guide to methodological innovation in e-learning

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Guide to Methodological Innovation in E-learningMETHODOLOGICAL CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION IN THE AREA OF LIFELONG LEARNING

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CoordinationFrancisco José García Aguilera y Silvia Luque Ávila.

AuthorsAinhoa Otamendi Herrera,Diego Aguilar Cuenca, Francisco José García Aguilera, José Álvarez Huete, María García Álvarez, Raquel Morilla Gutiérrez, Silvia Gómez Torres, Silvia Luque Ávila, Yolanda López Carrillo.

Edited byPrograma Espacio Virtual de Aprendizaje (EVA) de la Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa de la Junta de Andalucía y la Red de Espacios Tecnológicos de Andalucía (RETA).

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8.0A.1

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Index

1.0_Introduction to pedagogical model.

2.0_Methodological innovation.

3.0_Tools.

4.0 _Teaching Materials.

5.0_Open Content.

6.0_Training Programme Design.

7.0_The bussiness of consultancy in an e-learning context.

8.0_New trends.

Appendix 1_Tool Files.

Appendix 2_Integration of Innovative Teaching Methods, Resources and Physical Classroom Learning and Online Tools.

Glossary.

Bibliography.

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Of all the conclusions reached at the European Council of Lisbon in March 2000, the most comprehensive was the following idea: “Lifelong learning is an inte-gral part of policy for the development of its citizens, social cohesion and employment”.

The Memorandum on Lifelong Learning rela-tes the mandate of the European Coun-cils to make lifelong learning a reality and there are various key messages that suggest the need to implement a com-prehensive and coherent strategy for lifelong learning that aspires to “develop effective teaching and learning methods and contexts for the continuum of lifelong and li-fewide learning”.

So, as we focus on applying these princi-ples within the Autonomous Community of Andalusia and using the Innovation and Modernisation Plan for Andalusia (PIMA) as a reference document, we shall highlight the fact that in the section on knowledge-based industry and universi-ty policies, reference is made to several plans that reflect this same idea. These plans are linked to the need to integra-te methodological innovation and the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in teaching-learning processes.

Based on these principles and with a par-ticular emphasis on virtual learning, the

Virtual Learning Environment Program-me (EVA Programme) of the Andalusian Regional Ministry of Innovation, Science and Enterprise and the Technological Network of Andalusia (RETA) implements the key strategies captured in the PIMA (Innovation and Modernisation Plan for Andalusia) and aims to meet organisa-tions’ lifelong learning needs. Recogni-tion for professionals’ qualifications and the need to permanently update them are two of the major objectives of the EVA Programme, the identifying mark of which is that it is an innovative pedago-gical model that integrates various me-thods based on virtual teaching and the integration of innovation and ICT in the teaching-learning process.

As a way to achieve these objectives and with a strategy for implementing innova-tive lifelong learning methods, the EVA Programme has created this “Guide to Me-thodological Innovation in E-learning”, which aims to be a reference for crea-ting training programmes and courses

that are primarily based on teletraining. It is clearly meant to be practical when explaining how to implement methods that integrate tools for optimising virtual or semi-classroom learning processes. Each section of this guide will introduce the criteria that must direct the creation of any type of course, whether in an e-learning format or combined with other formats such as classroom learning.

Moreover, it covers quality criteria and in-dicators that will be helpful in assessing the design, execution and evaluation of lifelong learning using various methods.

PROLOGUE

Ángel Garijo GalveSecretary General of Telecommunications and the

Information Society

Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y EmpresaJunta de Andalucía

1.0 Introduction. Pedagogical Model

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1.0

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011

Guide to Methodological Innovation in E-learning

In this section, we will discuss:

The evolution of distance education

The concept of e-learning

Learning theories

IntroductionPedagogical Model


013Conceptual Framework 1.11.1.1. Distance Education

Several years have passed since e-learning first became a topic of discussion, and even more if we go back to the beginnings of distance education (Distance Ed). This section will briefly summarise the evolution of Distance Ed and how, in some cases, it has been confused with e-learning. Finally, the section will conclude with an explanation of the evolution that e-learning has undergone in recent years and how this evolution affects the focus that is given to teaching-learning processes today.

