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Sustainable Teaching and Learning Strategies in the Digital Age

A topical collection in Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This collection belongs to the section "Sustainable Education and Approaches".

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Editors

Education Department, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: digital competences; ICT; gamification; media literacy; digital trained
Department of Didactics and School Organization, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
Interests: teacher training; higher education; educational technology; sustainability education; social networks; educational innovation; active methodologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Departamento de Pedagogía, Unviesity of Jaén, 23071 Jaen, Spain
Interests: Technologies; attention to diversity; Service-Learning; Learning methodologies

Topical Collection Information

Dear colleagues,

The educational act in the digital society is loaded with factors that have caused the teaching and learning process to be under continuous reconstruction. Economic, political, climatic, and sanitary variables, properly unrelated to the educational act, are determining its normal development, to the point of being able to paralyze and prevent advancement in the training of students. The current moment, in which variables outside the educational processes have caused them to have been either modified or altered in their entirety, calls for a review of everything that this has generated and will generate over the next few years. We can say that today’s students are digital. Young adults, adolescents, and children have been born in a technological era. Since first contacts with the educational system, it has been marked by digital resources. However, aspects such as e-Learning platforms such as Moodle or Sakai, tools for the development of videoconferences beyond Skype (e.g., Zoom), virtual classroom spaces such as Google Classroom, among other elements, have been incorporated into their work dynamics.

On the other hand, the educator’s role becomes vitally important in this context. There are examples of educators who are “totally digital” and others who are still anchored in traditional methodologies, far from any link with technology. The current circumstances that the education sector is going through, and that will affect its future design and development, have caused educators to change their way of thinking about teaching. Like the student, in some cases they have had to recycle their methodologies and reorient them from a digital perspective; in other cases, they have had to learn how to make video tutorials, use remote training platforms, know the ins and outs of what virtual tutoring means, design activities that are attractive to their students when the contents are tedious and that, because they do not have their presence in the classroom to motivate them, is produced from another format. In many cases, they have had to re-define their teaching strategy. Along with this, we find that this learning format has further highlighted the digital divide that already existed. On the one hand, this has provoked acts of generosity between students and teachers, but in any case, it continues to highlight that the presence of ICT in education will in some cases strengthen the differences.

On the other hand, one cannot ignore the important element of motivation in digital learning processes. The big question is, how can teachers make and stay motivated so that their students can learn? How do parents keep their children motivated to study? Most importantly, considering the student, what elements or variables make them want to continue learning and advancing in their training?

The present Issue will attempt to present how digital learning takes on special importance in the context of a global teaching and learning. Articles must revolve around the use of technological resources for virtual learning, the motivation for it, the digital divide that these situations cause, the aspect of families facing this learning, etc.

Dr. Verónica Marín-Díaz
Dr. Inmaculada Aznar-Díaz
Dr. Juana Mª Ortega Tudela
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • digital divide
  • motivation in digital learning and teaching
  • digital learning
  • digital teachers
  • digital learning strategies
  • digital learning and teaching in students

Published Papers (13 papers)

