Perceptions of Romanian students on uses and value of educational resources shared via ICT. Case study: Politehnica University Timisoara

Abstract

In the technology-dense environment of the “Millennial generation”, the use of ICT for educational purposes is ineviTable. Students use multiple devices for communicating with peers and professors, for interaction with institutions, retrieve content, propose topics, and inquire for information at a pace and in a volume, that can be overwhelming without the intervention of ICT. Computer assisted teaching and learning already have a history both in practice, and in research. However, new technologies and convergent devices make way for a new philosophy on educational processes. The present study considers the perceptions of students at Politehnica University regarding the shared educational resources, both on a vertical communication stream (professor-tostudent) and horizontally (student-to-student). The study explores common practices of students who need to evaluate, decide and create or not a virtual learning community, since they are enrolled and expected to attend classes in the traditional manner. The outcomes of the sociological survey are useful for educating critical thinking in evaluating educational resources on the part of the students, but also help professors in higher education to make informed decisions regarding their educational practices.