Distance Ed has its roots in the United States in the middle of the 18th century when an ad appeared in the Boston Gazette offering teaching material and tutoring by mail (García Aretio, 1999). It reached Europe to a significant degree at the end of the 19th century and saw its greatest growth in the second half of the 20th century, probably as a result of the major economic and social changes that affected all areas of education in general.

Distance Ed in Spain began in 1960 as a public administration initiative when the go-vernment established new teaching and study methods that could cover the needs of the rural population and those who lived far away from city centres. This new way of teaching and learning expanded throughout the following decade until distance stu-dents accounted for one-third of the entire student population. During that decade, the Spanish General Education Law (LGE) of 1970 was enacted, approving distance education as a way to achieve school enrolment at all educational levels. Various ad-ministrative authorities were created out of this law, such as the National Institute of Higher Secondary Distance Education (INBAD) and the National Centre for Basic Dis-


014

tance Education (CENEBAD), to oversee basic education and the National University of Distance Education (UNED) to oversee higher education.

Years later, in 1992, the Centre for Distance Education Innovation and Development (CIDEAD) was created in order to meet the educational needs of adults through conti-nuing education. There was a new push for Distance Ed during these years as various public and private initiatives began to appear, starting in 1995, with regards to lifelong training.

1.1.2. Distance Education and E-learning

Many debates have evolved around whether e-learning is a type of Distance Ed or if, in fact, it is a brand new way of teaching. Without wanting to delve too much into this debate, we will define this type of training while also clarifying the similarities and differences between e-learning and Distance Ed, as summarised in the following table

VER CUADRO 01 / PAG. 015

From the beginning, Distance Ed has had a fundamental role in enabling people who live in geographically remote areas, far away from any educational institution, to ac-cess training. It has also made access to education possible for people who do not have enough time or money to travel to cities where universities or professional schools are located. Distance Ed has benefited substantially from the use of new technologies, but it continues to fulfil a fundamental role in training from a distance.

Although it can meet this objective for the most part, e-learning has a clear technologi-cal component as ICTs are an essential requirement for its use.

On the other hand, and perhaps what most differentiates the two, is that e-learning, as it is viewed today, is not exclusive to distance training, but can also be used in corporate

015

DISTANCE EDUCATION E- LEARNING

DEFINITION

SIMILARITIES

DIFERENCES

Formal education based at an institu-tion where the learning group is separa-ted and where interactive telecommu-nications systems are used to connect the students, resources and instructors (M. Simonson, 2006).

Using new multimedia technologies and the Internet to improve the quality of learning by accessing long-distance resources and services and collaboration and exchanges (www.elearningeurope.info).

They may be synchronous or asynchronous.

Connection between students and resources with mediation from the instructor.

Many resources to connect the students and/or teaching staff: Internet, snail mail, radio, televi-sion, satellite, etc.

Separation between instructor and student (temporal and intellectual).

Interactive telecommunication desirable, but not essential..

The information does not always come quickly, nor is it possible to update it immediately..

Learning styles may vary from passive to participatory-constructive..

The resources are almost exclusively based on new technologies (ICT): Email, Internet, multime-dia products, mobile devices, etc.

The separation between the instructor and student is not always temporal (e.g.:videoconference)

Interaction is much more likely between students and between students and teaching staff due to the very nature of the technological resources used.

Both the information as well as the updates to the information can be immediate..

Thanks to the communication, collaborative lear-ning between students is encouraged through instruction mediation. A passive learning style is much less often chosen with this method..

