Qualitative Analysis of Digital Technology Studies in the Field of Social and Human Sciences

Abstract

This paper aims to present how the topic of digital technology has been discussed in the field of sciences, especially education. At first, presents 10 theoretical categories dedicated to the study of education in interface with digital technology, extracted from the systematic review of, approximately, 2,300 scientific papers collected in two portals: CAPES and ERIC. Following, the paper presents a topical research carried out in the Department of Social Sciences of the University of Rome La Sapienza, in particular on the Sostenibilia Research Center which integrates transdisciplinary research in the interface of social sciences, digital technologies, education and sustainability. In the scope of the research, Professors and Researchers were interviewed about which categories they identify as the main trend of study about digital technologies. After selecting the category of “The Study of Technology as a New Paradigm of Post-Modern Societies” two groups of possible answers were elaborated: the first one about why that category was chosen; and the second about what are the challenges in the study of digital technologies in the field of humanities. We offer some discussion and remarks about the characteristics of digital technologies’ study among Education and Social Sciences’ field underlighting the role of Open Educational Resources (OER) to consider a new paradigm for educational technology. Nevertheless, we present the concept of OER that connects education, its diverse skills and digital technologies.

Keywords

• Transliteracy
• Social Sciences
• Humanities
• Sostenibilia International Research Centre
• Digital Technology
• Social Change