Sustainable Education: Using Social Networks in Education for Change

• Main Authors: Elena M. Díaz-Pareja, Mercedes Llorent-Vaquero, África M. Cámara-Estrella, Juana M. Ortega-Tudela
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: teachers training; social networks; design thinking; sustainable education
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/18/10368

Creating societies of the future goes hand in hand with promoting sustainable education and, therefore, universities must train educators who, through their own professional development, put into practice methodologies that are active, participative, and focused on the overall development of their students. The use of methodologies like Design Thinking and the use of social networks generate learning dynamics that bring into play key competences in the development of dedicated future educators. In this study, 156 students from Education degrees at the University of Jaen analyze how the use of these methodologies supports the learning process in dimensions such as creativity, motivation, communication, and involvement in learning, among others. The results shows that all dimensions correlate positively, and that the benefits derived from the use of these methodologies are perceived by students as greater than the effort required to put them into practice.