2021

Jump to: 2020

22 pages, 1608 KiB  
Article
B-Learning and Technology: Enablers for University Education Resilience. An Experience Case under COVID-19 in Spain
by Luis M. Sánchez Ruiz, Santiago Moll-López, Jose Antonio Moraño-Fernández and Nuria Llobregat-Gómez
Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3532; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063532 - 22 Mar 2021
Cited by 44 | Viewed by 4218
Abstract
Innovative teaching methodologies begat blended learning, which seems to facilitate engineering students’ achievement of competencies required for the 21st century and has proven to be essential to keep quality standards as university education has suffered the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we approach [...] Read more.
Innovative teaching methodologies begat blended learning, which seems to facilitate engineering students’ achievement of competencies required for the 21st century and has proven to be essential to keep quality standards as university education has suffered the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we approach the use of b-learning and digital technologies before the pandemic started, and how it worked like a vaccine, enabling university education resilience and facilitating the sustainability of the students learning process. A questionnaire-based study is presented, in which the data came from Aerospace Engineering students following a Mathematics subject in a Technological University in Spain. ANOVA and ANCOVA analysis provided a significant difference in the appreciation of the adaptation based on the prior application of b-learning methodologies or more traditional methodologies. Results obtained indicated that the use of digital resources and educational platforms caused a noticeable change in the students’ way of learning, improving habits and digital skills. Full article
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16 pages, 919 KiB  
Article
University Teaching in Times of Confinement: The Light and Shadows of Compulsory Online Learning
by Isabel del Arco, Patricia Silva and Oscar Flores
Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 375; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010375 - 04 Jan 2021
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 4535
Abstract
A quantitative study was carried out with the aim of analyzing the perspective of the students in relation to the factors that have influenced quality teaching during the confinement period resulting from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. To do this, an ad hoc questionnaire was [...] Read more.
A quantitative study was carried out with the aim of analyzing the perspective of the students in relation to the factors that have influenced quality teaching during the confinement period resulting from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. To do this, an ad hoc questionnaire was designed and conducted in the months of June–July 2020. The sample consisted of 893 people who were studying at various Spanish universities. The results show little diversity in teaching methodologies; virtual teaching was carried out with the same parameters as face-to-face teaching. The role of the student body was one of passivity, consisting of little interaction with the teachers. Although it is true that there were no difficulties in following the course, there was limited attention paid to the emotional well-being of the students. Amongst the conclusions garnered significant, we point out the need to develop the adaptability of university teaching staff to unforeseen situations, as well as a continuing reflection on the model used in the teaching process mediated by digital technologies and the importance of promoting greater autonomy and self-regulation during learning. Full article
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15 pages, 908 KiB  
Systematic Review
A Systematic Review of Digital Storytelling in Improving Speaking Skills
by Viknesh Nair and Melor Md Yunus
Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9829; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179829 - 01 Sep 2021
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 12836
Abstract
Educational systems frequently employ technological equipment in a variety of ways to make lessons in an English Language classroom fun and meaningful. For both students and instructors, digital storytelling (DST) has evolved into a useful instructional tool that can be utilised in the [...] Read more.
Educational systems frequently employ technological equipment in a variety of ways to make lessons in an English Language classroom fun and meaningful. For both students and instructors, digital storytelling (DST) has evolved into a useful instructional tool that can be utilised in the teaching and learning process. To answer the research question on the role of digital storytelling in improving students’ speaking skills, The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was used to systematically review 45 articles sourced from Google scholar and ERIC, and most of these articles highlight the importance of digital storytelling as a contemporary teaching methodology. These articles showed that digital storytelling can be used as a useful tool by educators in improving students’ speaking skills from various levels of education, ranging from primary to tertiary education. Most of the authors of these research papers provided empirical proof that substantiated the advantages of employing digital storytelling in the classroom to help pupils communicate and speak more effectively. Full article
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14 pages, 583 KiB  
Article
Structural Model to Determine the Factors That Affect the Quality of Emergency Teaching, According to the Perception of the Student of the First University Courses
by Isabel del Arco, Òscar Flores and Anabel Ramos-Pla
Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2945; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052945 - 08 Mar 2021
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 2874
Abstract
A quantitative study was conducted in order to know, from the perspective of university students, the relationship between the quality perceived (QP) during the period of confinement derived from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with the variables teaching plan (PL), material resources (MR), interaction processes [...] Read more.
A quantitative study was conducted in order to know, from the perspective of university students, the relationship between the quality perceived (QP) during the period of confinement derived from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with the variables teaching plan (PL), material resources (MR), interaction processes (IN), and the affective–emotional component (EM). An online questionnaire was designed, directed to students from 20 universities in Spain, with a total participation of 893 individuals. The results indicate that the perception of the students on the quality of online teaching is directly associated with the material resources provided by the professors and the professor–student interactions. However, this perception does not have any direct effect on the planning or the emotional state or affectation created by the unprecedented situation of confinement. Among the conclusions, we highlight the need for the universities to apply models of support and tutoring, especially for students in their first years at university, to develop competences such as autonomy, digital competence, and self-regulation, and the need for a change of approach of the students and the professors based on the new normality we are currently experiencing. Full article
