Social Science Teachers’ perspective, purposes and benefits of the Cybermuseum VIRGO 1.1 as a cognitive tool for learning history

Abstract

This research is the assessment of an authoring and cybermuseum tool, VRIGO 1.1. The assessment was undertaken by Spanish and Latin-American Social Sciences Teachers who took part in a virtual group discussion. Results were analysed through the underlying principles of mindtools proposed by Jonassen and Carr. Results showed that: VIRGO 1.1 can only be used under a constructivist perspective; empowers students in their process of representing their knowledge; support students’ reflective thinking; challenges learners; is a simulation of a real museum; being an authoring tool, students develop an intellectual partnership where their cognitive process is distributed.