Uso de equações estruturais para validar um modelo explicativo da relação entre domínio tecnológico, interação e aprendizagem colaborativa na Educação a Distância (EaD)

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the relationship between the following variables: technological mastery of the students, tutor-student interactions and studentstudent learners and collaborative learning in Education at a Distance (EaD) courses, through the use of structural equations. To this end, 217 students were approached (8.6% of the population) from a universe of 2,511 apprentices/students of EaD courses. It was found that the frequency of navigation and Internet search, and the frequency of use of software applications, communication tools and participation in virtual communities, actually contributes to the development of the technological field of EaD students. It was found also that the tutor-student interactions and studentstudent learning contribute to "collaborative", confirming thus the importance of tutor-student interactions and student-to student learning in EaD, which reinforces the importance the role of the tutor in this type of education.