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12 pages, 285 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Education: Using Social Networks in Education for Change
by Elena M. Díaz-Pareja, Mercedes Llorent-Vaquero, África M. Cámara-Estrella and Juana M. Ortega-Tudela
Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10368; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810368 - 16 Sep 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1610
Abstract
Creating societies of the future goes hand in hand with promoting sustainable education and, therefore, universities must train educators who, through their own professional development, put into practice methodologies that are active, participative, and focused on the overall development of their students. The [...] Read more.
Creating societies of the future goes hand in hand with promoting sustainable education and, therefore, universities must train educators who, through their own professional development, put into practice methodologies that are active, participative, and focused on the overall development of their students. The use of methodologies like Design Thinking and the use of social networks generate learning dynamics that bring into play key competences in the development of dedicated future educators. In this study, 156 students from Education degrees at the University of Jaen analyze how the use of these methodologies supports the learning process in dimensions such as creativity, motivation, communication, and involvement in learning, among others. The results shows that all dimensions correlate positively, and that the benefits derived from the use of these methodologies are perceived by students as greater than the effort required to put them into practice. Full article
15 pages, 2732 KiB  
Article
E-Learning vs. Face-To-Face Learning: Analyzing Students’ Preferences and Behaviors
by Vasile Gherheș, Claudia E. Stoian, Marcela Alina Fărcașiu and Miroslav Stanici
Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4381; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084381 - 14 Apr 2021
Cited by 126 | Viewed by 69129
Abstract
Educational life worldwide has been shaken by the closure of schools due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The ripple effects have been felt in the way both teachers and students have adapted to the constraints imposed by the new online form [...] Read more.
Educational life worldwide has been shaken by the closure of schools due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The ripple effects have been felt in the way both teachers and students have adapted to the constraints imposed by the new online form of education. The present study focuses exclusively on the beneficiaries of the educational process and aims to find out their perceptions of face-to-face and e-learning and their desire to return, or not, to the traditional form of education. These perceptions are represented by 604 students of the Politehnica University of Timisoara, who were asked to respond anonymously to an 8-question questionnaire between December 2020 and February 2021. The results show the respondents’ levels of desire to return to school (especially of those who have only benefited from e-learning) and their degree of involvement during online classes. The results also specify the advantages and disadvantages of the two forms of education from a double perspective, namely that of first-year students (beneficiaries of e-learning exclusively), and of upper-year students (beneficiaries of both face-to-face and e-learning). The study points out key information about e-learning from the students’ perspectives, which should be considered to understand the ongoing changes of the educational process and to solve its specific problems, thus ensuring its sustainability. Full article
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21 pages, 2107 KiB  
Article
Teachers’ Perceptions Analysis on Students’ Emotions in Virtual Classes during COVID19 Pandemic: A Lexical Availability Approach
by Pedro Salcedo-Lagos, Sergio Morales-Candia, Karina Fuentes-Riffo, Susan Rivera-Robles and Cristian Sanhueza-Campos
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6413; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116413 - 04 Jun 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3338
Abstract
Virtual education has grown exponentially in the past year due to the global COVID19 pandemic. In this context, the exploration of teachers’ perceptions of their students’ emotions when using ICTs has become more relevant. The aim of this study was two-fold, on the [...] Read more.
Virtual education has grown exponentially in the past year due to the global COVID19 pandemic. In this context, the exploration of teachers’ perceptions of their students’ emotions when using ICTs has become more relevant. The aim of this study was two-fold, on the one hand, to analyze how teachers perceived their students’ emotions and, on the other hand, to analyze the emotions teachers wanted to modulate in their students when using ICTs. To this end, an interpretative and comparative study was implemented using the Lexical Availability technique. The sample was formed by 178 Chilean teachers who took a lexical availability test. The analysis included general vocabulary through network graphs and a comparison across gender, academic background, school type and knowledge area. The results made it possible to identify the latent mental lexicon of teachers, revealing significant differences in the perception of emotions, according to gender and ICTs use and according to gender and knowledge area. The study further projects the potential of lexical availability to determine the emotions required by Affective Informatics in the adaptability of educational systems and to make adjustments to the instructional design. Full article
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12 pages, 738 KiB  
Article
Effects of Personal Construal Levels and Team Role Ambiguity on the Group Investigation of Junior High School Students’ Programming Ability
by Huan-Ming Chuang and Chia-Cheng Lee
Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10977; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910977 - 02 Oct 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1771
Abstract
Concerns regarding the high demand for skilled personnel in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields underline the importance of developing advanced information technology (IT) and programming skills among job candidates. In the past 10 years, computer programming has regained considerable attention [...] Read more.
