Educação a distância e contextos de aprendizagem no trabalho: espectros da formação continuada na Universidade Federal da Paraíba

Abstract

In the 21st Century, scientific-technological evolution, and its sociocultural and economic developments, is an intrinsic condition for (re)articulation of the network (information/knowledge) society. In this light, digital culture has dimensioned conjunctural (trans)formations in the generation/dissemination/access/use of information, the structure of cities, public/private services, sociability (human relations), work, agricultural and industrial production as well as in the interaction with knowledge, and so on. Therefore, as a phenomenon of (re)production of culture and thought action of its time, lifelong learning, particularly continuing education, goes through phases and factors whose contemporary dynamics imprints on it even more approximations between ethical-citizen education and the world of work. Thus, this research aimed to understand distance education through learning contexts at work of the administrative staff of the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB). In methodological terms, the research was characterized as a field study, with a quantitative and qualitative approach, of a descriptive and exploratory type, whose data collection instrument was a mixed questionnaire applied to the administrative staff of the Pro-Rectorate of Administration (PRA) of the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB). Content analysis (CA) supported the interpretation of the data through categorical analysis. The results found that the PRA/UFPB administrative staff acknowledges how much distance education fosters timely learning contexts for continuing education, and its articulations between their personal life and work at UFPB. The data revealed the advantages and disadvantages of continuing education through distance education based on the educational processes experienced by the subjects. Therefore, distance education represents not only a potential for the promotion of knowledge, but also consolidates UFPB as a learning public organization in the information society and knowledge scenario.