The time factor in an online group course from the point of view of its students

Abstract

Since its founding, ICTs have formed an integral part of the educational activity of the UOC. From the outset, the university designed a specific, cross-programme course on digital literacy that has been evolving ever since in line with the needs of its students. The current basis of the course are the central ICT competences inspired by the Declaration of Bologna (Guitert & Romeu, 2008; Romero et al., 2010). The ICT Competences course uses a project-based working methodology to facilitate the progressive acquisition of ICT competences. Our current research is part of a wider research project that seeks to develop an evidence-based understanding of our students' opinions of the ICT competences course and how this could be improved by taking into account the perspective of learners. One of the specific aims of this research is to describe how the time factor affects the collaborative learning activities carried out on the course, taking into account descriptive research using the survey as a data-gathering tool. The data gathered demonstrate that the time factor is a key element in the development of collaborative online learning activities, where the best rated are those related to competences. By analysing the effect of an individuals' time planning on the group planning, we ensure that, in the view of the students, the first one allows the second to become a reality; it also contributes to the successful completion of the course project.