Concerns regarding the high demand for skilled personnel in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields underline the importance of developing advanced information technology (IT) and programming skills among job candidates. In the past 10 years, computer programming has regained considerable attention because of rapid developments in computer programming technology. Advocates claim that computer programming cultivates other skills, including problem solving, logical thinking, and creativity. Education systems worldwide are developing courses to instruct students in programming and computational thinking. Although the importance of computer programming has been widely recognized, the systematic evaluation of the effectiveness of teaching methods and conditions that promote the learning of programming knowledge and skills has received little scholarly attention. This study thus investigated the moderating roles of learners’ construal levels and their team role ambiguity in the context of group investigation in junior high school programing courses. In this study, junior high school students were divided into pairs to develop Arduino projects. Students applied programming abilities to complete a task involving the use of Arduino boards to simulate the operation of traffic lights. Major research findings indicate that construal levels play a significant role in moderating the relationship between programming ability and learning outcome; however, role ambiguity does not significantly affect this relationship. Theoretical implications are discussed, and managerial implications are suggested. Full article
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17 pages, 1846 KiB  
Article
Impact of Learning in the COVID-19 Era on Academic Outcomes of Undergraduate Psychology Students
by Juan Luis Martín Ayala, Sergio Castaño Castaño, Alba Hernández Santana, Mariacarla Martí González and Julién Brito Ballester
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8735; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168735 - 05 Aug 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2723
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, and the containment measures adopted by the different governments, led to a boom in online education as a necessary response to the crisis posed against the education system worldwide. This study compares the academic performance of students between face-to-face and [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic, and the containment measures adopted by the different governments, led to a boom in online education as a necessary response to the crisis posed against the education system worldwide. This study compares the academic performance of students between face-to-face and online modalities in relation to the exceptional situation between the months of March and June 2020. The academic performance in both modalities of a series of subjects taught in the Psychology Degree at the European University of the Atlantic (Santander, Spain) was taken into account. The results show that student performance during the final exam in the online modality is significantly lower than in the face-to-face modality. However, grades from the continuous evaluation activities are significantly higher online, which somehow compensates the overall grade of the course, with no significant difference in the online mode with respect to the face-to-face mode, even though overall performance is higher in the latter. The conditioning factors and explanatory arguments for these results are also discussed. Full article
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16 pages, 753 KiB  
Article
University Students’ Emotions When Using E-Portfolios in Virtual Education Environments
by Emilio Crisol Moya, Vanesa Gámiz Sánchez and María Asunción Romero López
Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6973; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126973 - 21 Jun 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2537
Abstract
This paper is based on a study that aims to understand the emotions students feel when they use the e-portfolio to manage their learning and assessment. The sample was composed of 358 students, and the instrument used was an ad hoc questionnaire. The [...] Read more.
This paper is based on a study that aims to understand the emotions students feel when they use the e-portfolio to manage their learning and assessment. The sample was composed of 358 students, and the instrument used was an ad hoc questionnaire. The students were asked to indicate the degree to which they experienced a set of emotions when using the e-portfolio. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that positive emotions are foremost and above average, ranked as follows from strongest to weakest: freedom, motivation, curiosity, and inquiry. The students evaluated negative emotions (disorientation and waste of time) as experienced less strongly. The results point out that younger students feel more comfortable with the use of technologies and specifically with the e-portfolio. In addition, men experienced the emotion “freedom” more than women. On the other hand, students in the third year of their respective degree programs experienced “freedom”, “curiosity”, and “inquiry” when using the e-portfolio to manage their learning. A clear relationship thus exists between emotions, motivation, and e-portfolio use, which appears to confirm that work in virtual contexts with this strategy stimulates student motivation. Full article
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18 pages, 812 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Use and Integration of the Flipped Learning Model, Project-Based Learning, and Gamification Methodologies by Secondary School Mathematics Teachers
by Hossein Hossein-Mohand, Juan-Manuel Trujillo-Torres, Melchor Gómez-García, Hassan Hossein-Mohand and Antonio Campos-Soto
Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2606; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052606 - 01 Mar 2021
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 5773
Abstract
In the didactics of mathematics, many technological resources can be used with teaching strategies, techniques, models, and methodologies that facilitate the teaching–learning process. Pedagogical models such as Flipped Learning and active methodologies such as Project-Based Learning and Gamification have a relevant role in [...] Read more.
In the didactics of mathematics, many technological resources can be used with teaching strategies, techniques, models, and methodologies that facilitate the teaching–learning process. Pedagogical models such as Flipped Learning and active methodologies such as Project-Based Learning and Gamification have a relevant role in education. Objectives. (1) To identify the variables of teaching practices, ratios, and mathematics teacher training indicators that could influence the choice of different study models or methodologies. Method. A total of 73 teachers from the Autonomous City of Melilla were included in a cross-sectional study. Teachers filled out a validated questionnaire with 35 questions regarding mathematics and teacher training, information and communication technology (ICT) uses, resources and mastery, communication, and collaboration. Results. The statistical analyses revealed significant positive influences between the Flipped Learning model, Project-Based Learning, and Gamification with the evaluated items. Furthermore, Project-Based Learning showed a negative association with two items of the teaching practice indicator. Conclusion. The exchange of information and content through online spaces, participation, and collaboration in center projects related to digital technologies and educational software to teach mathematics had a significant impact on the choice of Flipped Learning model and active methodologies. Full article
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2020

