BUILDING UP A VIRTUAL CLASSROOM IN SUPPORT OF BIOCHEMISTRY TEACHING AT THE FES ZARAGOZA, UNAM

Global technological progress influences society in many areas, including education. Specialists debating on the application of information and communication technologies (ICT) in education, agree on the necessity to look for new methodological approaches that may improve learning and teaching at every level. The adequate utilization of ICT is understood as intricately related procedures that help to keep docents always updated and are in general support of the learning and teaching process (UNESC0 2008). In this work, we describe the strategies that have been applied to build up a virtual classroom to be used for theoretical and laboratory sessions within the Cellular and Tissular Biology subject (BCT I), from the Chemistry Pharmacology and Biology curricula (QFB) in the Faculty for Higher Studies Zaragoza (FES-Z), UNAM. To this end, we have used the Moodle platform, located in the Department for on line and distant education (DELID) at the FES-Z. In order to define the required contents, we started consulting teachers for their opinions, needs and suggestions. This became later a permanent workshop where we analyse all statistics that are registered in the platform and discuss the topics that may be added, deleted or updated. We are also developing an instrument that will allow us to analyse how the users, both teachers and students, perceive their experiences. The feedback will be also used afterwards to modify and improve the virtual classroom. At the moment, we are already giving courses to teachers with the purpose to improve their pedagogic skills and prepare them for a proper use of TIC and additional tools. Our aim is to secure a quality education (Peres 2009), with the participation of knowledgeable teachers, capable of using TIC and developing pedagogic skills in benefit of their students (Castells 2002). A project like this, which must be continuously renewed, constitutes a big challenge for teachers well aware of their needs for keeping themselves always updated (MartIn-Laborda, 2005). Supported by: DGAPA PAPIME PE206913