Electronic devices and web 2.0 tools: usage trends in engineering students

Abstract

Personal Learning Environments or PLE are student centred spaces, which take into account theirs needs, learning styles and preferences. These spaces appear as important alternatives to overcome the shortcomings encountered with the use of institutional platforms. On the other hand, there is widespread use of mobile electronic devices and Web 2.0 tools among university students, mainly for communication and leisure activities, but that could be used for educational purposes. This research aims to make a diagnosis on access to and use of electronic devices and the web tools by students of the degree of Systems Engineering and Computer Science at Faculty of Engineering at the National University of Chimborazo in Ecuador, from the viewpoint of PLE. A methodological level corresponds to a quantitative and non-experimental research, ex-post-facto. The results show certain trends in the types of devices and their frequency of use, as well as their preferences for the tools to obtain and to find information, not only to create but to edit content and communicate with others, where they prioritize the use of certain social networks and some tools of synchronous and asynchronous communication. One of the main conclusions of this study mentions the huge potential currently offered by Web 2.0 tools to structure the PLE of college students, as well as the great potential for integration with mobile device.