STUDENT REPRESENTATIONS ON THE USE AND INFLUENCE OF ICT IN THE ENGINEERING STUDY

Abstract

This work presents the initial findings of the research “Self-regulated learning in Engineering students from the Army Engineering College (FIE)”. The sample of this study was made up of students from the 2016 cohort. Zimmerman’s cyclical model of “self-regulation of learning” is the main theoretical reference of this research since it allows the understanding of the processes that take place in the control of: thoughts, feelings, motivations and actions to achieve the learning objectives. It was found that for the achievement of this self-regulation in their learning a resource that they use as academic support is Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Access to the same YouTube channels and websites is similar among students. The interviewees unanimously mentioned a distinctive human trait of this faculty: the closeness and familiarity in the treatment between teachers and students. This trust is what drives them to interact freely with their teachers and allows them to raise questions and concerns through different communication channels. In summary, human communication and the effective presence of teachers enhance the use of ICTs, since they ultimately provide feedback and benefit students in accessing comprehension strategies that contribute to their academic self-regulation.