Mahara as a social network and digital portfolio in the new contexts of initial teacher training. A case Study

Abstract

The objective of this research is to understand the virtualities and limitations of the Mahara social network and digital portfolio in initial teacher training. In recent years, digital media, among which social networks stand out, have increased their influence in different areas of daily life. The classrooms, already occupied by digital natives, highlight the need to incorporate into education tools that allow transferring the functionalities that attract us so much from social networks (interactivity, sociability, ease to create spaces of intimacy, personalization and access to information unlimited) to the academic field, especially in the training of new teachers. Mahara seems to favor the development of teaching competencies through the integration of the formal and the social. In this sense, a case study has been carried out consisting of a group of students of Early Childhood Education of the University of Malaga and its teaching staff, who use Mahara in various subjects. The analysis and triangulation of the data gave rise to seven emerging categories that allow us to better understand the potential and challenges of the tool through the uniqueness of what could be considered as a good teacher training experience.