DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTRONIC LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Mr. Pentti Ruotsala, Rector, Vaasa Polytechnic&

Ms. Lotta Saarikoski, Principal Lecturer, Vaasa Polytechnic

Structure of the Presentation

1. What is an Electronic Learning Environment ?

2. Why to Develop New Learning Environments ?

3. How to use Electronic Learning Environments in the Higher Education ?

4. What is Happening Globally, in Europe and in Finland ?

5. Conclusions

Learning Environment consists of several elements:- Surroundings

- Learners

- Teachers

- Different views on learning

- Different ways of action

- Learning resources

- Technology and media and ways of using them

1. What is an Electronic Learning Environment ?

So, it is more than just the physical space where learning takes place.

Electronic Learning Environment is one part of the general concept of Learning Environment.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

SURROUNDINGS

TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA

LEARNERS

TEACHERS

DIFFERENT WAYS OF ACTION

LEARNING RESOURCES

NEW LEARNING CONCEPTIONS

VIRTUALREAL

Classroom

Laboratory

Library

Workplace

Home

Electronic Learning Environment

Electronic Learning Environment emulates learning functions ofreal surroundings in electronic form in- administration

- lecturing

- discussions

- material delivery

- working with and delivery of assignments

- tutoring

- assessment

Electronic Learning Environment may include:

Which parts included in the Electronic

Learning Environment depends on what learning functions

one wants to emulate

- Web pages including text, graphics and animations

- Streaming video and sound

- Interactive web pages

- Database connections

- Chat (any online real-time group activity)

- Email (one to one, one to many - asynchronous communication)

- Discussion forums (for example newsgroups - asynchronous communication)

Development of Different Online Education Levels in Electronic Learning Environment

1. Information warehouse

- course administration

- slides- linklists- supplementary

material

2. Interactive network

- discussion groups, email

- collaborative working areas

3. Complete course package

- tutoring materials

- learning materials

- online books etc.

4. Virtual class

BETTER DIDACTIC QUALITYWIDER EFFECTS

Electronic Learning Environment can be Technically Developed by :

• Using normal web techniques- web browsers, web editors, listservs,email, ftp, etc.

• Purchasing standard online courseware like- Lotus Learning Space ( http://www.lotus.com )- Next Generation Learning ( http://www.sybase.com )- TopClass ( http://www.wbtsystems.com )- Virtual U ( http://www.vlei.com)- WebCT (http://webct.com/) the market leader in the U.S. - LUVIT ( http://www.luvit.com )- Blackboard ( http://www.wcbinfo.com/ )- DisCo ( http://www.udd.htu.se/dl/ ) - and many, many others ….

2. Why to Develop New Learning Environments ?

GLOBALISATION

WORKING LIFE RENEWAL

SOCIOPOLITICAL ASPECTS

NEW TECHNOLOGY

NEW LEARNING CONCEPTIONS

NEW

LEARNING

ENVIRONMENTS

GLOBALISATION increasing competition

in business in education

WORKING LIFE RENEWAL

New skills needed

Lifelong learning New learning environments needed

More demanding students

More flexibilityneeded

Better quality needed

More education providers

NEW LEARNINGCONCEPTIONS

NEW TECHNOLOGY

SOCIOPOLITICAL ASPECTS

Behaviourism Constructivism

InnovativeNewLearningEnvironmentsneeded

New tools for instruction

Tax reduction demands Funding problems Less money

Governments want to raise the educational level:More students to higher education(in Finland : 2/3 of the generation)

3. How to use Electronic Learning Environmentsin the Higher Education

ON-CAMPUS EDUCATION

• As supporting element in ”traditional classroom courses” to increase the course quality.

• To provide such special courses for students which cannot be organized in the student`s own home unit (networking needed between the educational units).

• To provide normal courses for part-time students who cannot attend the regular education for family or work reasons so that they can complete their degrees.

The degree of going online is a strategic question for the education institution.

If the course canbe taught in theclassroom, thenit can be taughtonline, too.

Developing online coursesdemands resources (skilled faculty and money) but online education can become a source of money, too.

OFF-CAMPUS EDUCATION

• To deliver online courses for professional development for adult students (already possessing a degree) who need further professional education.

• To deliver whole degree programmes i.e. almost all courses online for adult students without a degree.

4. What is Happening Globally,in Europe and in Finland ?

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

• Online education is dominated by North-Americans, some European countries (mainly U.K.) and Australia English language is dominating.

• In many countries (especially in U.S.) online education is seen as a future business possibility (a way to get export income in the information society).

• Virtual universities are being developed all over the world.

• New, aggressive players are attending the online education market.

DEVELOPMENT IN EUROPE

• European Union is funding development of online education via many research programs.

• In Lisbon 23 - 24.3.2000 the Heads of States and Governments set the objective of becoming "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-driven economy in the world”.

• Europe enjoys one of the highest levels of education, has the necessary investment capacity but, unfortenately, still lags far behind in the use of the new information and communication technologies.

• eLearning is designed to enable Europe to catch up by intensifying its efforts. It implements and extends into education and training the eEurope action plan.

An Information Society For All

DEVELOPMENT IN FINLAND

Vision of the National Strategyin Finland

• By the year 2004 Finland will be one of the leading knowledge and interaction societies.

• Success will be based on citizens' equal opportunities to study and develop their own knowledge and extensively utilize information resources and educational services.

• A high-quality, ethically and economically sustainable mode of operation in network-based teaching and research will have been established.

• The Ministry of Education has amended its information strategy for education and research 2000–2004.

• Additional resources should be concentrated on the following :

- Information society skills for all

- Electronic Learning Environment to education

- Accumulation of digital information capital

- Strengthening information society structures in education, training and research

National Strategyfor Education and Research

in Finland

Ongoing Projects Related toOnline Education in Finland :

• Virtual University Project

• Virtual Polytechnic Project

• Virtual School Project

• Upper Secondary Distance Learning Project

• A lot of EU projects related to online education

• And many, many other regional and local projects

The organizer is Tampere Polytechnic but all the polytechnics are participating.The responsibility to develop special courses is shared.

5. Conclusionsby Ms. Carol Vallone, CEO of WebCT

WebCT is the market leader in the online higher education courseware marketplace

• Distance learning and web-enhanced learning are happening today, not in some future.

• Distance Learning has a lot in common with Regular education.

• In general, both students and faculty members report that they are closer to each other in these electronic courses than they are in the classroom.

• Good pedagogy is good pedagogy in Electronic Learning Environment, too.

5. Conclusionsby Mr. John Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet.

The next big killer application for the Internetis going to be education.

Education over the Internetis going to be so big

it is going to make e-mail usagelook like a rounding error.