Herramienta síncrona de comunicación para la mejora del asesoramiento, seguimiento y tutorización del alumnado universitariola experiencia del uso del WhatsApp

Resumen

M-learning stands as a different way of learning and the use of WhatsApp appears to be an innovative and effective resource. The objective of this research is to evaluate the effects of the use of this communication tool in the academic monitoring, counseling and tutoring of university students in the Faculty of Education at the University of La Laguna. The process and development of this study involved the following series of tasks: a) A training seminar on strategies to promote learning through information and communication technology tools (ICT), b) Creation of learning communities to promote WhatsApp as a tool to improve academic monitoring, counseling and tutoring. A control group (N=120) and an experimental group (N=120) of first-year students were established (undergraduate students in Childhood Education, Primary Education and Pedagogy) with the aim of knowing the effect of the use of WhatsApp. On the basis of the data collected by teachers, the results obtained were analyzed taking into account the effect on a) Competences related to academic work and performance and b) Transversal Competences. In this sense, an ad hoc questionnaire was used to evaluate the development of both those competences related to academic work and performance and those transversal competences through the use of an m-learning tool based on peer tutoring. The results obtained have revealed important improvements as regards those competences related to time efficiency, planning and organization, and those related to active learning, decision making and motivation.