The use of ASANA to improve communication, interaction and collaborative work in virtual learning environments

Resumen

The advances in technology and the permanent digital connection that characterizes the millennial and centennial generations have transformed the dynamics of communication and collaborative work in the classroom. This situation makes it convenient to use ICTs that facilitate students' learning by equipping them with tools and online spaces that develop their creativity, cooperation and organization capacity. This paper examines the use of Asana, for collaborative work, as a tool that contributes to improving communication, leadership and organization skills in university students on virtual learning environments. This activity was carried out with a group of 30 students from Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana, enrolled in the courses of Media Planning and Integrated Marketing Communications, in the Audiovisual and Advertising Communication degree program. The students developed a project during 12 weeks with an NGO from Honduras using Asana to interact with their team, perform the assigned tasks, follow the project updates online and send deliverables to their professor. At the end of the activity, a survey was applied to the students to self-evaluate the use of Asana to improve professional skills such as teamwork and organization. Findings reveal that the use of Asana potentiates student´s motivation and interest in the project and facilitates the development of collaborative work. However, the students pointed out that this activity required them to invest more hours in the use of this tool and that it was necessary to use other tools, such as WhatsApp, to achieve synchronous communication more expeditiously. It is necessary to test this activity with a larger and more representative sample to draw more conclusions on the benefits of Asana to interact and communicate in a virtual learning experience.