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Pere Monrās, Judit Castro

Pere Monrās
 
He is well known as one of the pioneers in organizational innovation in the health cares sector. He has been CEO of the Corporaciķ Sanitāria Parc Taulí (a health care corporation) and chairman of the Health Employers Association and in these positions he has inspired a lot of thought and actions on the nature of change and the necessity of integration in terms of research together with the need for innovation in order to obtain social progress. All this thanks to him being a physician for 17 years and another 17 years of being involved in management functions in the health care system. He has written several articles as a person specialized in complex organizational development and has also developed key aspects in terms of governance and organizational management, learning organizations and collaborative learning. Today he is CEO of Helix3c. Helix3c is a company specialized in building the knowledge economy. His social and civic participation is expressed in him being a member of several government commissions involved in the strategic thinking concerning universities, regional strategic plans and health care professions.
 
He is a founding member and has been president of the Knowledge Circle since October 2001. He is also a board member of the Knowledge Circle Foundation. He is convinced of the need to establish a deep relationship between Knowledge and Capital to promote greater economic and social development. At present he is General Administrator of Sangakoo.com, a web application for math learning with an innovative methodology based on creative practice within a collaborative ecosystem, aimed at all educational environments. He is also shareholder of BIONURE a biotechnological company.
 
Judit Castro
 
She has a Degree in Mathematics (2007-2011, UAB) and a Master's Degree in Teacher Education (2011-2012, UAB). She is responsible for the mathematical area at Sangakoo, including the creation of mathematical courses and mentoring the enrolled students. She also provides pedagogical and mathematical support to the sales area and attention to the teachers using the Sangakoo Online Classrooms in schools.
Finally, she is working in a team of 3 as a Product Manager for Sangakoo conducting definition, monitoring and analysis of the products.
 
 
 
Abstract
 
Sangakoo: proven effects of collaborative learning
 

The traditional educational systems and the introduction of the technologies

The traditional system of education based on compulsory schooling established in the XVIII century shows clearly its limits. We can see these limits, for example, looking at the results obtained by using massive learning measurement systems (simple assessment of the international standardized tests like PISA).

The introduction of digital technology, or ICT in general, does not significantly improve the results if they are applied to traditional teaching methods. Furthermore, the individual responsibility of scholars and the rest of the school community (teachers, families, etc.) loses steam and generates systems of progressive causal relationships (if you do not pass the test, you cannot go on). A system that encourages to learn only what is needed to pass an exam and not to learn what you need in order to think and understand what happens is being set up progressively.

The purpose of Sangakoo

Sangakoo starts to develop a complementary system to the formal education curriculum based on collaborative learning using their own methodologies and technologies.

The ideation phase starts with a first discipline: mathematics (one of the STEM disciplines) to test the methodology.

Sangakoo stems from the belief of an educational model based on creativity and renewal more than on permanence and reproduction. Learning to enjoy questions, not only answers.

How Sangakoo does it?

Sangakoo has created the Online classrooms, an extension of a daily classroom where students create their own exercises and then practice them and discuss them among each other. The advantages to use Sangakoo in a classroom

  • Applied knowledge, students can put their knowledge into play and improve their ability to solve math problems.
  • Contextualization, the problems can be contextualized to the students' hobbies.
  •  Learning-by-doing, this methodology assures a non-rote consolidation of learning.
  • Change of roles, the students turn into key players of their own learning whereas the teacher is the guide and tutor.
  • Flexibility, Sangakoo can be used in class or at home.
  • Adaptability, it can be used whenever the teacher sees fit and be adapted to the individual requirements of the teachers and students.

Objective of the presentation

The aim of the presentation is to show the Sangakoo Online classrooms and to what purpose teachers can use the Sangakoo methodology-technology.

Another main objective of this presentation is to generate debate not so much regarding Sangakoo but on the appropriate use of technology which, along with a clear and concrete methodology, can help develop skills that are marked in the curriculum and have often been hindered by applying more traditional instruction, such as collaborative work, the application of concepts to real life and, moreover, to the immediate and individual environment of the students, or the ability to take responsibility for one's own learning.

Other interesting topics of discussion arising from the use of platforms like Sangakoo in schools are

  • How the use of technology can motivate and attract students to a learning focused on them.
  • What other methodologies are there to foster the development of these curricular competences.
  • Why it is so difficult to foster these competences in the day to day of classes. But how on the other hand, schools are starting to bet on them.
  • Advantages / disadvantages of using an on-line platform of this type in class. 

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