of distance, time, volume of data, language, or type of content. It is worth pointing out that in the year 2020 the world was surprised by the appearance of the new SARS-COV-2 coronavirus, a disease called COVID-19, and that due to its seriousness in the contamination process, the Ministry of Health proposed social distancing in all work, entertainment, travel, and teaching demands, with permission only for emergency services and with all the necessary health guarantee rules. The educational field had to make rapid changes and updates to its procedures, content, and lesson plan strategies in order to cause as little harm as possible to the students' performance. With this, digital platforms have become resources of first necessity. Therefore, considering these issues, it is worth reflecting: to what extent do digital platforms as a technological resource cooperate with the learning process? Thus, the objective of this study is to understand the contribution of digital platforms to the teaching and learning process in undergraduate courses. The methodological procedures applied are qualitative in nature; type of descriptive-exploratory research, based on a bibliographic survey of books, articles and theses researched in databases in the area of Information Science. Authors such as Bisol (2010); Parker, Alstyne and Choudary (2018); Miskulin (2021); Schmidt (2017); Rockembach (2013) and Martín-Gutiérrez, et al. (2014) support the theoretical foundation of the study. The results show the challenge that educators face when using technological resources that lack constant updating of systems, pedagogical preparation of teachers, and adequate infrastructure. The platforms act as mediators and facilitators in the academic practices, contributing to the utilization of the subjects and research works, besides promoting interaction among people, awakening more interest because of the variety of stimuli for learning.

Key-Words: Digital Platforms; Digital Educational Platforms; Digital Informational Resources. Teaching-Learning.