factors to be considered in building up an e-learning course eija kalliala helsinki business...

Factors to be Considered in Building up an E-learning Course

Eija Kalliala Helsinki Business Polytechnic – Helia

e-mail: [email protected]

homepage: http://myy.helia.fi/~kalei/

Eija Kalliala, Helia 2

Contents

• The manual of e-learning (Finn Lectura 2002)– What is e-learning?– 11 factors to be considered

• More research (fall 2003)– teachers’ different pedagogical approaches– Why does a student interrupt an online course?– What makes good

• online teacher?• online learner?• online course?


Different kinds of e-learning

• Internet in contact learning – learning in the classroom, material and

interaction in the Internet

• Blended learning in the Internet– contact, distance and independent learning– groupwork and interaction

• Independent learning in the Internet– no interaction


Why e-learning?

• New educational approaches

• Demands of working life

• New generation

• Distance learning

• Life-long learning


E-teacher• A creative performer

– The traditional teacher might be a creative performer, what about an e-teacher?

• The e-teacher has to– be active– create the schedule– give feedback– instruct the students– evaluate the students– find means to spare him- or herself!


How can an e-teacher spare him- or herself?

• Clear course structure in the beginning

• Learning environment or platform

• Interaction

• Groupworks

• Peer assessments

• Educational packages


E-learners

• manage their time

• are responsible and self-directed

• are collaborative

• are medialiterate

• manage the interaction in the net

• have technical ability skills


E-learning process

• Beginning

• Familiarizing with e-learning material

• Completing the learning assignments

• Assessment


E-learning materials• Traditional books• Public materials on the net • Announcements, slides, instructions, link lists• Assignments and tests• E-books• Materials created by student groups• Materials created by teachers• Educational packages• Multimedia, virtual reality, games, simulations,

learning landscapes


Interaction on the net

• Dialogue and argumentation

• E-post

• Discussion boards

• Chat

• Group work

• Audio- and videoconferences

• Text messages and multimedia messages


Technical infrastructure and staff

Maintenance Technical support

E-teachers

E-learners


Legal aspects

• Copyright– Copyrights protect creative products.

• Data protection– The law may be different in different countries.– In Finland: You may not publish any list of

personal information without the permission of the persons on the list.


Data security

• Integrity

• Confidentiality

• Availability

• Authentication

• Non-repudiation

• Access control


Characteristics of learning platforms

• Publishing the learning material of the teacher.

• Publishing the material created by students.

• Interaction.

• Monitoring students.

• Assessment.


Some criteria for choosing a learning platform

• The pedagogical learning approach• Modularity• Language• User interface• Data storage method• Domestic support and development• User training• Choices of cooperation partners• Data security


Cooperation of several schools

• Administrative practices

• Differences in the technical infrastructures

• Cultural differences– language, dialect and rhytm of speech– different cultures of the schools– teacher – student– strictness – flexibility


Tietie cooperation• Information Technology Education Using

Information Technology• Project, duration 6/1995 - 12/1998• Cooperation since 1/1999 – • Goals

– Increase the resources of individual polytechnics through cooperation.

– Liberate learning from the constraints of time and place.

• http://www.helia.fi/tietie/


Cooperation partners

• since 6/1995– Helsinki Business

Polytechnic – Helia

– Jyväskylä Polytechnic

– Kemi-Tornio Polytechnic

– Oulu Polytechnic

– North Karelian Polytechnic

• since 8/2000– Häme Polytechnic

– Kymenlaakso Polytechnic

– Lahti Polytechnic

– North-Savo Polytechnic

– Turku Polytechnic

– Vaasa Polytechnic


Principles of Tietie

• Each polytechnic involved in the Tietie cooperation prepares and carries out one or more courses of one, two or three credits.

• Courses are available to the students of all the participating polytechnics.

• Students can learn in their own region without traveling.


StatisticsYear Implemented courses Completed courses

1996 5 132

1997 6 135

1998 5 127

1999 7 228

2000 11 302

2001 23 418

2002 27 398

Total 84 1740


Student experiences• Learning in the Internet demands more – but also

gives more than traditional learning. • Clear schedule and outlined material is essential.• Students have to create their own schedule and find

the time for online learning.• Personal feedback is excellent.• Students expect teachers to be active.• Online learning is suitable for the students’ current

way of life (work, small children, work aboard).• Groupwork keeps students involved in online

learning.


Teacher experiences • Online students set their goals higher than

traditional students.• The priority of online students’ e-mail is

greater than other students’ e-mail.• The teacher has to prepare the material

beforehand and add detailed instructions.• Tutoring and giving feedback takes time.• Online education liberates from the

constraints of time – and demands time.


New research

• Students and teachers in Tietie cooperation during fall 2001 – spring 2002.

• Questionaire in the Internet.• Both open questions and questions with

classified answers.• Answers:

– 104 students (30 %)– 10 teachers (63 %)


Different pedagogical approaches

• Teacher-centered – Student-centered • Emphasis on

– preparing in advance

– the schedule

– instruction

– learning material

– interaction

– feedback

– cooperation and peer-assessment


Why does a student interrupt an online course?

• Lack of time

• Course arrangements

• Problems with course organization

• Technical problems


A good online teacher

• gives feedback• answers questions• is active• instructs • wakes up sleeping students• is present• creates the material• is expert in his or her subject area• encourages students


A good online learner

• is self-directed

• manages his or her time

• is motivated

• manages interaction in the net

• manages technology

• manages groupwork


A good online course (1/2)

• Assignments linked to the working life

• High quality learning material

• Goal and schedule at the beginning

• Examples, links, figures

• instruction and feedback

• discussion board


A good online course (2/2)

• Clear

• Useful

• You can download, copy or store the learning material easily.


Future ??

• M-learning (mobile computers and videos)• T-learning (digital tv)• Development of learning platforms• Learning portals in Finland

– Finnish Virtual School http://www.edu.fi/– Finnish Virtual Polytechnic http://www.amk.fi/– Finnish Virtual University

http://www.virtuaaliyliopisto.fi/

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