Distance Education and digital technologies: what's "new"?

Abstract

In this paper we sought to answer the following question: the use of digital technologies in distance education
has enabled new processes of synchronous and asynchronous communication between individuals (teachers,
tutors and other students) and new forms of provision and use of teaching materials? To answer this question
we analyzed the papers approved subject area AT5 - Innovation TDIC to EAD, the IX Brazilian Congress of
Higher Education Distance (ESUD). This event is a periodic Association of University Network (UniRede),
whose theme was the 2012 edition, "Distance Education: Sowing Citizenship." The choice to analyze these
articles is because being a recent event in which the main "news" area of research could / should be presented.
From the analysis reached the conclusion that there are attempts shy of initiatives and use of digital
technologies in communication processes and forms of provision and use of materials, but these are not
innovative methodological point of view. These initiatives and attempts do not occur in collective spaces of
discussion in a continuous dialogue between teachers, tutors, managers and students in distance education
courses. Therefore it is necessary that there be more investment in research, experimentation and
development of innovative projects that promote the use of digital technologies in communication processes,
usage and availability of teaching materials, based on communicative actions.