CHART 01


016

contexts, as a supplement to classroom training, etc. In short, training via e-learning does not necessarily have to be located in areas that are geographically remote or unable to access any other type of training. Instead, choosing it is fundamentally based on the potential that ICTs contribute to the training and on the new learning styles associated with the methods used in these environments.

1.1.3. E-learning in Spain

Jesús Salinas (2005) distinguishes three phases in the evolution of e-learning in Spain:

1st phase: Focus on technology. The discussion of e-learning within organisations focused on the development of technological platforms or on implementing market solutions. Above all, this phase reflects developments in the first few years of e-learning, some of which still occur in some cases.

2nd phase: Focus on content. During this time, many companies set up technological platforms that were not capable of delivering quality training activities. The solution began to be seen through the use of sophisticated materials that provide more quality.

3rd phase: The third phase Salinas refers to focuses on the student and is where all decisions made are based on pedagogical criteria.

We advocate the full development of this third phase. ICTs are necessary and essential for e-learning, but only if they are used for a pedagogical purpose and in an appro-priate manner. It is no longer worth it to use ICTs ‘just because’. Content is essential, of course, but it must be quality content. However, putting all the weight on the content is a mistake if the student becomes a passive receiver. Accessing quality content is ea-sier than ever these days, precisely because of new technologies. So, what added value


017


can we offer? That is where this third phase comes in – when the role of the student finally acquires real significance in the teaching-learning process with the appropriate combination of content, expert teachers and new technologies in accordance with pedagogical criteria.

In short, as we see the teaching-learning process, the student must be the centre of the educational process. The content that is covered facilitates the improvement of the quality of the learning and students are provided with the intensive use of the Internet and ICTs, which also helps transmit these technological values in the organi-sations and/or entities that carry out some kind of training programme in the Virtual Learning Environment SEE CHART 02 / PG. 018

1.1.4. Learning Theories

All the elements of a training programme are important (students, experts, content, ICT, etc.) and must be framed within a pedagogical model that sustains them, as far as the understanding of the teaching-learning process, didactic methods, learning stra-tegies, tools, figures in the teaching-learning process, evaluation, etc. are concerned. Pedagogical models are supported by learning theories and principles that shape the organisational and didactic aspects of a training programme.

As Moreno and Bailly-Baillière (2002) point out, there is no ideal pedagogical approach to the methodological design of an e-learning course, but rather it is best to imple-ment a mixed strategy between a behaviourist and constructionist perspective as per the aspects at hand.

Behaviourist Theories

Organisational aspects: The formulation of objectives, content structuring, evaluation planning, etc.

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TEACHERS AS LEARNING

GUIDES

INNOVATION IN TEACHING

MATERIALS

INCREASES STUDENT

MOTIVATION

TRAINING FOR EVERYONE,

REGARDLESS OF THEIR GEOGRAPHIC

LOCATION, OCCUPATION, TIMETABLE, ETC.

ENCOURAGES ACCESS TO TRAINING

IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF THE

LEARNING

E- LEARNING

CHART 02


019


Constructionist Theories

Didactic aspects: Designing teaching strategies, learning activities, etc.

Different learning theories have contributed in different ways to designing online ma-terials and training activities. Behaviourism enables the creation of structured content aimed at specific knowledge objectives and, through exercises and evaluations, provi-des reinforcement that indicates correct and incorrect answers to the students in a sti-mulating manner so as to obtain certain responses from the students when repeating topics and/or exercises that have already been covered.

With constructionism, students learn through interaction with their classmates as well as their teachers during the knowledge building process, with feedback being a fun-damental factor in the final acquisition of content. Nowadays, teletraining platforms such as Moodle exist, which are based on this theory and therefore feature a structure that facilitates the production of learning based on these ideas.

