Higher Education: Challenges of virtualit

Abstract

The authors of this paper are members of the research Project called “Challenges and opportunities of Information and Communication Technologies and Virtual Environments to foster education”that investigates about education and Information and Communication Technologies and delivers b- learning and online educational programs since 2000. Internet and the ICTs have been introduced in the classrooms of all educational levels. This has generateda lot of expectations in relation to the changes it would bring about; however, this did not happen, since it is not technology per se that creates innovation but its use and application.The purpose of this article is to reflect upon the new teaching methods: education and ICTs, Online Learning Environments and MOOCs and the challenges for the institutions and the people involved. Besides, their advantages and disadvantages and the implications of their use are analyzed. Last, strategies to enhance the potentials of ICT in education and to guarantee the standards of the programs are presented.