O uso da tecnologia de informação para a educação a distância no ensino superior

The analysis of the different methodologies of education adopted by the leading universities in their distance education courses may instigate the interest of the professors involved with distance education, in the process of choosing the methodology that better assists the students who cannot or prefer not coming to campus. For the universities that are introducing courses in the distance education one of the main challenges is to seek for the appropriate pedagogical language of learning carried on by multiple media available. The tutorship action is essential, being conclusive to the courses success. In this new model of education, the tutors act as a facilitator of the course rather than an specialized professor, because these courses are structurally less organized but focused on personalization, considering that the students are the responsible ones for taking care of its education. The permanent control and attendance held by the general coordination of the course on its professors, tutors, trainees and secretary office are likely crucial, since the integration with each student may take place in several ways, all of them being essential for the learning success. The organization of a specialized group of persons engaged in the joint work, consisting of people specialized in technology and pedagogy that can perform their work harmoniously, may guarantee the better learning performance by the students as well. The main goal of this thesis is to create a conceptual model of analysis to identify how the information technologies and communication is being used in the distance education courses offered by high education institutions in Brazil (hereinafter called “IES”). With the data gotten through research the objective is to present a comparative analysis capable to identify the interaction ways and support given to alike students among the universities, in other words, groups that have similar characteristics with respect to the pedagogical projects of its courses, its materials, courses structure, ways of interaction between professor and student, students attendance, public, adopted technologies and valuation systems as well.