Towards New Teaching. College students’ Perspectives on Teacher’s Participation in Social Networks

Abstract

This paper focuses on the potential that new technologies offer to mediate the relationships between teachers and students, particularly in higher education. It becomes interesting to reflect on the strategies college students unfold, and those that teachers will have to develop to participate in these new educational environments. For data collection, 59 students answered a survey related to the use and appropriation of different technologies. In a second instance, 11 cases were purposely selected out of the initial group of 59. In-depth interviews were held with the selected group. Results showed a massive participation and appropriation of different technologies, particularly the social networks on the part of the student. That participation not only reached entertainment and leisure but also followed academic and educational objectives. In this context, it the emergency of a new student profile, a new teacher profile and a new way to learn and to teach at university stood out.