Finally, there is a new tendency within the e-learning world to talk about connectio-nism (Siemens, 2006), which is a learning theory for the digital age that attempts to explain the effect that technology has had on the way we currently live, communicate and learn. This theory begins with the individual, who obtains all their information from a network that is continuously receiving feedback; this new information makes the previous information obsolete. The vital skill is in being able to discern what infor-mation is important and what is trivial, as well as recognising when this new informa-tion alters the decisions made based on past information. In this regard, we can see how this theory comes together with the new technologies of the digital age, where the information flows from multiple points and where it is crucial to know how to differentiate the essential from the trivial. Otherwise, we could fall for what Alfons Cor-nella (2000) defined as “infoxication”, or an excess of information or of the quality of this information, which generates anxiety in the individual due to not being able to assimilate it.


020


021Pedagogical Model1.2

We will now delve into the pedagogical model that supports this guide. We shall clarify that this model can be found in each of the sections of this guide, in the statements that are made herein and in the uses proposed for the various tools and methods. This pedagogical model is geared towards e-learning and its many varieties and, thus, se-veral references are made to teletraining platforms, web tools, etc. It also goes without saying, however, that many of the indications shown in this guide are perfectly appli-cable to other environments, as they are pedagogically based. We shall clarify that at all times we are referring to adult lifelong training and, more specifically, to training professionals from a competency management point of view. Therefore, when we talk about students in this guide, we are referring at all times to adult professionals.

As we mentioned previously, training programmes in which the principal method is teletraining are characterised by intensive use of the Internet and ICTs to improve the quality of the learning by facilitating access to content and resources as well as com-munication and collaboration among students and tutors, regardless of scheduling or


022

geographical limitations.

The pedagogical strategies and methods linked to an e-learning model that is set in a context of lifelong learning must contemplate the following principles.:

Learning to learn

Making the professional - the student - the active main figure in the process of teaching and learning

Collaborative learning

Encouraging active participation among professionals through various activities as part of the training activities, as well as the creation of learning communities

Compatibility and connection with professional realities

Offering programmes that are useful to professionals and which allow the learning to be put into practice immediately in their professional realities

The use of ICTs in the learning process

Promoting new means for professional development and facilitating access to lifelong learning opportunities

By placing the students in the centre of the teaching and learning process, the training programmes we design will bring together an entire system of resources aimed at facilitating their learning, based on the principle of “learning to learn”. This way, the


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learning scenario is structured in such a way that makes all the resources needed to optimise learning available to students and, at the same time, provides the tools that enable interaction and participation with all the other agents in the learning commu-nity in which they participate. Pedagogical strategies that guide and direct learning will be implemented in order to make the path towards achieving the objectives esta-blished in the courses easier.

1.2.1. Learning Guidance System

Next, the elements necessary for putting the principles of the pedagogical model into practice through a learning guidance system are provided. We also highlight some basic figures that are responsible for guaranteeing it and the pedagogical tools that come into play.

1.2.1.A. Keys to a Learning Guidance System

A learning guidance system consists of establishing everything from the design of the training plan itself to the instruments, mechanisms and tools that enable students to reach their goals: to learn, to acquire, to train, and so on. In other words, the professio-nal competencies that are to be studied in the training activity in question.

DESIGNING THE ACTUAL

TRAINING PLAN

DESIGNGING THE INSTRUMENTS,

MECHANISM AND TOOLS

Learning, acquiring, training

the professional competencies that are to be studied in the training activity

in question

+ =


024

The keys to a learning guidance system are teaching activities that provide students with:

Autonomous work. Assuming responsibility and control for their own learning by establishing their own rhythm and evolution in the process in such a way that the elements students need to approach the learning individually and autonomously in accordance with their learning styles will have to be defined.

Collaborative or group workIn parallel, group activities and actions must be consi-dered, in which students can share what they have learned with all the other agents in the educational process. From this perspective, it is very important to make students feel like members of a community and ensure that knowledge, experiences, points of view, etc. are shared.

“My learning scenario.” . Students must find themselves in a learning environment that they assume as their own: their learning scenario. This scenario should provide optimum possibilities for establishing the learning guidance system. Moreover, it is very important for there to be a particular area within the platform (student’s area), both because of the information it contains and because it is the students themselves that manage it. To do this, tools are available that contemplate these requirements, such as journals, blogs, personal data sheets, etc.

