WhatsApp as a Tool for Integration and Motivation in Distance Education

Abstract

This article was based on a Distance Education project in the Pedagogy course which, for a semester, through active methodology, reviewed the contents of the course to increase the knowledge of these students as well as to carry out a pilot test of Hybrid Teaching. The research aimed to contribute to studies on the use of WhatsApp as a tool that favors the integration and motivation of students in Online and Hybrid Teaching. The project included classes before the classroom lessons, physical and online presence of tutors and teachers, communication via WhatsApp, e-mail, Facebook and the online course platform to review and raise the course fee, raising doubts and encouraging the participation and integration of each student. The object of the study was the use of WhatsApp throughout the course, due to the adhesion of students and teachers using it as a tool for integration and motivation for the graduates of the 17 poles participating in the project. It is a descriptive research with a quantitative approach and characterized by a survey. 104 students participated in the survey, which guarantees a confidence level of 93%. A questionnaire was elaborated and requested, via Google Forms, to understand aspects of integration and motivation, containing 10 questions using the five-level Likert scale. It was possible to verify that the tool presented a 77% satisfaction index with the use of WhatsApp considering its positive influence in the best use of the studies while 90% considered WhatsApp important in the integration of students with students, and teachers with students. Also corroborated that the student interacts better with the studies when there is an interpersonal relation present, in this case, through the classes of study and face-to-face held weekly and the immediate communication provided by WhatsApp group chats. Finally, there was a strong correlation (r = 0.8) between the intensity of satisfaction with the use of WhatsApp in this project and the satisfaction with the continuity of the use of WhatsApp in other courses.