From the forbidden cell phone to the pedagogical Instagram: asynchronous strategy for student engagement using DCTs

Abstract

This article reports on a pedagogical experience carried out in 2024 with 48 final-year high school students from a public school in Minas Gerais, Brazil, prior to the enactment of Law 15.100/25, which prohibits cell phone use in schools. The study aimed to assess the potential of Instagram as a teaching tool for discussing school violence, using synchronous and asynchronous strategies to investigate its impact on student engagement and awareness. The research, applied in nature with a quantitative approach, employed participant observation and pre- and post-intervention questionnaires administered through interactions on a private class profile on the platform. The results indicate that 97.9% of students considered Instagram a viable medium for learning about violence; 91.6% reported a better understanding of the topic; and 87.5% expressed a preference for hybrid methods (traditional + digital). The study concludes that, even under the new legislation, DICTs can be pedagogically integrated in an asynchronous and mediated manner, constituting a "third space" for learning that fosters student agency, reflection, and the development of digital competencies.