Teaching strategy for guidance.This is the principal element to be considered. The team of instructors must act as the principal agents for the student’s learning guidan-ce. Their teaching involves incorporating guide elements, orientations, etc. that help boost participation, the creation of communities, interaction, and so on.

All of these key elements will be shared in the student instructional guide, which will cover the following sections SEE CHART 03 / PG. 025

Autonomous learning, which is frequently a must with e-learning, requires the tea-ching strategy of using a course syllabus that indicates a series of aspects to students, thereby facilitating the autonomy that is asked of them. The following should be in-dicated to the student: the estimated time needed for daily study, the key sections to check and key information for studying, the recommended study sequence, the need

025

GENERAL AND SPECIFIC

OBJECTIVES FOR EACH MODULE

CONTENT BLOCKS

LEARNING METHOD

Sequence of content and concept

outlines

Clear definition of the goals students are expected to attain

General outline of the training activity,

indicating the timing

ACTIVITIES

RESOURCES AND TOOLS FOR

COMMUNICATING AND

PARTICIPATING

EVALUATION CRITERIA

An explanation of the activities to be completed by the

students, individually as well as in groups

At all times, students must know what resources and tools will be available

for the training activity in order to develop their

learning processes

An essential part of guidingthe learning is

stating the criteria by which the student’s learning is going to be evaluated on each topic. This includes criteria that not only refers to the content, but

also to participation and interaction in the learning

environment

1 2 3

4 5 6

DIDACTIC RECOMMEN-

DATIONS FOR THE

WORK

7

Course syllabus to optimise the learning

process

CHART 03


026

for self-scheduling by determining a fixed and continuous timetable and, finally, an online assistance service should be available with permanent help from someone that guides the student on these aspects - the programme facilitator, a figure that will be discussed in more depth later.

1.2.1.B. Learning to Teach Team

A learning guidance system is needed in any teaching and learning process, even more so when the distance and lack of physical contact must be managed so as not to become barriers to the students’ learning.

The teaching teams will have to implement this learning guidance service with the help of resources and teaching strategies. It is not enough to be experts on the content, they must also be advisers, guides and a constant source of support for students.

The institutions that carry out e-learning programmes must therefore be staffed with expert professionals in psycho-pedagogy who provide instructional advice on these new needs. This is referred to as the Learning to Teach Team (LTT) and, together, they form a multi-disciplinary team that designs and runs the courses.

Role and Qualifications of the LTT

The LTT should be a working group that is continuously in the process of instructional innovation, the objective of which is to provide the various teaching teams with the tools necessary to design and implement the various programmes. They shall oversee and be responsible for guaranteeing the pedagogical qualifications of all the teaching figu-res involved in the learning process, thereby becoming a transversal team for all of the organisation’s training programmes. This will guarantee the pedagogical adaptation of the programme designs, as well as the teaching qualifications of instructors, tutors, me-diators and experts in the different knowledge areas . SEE CHART 04 / PG. 027

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ROLE OF LTT

To provide the teaching teams with tools to design

and implement training programmes

To guarantee the pedagogical quality of all the teaching figures and

roles involved in the learning process

To guarantee the pedagogical

adaptation of programme designs as well as the teaching

qualifications of instructors, tutors, mediators and experts

on the various areas of knowledge

1 2 3

CHART 04


028

This is all part of a training plan that will be made available to these teaching teams as a part of their professional development. We believe that the LTT should have the following professional qualifications.

Expert knowledge in programming and designing teaching materials.

Able to teach instructional tools, techniques and instruments.

Able to offer psycho-pedagogical orientations in training programmes.

Able to establish teaching strategies to guarantee the pedagogical model in the training programmes.

Able to encourage creativity and innovation.

