The use of virtual platforms and videocast as a teaching methodology to achieve success in experiential learning for millennials

Abstract

Current college students who belong to the so-called Generation Y or Millennials (GY), born between the years 1980 and 1994, are the first generation to have used computer technology from a young age. Certainly, recent developments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and research on how the learning process can be improved in Higher Education have also expanded learning experiences beyond traditional settings into an online environment, allowing for education to take place anywhere, anytime. The present study discusses the implementation of videocast as a creative tool to promote enhanced experiential learning in an online setting. Specifically, it analyzes an experiential learning activity carried out throughout a semester in a group of students from two universities with nine nationalities (i.e., Denmark, Germany, Honduras, Venezuela, Peru, Spain, The Netherlands, Guadalupe, Mexico and France). Results give insight into the extent to which experiential learning is an effective methodology for developing students' cross-disciplinary competencies, improving academic performance, and promoting an international perspective which helps to introduce students to the professional world. The present paper also confirms the important role of virtual platforms and videocast to collaborate with individuals from different parts of the world, obtain information quickly, and improve the students’ learning outcomes.