WEB-BASED METHODS IN SCIENCE AREA TEACHING

Abstract

The huge steps passed by the evolution of technology in the last period allow now the specialists to design and create things unthinkable few decades ago. This fast evolution forced the educational systems to establish greater learning standards according to the introduction of the new technology. In this context, ICT was introduced step-by-step in the teaching and learning process and changed the isolated, teacher-centered and text-bound classrooms into rich, student-focused and interactive knowledge environments. So, if some decades ago it was impossible to think on the using of computers in Natural Sciences or Mathematics teaching process, nowadays the introduction of virtual reality in Geometry, Physics or Chemistry teaching becomes one of the usual methods. In addition, the use of web-based methods in all Science areas teaching became reality and a usually practice. In this context, the Romanian educational system started also to pass these new changes. In the last years there were a lot of initiatives of implementing of new teaching methods which involve the use of ICT in the classroom. In this way, in the frame of the Socrates Comenius 2.1 European Project “FISTE – A Future Way for In-Service Teacher Training across Europe” (http://fiste.ssai.valahia.ro), co-funded by the European Commission, Education and Training, Socrates: Comenius, an on-line course “Integrating ICT in Traditional Training” was organized. The course included two main parts: a) Pedagogical Unit - designed to support teachers’ pedagogical use of ICT in the teaching practice; b) Technological Unit - included the description of IT and web-based technologies such us: screen recording, video-editing, producing video for the web or other media, organizing videoconference and virtual reality on-line meeting. The course was attended by a great number of teachers involved in Science areas teaching (Gorghiu et all. 2006). After the finalizing of the course and implementing of the own products in their classrooms, the teachers’ opinion related to the implementation of new presented ICT tools in the teaching process was tested. The general feeling expressed that when ICT tools are implemented in the teaching process, possible obstacles have to be minimized in order to keep the teacher and the pupils focused on their objectives and tasks. On the base of this developed experience, a positive teachers’ opinion was emphasized and new ideas about how to use and combine the new technologies with the traditional methods of teaching were born.