Able to promote the use of innovative teaching methods.

Able to ensure the appropriate use of new technologies applied to training.

Controls the use of virtual learning environments

Controls tutoring techniques and learning guidance

1.2.1.C. Learning Guidance Process

As has already been seen in previous sections, e-learning requires students to be suffi-ciently autonomous. Therefore, it is necessary to have a process that helps guide and


029


direct their learning. The learning guidance system must be a transversal element in any training activity, with all the agents involved in the training process (those who design, tutor, teach, facilitate, etc.) being responsible for implementing it. Four phases can be defined in the guidance process: Preparation, beginning, body of the course and the end SEE CHART 05 / PG. 030

We will now take a look at the main functions of the guidance process in a training activity.

To Inform

Establish a system for ongoing information and communication with students:

• Information on the instructional development of the training activity (dates, begin-ning, end, handing in activities, etc.)

• Information on the educational content

• Information on the tools and resources available to learn better

To Motivate

Incorporate a system to motivate learning:

• Adaptation to students’ learning needs. This involves the need to first analyse the training needs.

• Clear definition of the learning objective (goal to be reached); what the student is expected to learn from the training activity.

030

At the beginning of each training activity, the

learning guidance process is set up in which teachers and progra-

mme facilitators are responsible for guiding the students. This is the phase

in which the didactic guide is made available to the students, specifying

all the elements that were mentioned above. This is the time to jointly

establish “the game rules”.

The learning guidance strategy must first be seen as a strategic

part of the pedagogic model for any organisation that offers e-learning

programmes. Secondly, each training programme must integrate the stra-tegy, beginning with the design and

planning.

At the end of the training activity

and with the evaluation criteria established for the lear-

ning in mind, the training activity must be closed by clearly informing

the students how they intervened in the learning environment and of the

results of these evaluations. To do so, the system for monitoring student

learning must have been previously established (in the preparation

phase).

Most of the learning guidance work

comes into play during the training activity. Students must

be made aware of what goals they are to achieve, what they have to do, how, where, what resources are avai-

lable, etc. Above all, they must not feel abandoned. Therefore, encouraging

participation and motivating learning will be two aspects to which careful

attention must be paid in this phase of the process.

PREPARATION BEGINNING

DURING THE COURSE

END

1 2

3 4

CHART 05


031


• Define and make a system available to students for participation and interaction so that he or she becomes involved in his own learning process.

• Create a feeling of belonging for the student in the training activity. In other words, the student should feel like an integrated member of their learning group. All of this will help avoid loneliness (even abandonment) in the learning environment.

• Permanent feedback. The student’s contributions and interventions must be consi-dered at all times, thus enabling multi-directional communication, and response times should be immediate.

• Encourage group activities that generate virtual communities, collaborative work, teamwork, etc., in which individual actions have consequences and are valuable to the group.

• The activities must always be practical and useful in the student’s working environ-ment, so that they can be used immediately and help with professional development. Along with all of this, teaching activities that allow students to self-evaluate their lear-ning process are also necessary.

To Guide

Implement an orientation system:

• Orientation to the learning environment. Working in the teletraining platform: how to correctly use the various platform tools and resources.

• Orientation in terms of the process itself. In other words, guiding and helping students in their individual learning processes with regard to selecting information, academic organisation, study times, etc. In short, helping students build knowledge autonomously and in a way that it fits with their approach to study (learning style).


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To Advise

Running a learning advisory system:

• Instructional recommendations to optimise learning through the use of the guidan-ce strategy defined in the course syllabus.

• Permanent online assistance from the programme facilitator through various chan-nels and tools (email, telephone, web messaging, videoconference, etc.).

1.2.1.D. Tutoring in E-learning

E-learning tutoring has a very important place in this analysis of the pedagogical mo-del. The role of the tutor is not limited to the transmission of knowledge but rather requires a new teaching role in which he/she acts more like an adviser or learning gui-de. Their role is similar to that of a training consultant, learning facilitator, adviser, etc. who helps the student in their learning process so that they can reach the instructional objectives set out.

