Desenvolvendo competências para estudar a distância: oficina para alunos de cursos EaD da UFPA, com ênfase nos ingressantes

Abstract

Distance Education (DE) students often face challenges related to autonomy, time management, feelings of isolation and loneliness, difficulties in building social bonds in virtual environments, and a lack of institutional belonging, among others. These issues may come from the need to develop skills and competencies that enable the students to adapt to the specific characteristics of this educational modality. In this context, the research was guided by the following central question: How can the development of competencies be fostered to help Distance Education students better adapt to this modality of education? This study aimed to investigate key competencies that support student adaptation to DE through the design and evaluation of a workshop and a self assessment tool. The study, consisting of five phases, is applied research with an exploratory and descriptive qualitative approach, using participant observation techniques, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires. The research led to the development of an educational product (EP) in the form of a workshop titled "Belonging in DE: Developing Competencies for Distance Learning," aimed at undergraduate students in distance education. Additionally, a self-assessment tool called "Competency Explorer for Distance Learning" was created. Ten students and graduates from the Portuguese Language degree program at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) participated in a pilot workshop and provided feedback. The workshop and the "Competency Explorer" tool were also evaluated by the course coordinator. Although the pilot testing focused on a specific group of students, the preliminary results and the rich feedback collected indicate the relevance of the workshop and the "Competency Explorer" tool for students, especially newcomers to distance undergraduate programs, not necessarily limited to UFPA.