Using Digital Tools to Innovate in Higher Education

Abstract

This chapter explores the evolving role of pedagogical innovation in foreign language (FL) classes for media studies undergraduates at the School of Education (ESEV) of the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu (Portugal). It highlights the transformation of digital tools, initially seen as “icebreakers,” into powerful aids for active methodologies, fostering both hard and soft skills essential for contemporary society and the job market. Teachers commonly integrate online applications, online platforms, and social networks to enhance FL learning. The narrative delves into challenges faced by teachers and students amid constant societal changes. The text emphasizes skills development, improvements over traditional methods, encountered difficulties, and the dynamics within the teaching-learning process. One relies upon gamification as a tool in FL classes, so as to look into its potential to contribute to the systematic exploration of successful educational innovations supported by digital tools in higher education, providing a foundation for future research.