Organization of educational activities using digital tools: Case study showing the impact of e-learning in technical high schools, Timișoara - Romania

 

Irina Sălăgean-Mohora¹, Elena-Roxana Florescu²*

¹Assist. PhD arch. Sălăgean-Mohora Irina, “Politehnica” University Timișoara, ROMANIA, Irina.mohora@upt.ro

²Prof. PhD.arch. Florescu Elena-Roxana, Automobile Transportation Techonological High School Timișoara, ROMANIA, roxana.florescu@liceul-auto.ro

*Corresponding Author

 

Abstract

The present study started as a result of the contact with the pre-university educational environment while resuming the physical activity within the educational units. Based on the assessment of elementary and digital skills after the COVID pandemic, the need to deepen and diversify interdisciplinary teaching methods was found. The goal was to develop the capacity of individual analysis, thus encouraging personal initiatives regarding the acquisition of new knowledge within the technical curricula of the Automobile Transportation High School in Timișoara.

If, in the first phase, weak points of the on-line teaching and learning tools were identified, afterwards it proved opportune to review the basic concepts through interactive exercises carried out in a hybrid way, both through classroom interaction and by using available digital tools and resources (smartphones, laptops and digital platforms). The study sample considered was a group of more than 11 classes, starting with the 9^th grade and ending with the 12^th grade of high school. It was found necessary to reintroduce educational motivation by using awareness exercises of the time dedicated to the acquisition of domain-specific knowledge within the educational unit, in relation to other extracurricular activities carried out during a day or a week. To collect the data analyzed in this article, the following materials were created:

- Personalized schedule with all the activities carried out in a day, respectively in a week, following their distribution in specific time intervals,

- Summative tables regarding the time dedicated to the various subjects studied during the course hours, the time dedicated to individual study at home,

- As well as other activities complementary to the main subjects, feedback regarding the available time, how it can be optimized in each individual case, according to personal preferences and possibilities.

Keywords: Digital tools, e-learning, IT&C, technology, education.