Jump to: 2021

13 pages, 656 KiB  
Article
Innovative Methodologies in a Pandemic: The VESS Model
by María Helena Romero-Esquinas, Juan Manuel Muñoz-González and María Dolores Hidalgo-Ariza
Sustainability 2020, 12(23), 9952; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12239952 - 28 Nov 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2242
Abstract
The VESS (Meaningful Life with Balance and Wisdom) model is considered to be a learning method based on the construction of knowledge through critical and visible thinking, with a neuroeducational base. The aim of the present work is to conduct a psychometric study [...] Read more.
The VESS (Meaningful Life with Balance and Wisdom) model is considered to be a learning method based on the construction of knowledge through critical and visible thinking, with a neuroeducational base. The aim of the present work is to conduct a psychometric study of a measurement scale about the learning of the VESS model created for teachers-in-training. This article presents two survey-based descriptive studies conducted at the University of Cordoba (Spain). The data were subjected to descriptive, correlational, reliability and validity analysis through exploratory and confirmatory analyses, respectively. It is an instrument with high goodness-of-fit indices and suitable validity and reliability values. This instrument is applicable to similar study contexts. Full article
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11 pages, 255 KiB  
Article
Learning Strategies at a Higher Taxonomic Level in Primary Education Students in the Digital Age
by Margarita Aravena-Gaete, María Natalia Campos-Soto and Carmen Rodríguez-Jiménez
Sustainability 2020, 12(23), 9877; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12239877 - 26 Nov 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1742
Abstract
The education system must respond to the demands and needs of today’s society. To meet this demand, teachers must identify the degree of cognitive skills that our students possess through digital learning strategies that encourage the development of these superior skills because of [...] Read more.
The education system must respond to the demands and needs of today’s society. To meet this demand, teachers must identify the degree of cognitive skills that our students possess through digital learning strategies that encourage the development of these superior skills because of the impact of technological resources on student motivation. To carry out this assessment, two types of strategy tests were applied to evaluate cognitive skills, one determining the student’s ability to create an opinion of their own based on ideas and visions of other authors (perspective analysis) and the other strategy test to distinguish the main elements of an information, identifying a general pattern (abstraction), which were reviewed with a task performance instrument (rubrics). A mixed methodology was used through a case study, with a selected and intentional sample of 34 students of the Primary Education Grade. The results show that elaborating questions that go deeper into a topic and labelling contents is not an easy task and that abstraction is one of the most complex skills to develop in students. It should be noted that, in practically all areas, men’s averages exceed those of women. Finally, the use of digital strategies must be incorporated as permanent routines and the relationship between technology and pedagogy allows for the management of learning and therefore increases higher level cognitive abilities. Full article
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