ICT Use and Importance in a Higher Education Institution in the city of Belém do Pará by Coordinators, Teachers and Students

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze the educational community, the CESUPA (IES) and the students, education professionals, teachers and coordinators, as the insertion of information and communication technologies (ICT) can influence in the learning and teaching process. The study focused on the perceptions about the limits and possibilities of teachers' performance in the face-to-face higher education modality offered by an HEI and seeks to identify aspects that can determine the teacher's performance associated with the use and exploitation of digital media in higher education and as these can contribute to the formation of an Educational Methodology for face-to-face higher education. For this purpose, a field survey was conducted in four physical units of the CESUPA academic community. The elements that form the sample are related to the characteristics established in the objective of the study, taking non-probabilistic samples of the intentional type or rational selection. The research chose to use the questionnaire with the education professionals (teachers and coordinators) of the academic community of CESUPA (IES). It is raised in this context as a requirement that the school intends to develop in its students an active and critical thinking. This leads to a cooperation between teacher and students so that an intellectual growth of this relationship can be triggered, with the teacher taking into account the difficulties of each student. In addition, the use of electronic games as a pedagogical tool in several disciplines in the HEIs is identified because they are fun, entertaining, yet educational experiences with the potential to reduce the gap between the theoretical and practical knowledge of the trainees and help the insertion of more professionals prepared for the labor market. The study also made it possible to verify that ICT is already part of CESUPA's routine, whether through electronic games, online questionnaires, TV, research, among other strategies, with professors affirming their constant search for inclusion in the teaching and learning process of digital media. However, it was evidenced the need for continuous training for teachers, who still do not feel prepared to deepen the use of ICT in order to promote meaningful learning, a factor also perceived by managers and students. This study contribution is the proposal of a an approach to take advantage of ICT in higher education, involving professors, students and management in order to produce incremental improvements in the teaching and learning processes.