Teaching Competences Through ICTs in an English Degree Programme in a Spanish Setting

Abstract

In this chapter I shall describe the ways in which a group of lecturers in English language and linguistics have attempted to help students acquire competencies using ICTs in an English Studies degree programme in Spain. The introduction of competence-based learning constitutes a major paradigm shift brought about by the convergence of degree systems in the European Higher Education Area, and is part of a concerted effort to make our degrees less teacher-centred with a view to giving students greater opportunities to participate in their own learning process, both inside and outside the classroom. I will outline how general and discipline-specific competences are acquired through the use of ICTs in a blended learning context and discuss constraints on the use of ICTs. These include only using ICTs if they (a) provide innovative activities that are not possible, or less feasible, using traditional methods; (b) are cheap or free; and (c) avoid increasing the workload of both teachers and students.