Integrando os estilos de uso do espaço virtual dos estudantes e a formação acadêmica na educação superior a distância

Abstract

Considering that people learn in different ways, it is essential to understand the various learning styles of students to plan more personalized and effective teaching strategies. In this context, the theoretical approach to styles of virtual space usage enables an exploration of how students utilize digital interfaces and applications in academic planning and information seeking, fostering more meaningful integration with educational practices. This study aimed to analyze the integration between the didactic-pedagogical resources used in academic training and the styles of virtual space usage among students enrolled in the curricular component Fundamentals of Digital Education, part of the Specialization in Technologies and Open and Digital Education distance learning program at the Federal University of Recôncavo of Bahia. The goal was to propose tutorial practices that promote learning. The research was conducted as an exploratory and descriptive field study with a qualitative and applied approach. Data production techniques included documental research strategies, utilizing students' responses in evaluative activities recorded in the virtual environment of the curricular component under study. To process the collected data, the hermeneutic-dialectic method described by Minayo (2008) was employed, with the support of Atlas TI software. Theoretical foundations discussed in the study include learning styles, styles of virtual space usage, emerging virtual spaces, applications of generative artificial intelligence in distance learning (EaD), and the virtual learning ecosystem. The research results revealed that mapping students’ styles of virtual space usage in distance learning courses is crucial for improving the planning of diversified strategies, enabling teachers and tutors to address both less developed and more predominant styles, thus promoting more integrated and personalized academic training.