The interaction between instructors, students and content becomes a common de-nominator in e-learning, based on the constructionist concept of teaching, learning and guidance strategies. The e-tutor is the key to the learning guidance process as their instructional intervention is necessary when implementing the process defined above.

Clarke (1986) cited by García Aretio (1999-2002) says: “The action of tutoring is a means to assist and reinforce the self-learning process, it is never just an act of information transmis-sion which leads to a relationship of dependency”.

In section 1.3 of this guide, New learning scenarios, we shall delve deeper into the pedagogical qualifications of the instructor’s profile in this new environment.


033


Programme Facilitator

The role of the facilitator is one of the keys we find in e-learning as their coordination task will be fundamental to the success of the training programmes. This person mo-nitors the students individually throughout their learning journeys, motivates them not to give up, maintains direct contact with them throughout the training process and is the reference point for resolving any questions or incidences. For all of these reasons, this figure is a useful tool, the main objective of which is to provide teaching support.

The main functions of this key figure can be seen in the following diagram ( SEE CHART 06 / PG. 034):

The Programme Facilitator’s qualifications profile must include the following as-pects:

• Coordinator• Organiser• Virtual leader• Perseverance• Facilitator• Empathy generator• Discipline

In terms of professional qualifications, he/she must have:

• Knowledge of Internet tools• Knowledge of online content design and development• Skills to motivate, guide and communicate in the learning process• Written communication, with the use of clear, concise and direct language, facilita-ting messages that are adapted to any user level, from basic to advanced or technical• Advanced knowledge of the e-learning platform

034

Realization and elaboration teaching

guides, didactic books, materials...

TEACHING SUPPORT FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES

ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT

TEACHERS TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Welcome to students

Communicate and inform about the course notable

events

Control academic planning

Impulse the motivation and

participation, learning constructivist

conception and students

creativity sense

Carry out student control

and tracking

Transmit platform possibilities as to

resources, tools and uses that start up

educational programmes

1 2 3

Register in platform and matriculation

CHART 06


035


1.2.2. Types of Training Activities

As we continue to explain how to put the principles of the pedagogical model into practice, we shall propose types of training activities, with the main criteria being the student’s level of autonomy in his/her learning process. This classification will depend on whether the student needs more or less support, which, in turn, is determined by the degree of complexity and level of learning.

1.2.2.A. Type I Training Activities (Autonomous Learning)

Type I training activities are characterised by providing students with the possibility of learning autonomously based on some pedagogical guidelines and criteria defined for each course. Digital content plays a central role because it features a highly instructio-nal and self-explanatory component. For this kind of training activity, the programme facilitator is a key figure who directs the students and ensures that the requirements of the learning plan are fulfilled. The self-evaluation process will be completed using automatically corrected questionnaires SEE CHART 07 / PG. 036

1.2.2.B. Acciones Formativas tipo II (Aprendizaje guiado)

This type of training activity will be determined by tutored monitoring by a mediator, who will be a figure of reference for students and will accompany them in their lear-ning process. Guided learning will be supported by teaching materials that require

036

AUTONOMYSELF-EVALUATIONSELF-EXPLANATORY DIGITAL CONTENT

PROGRAMME FACILITATOR

AUTONOMOUS LEARNING

MONITORINGTRAINING EVALUATION

INTERACTIVE TEACHING

AIDS LEARNING MEDIATOR

GUIDED LEARNING

CONTROLTRAINING AND

SUMMARY EVALUATION

TEACHING MATERIALS AND

TOOLS FOR COLLABORATIVE

WORK

EXPERT PROFESSIONALS

LEARNING WITH EXPERTS

CHART 07


037


instructional orientation from the mediator. The learning is continuously evaluated through the use of achievement criteria established for each course of this kind. SEE CHART 07 / PG. 036

1.2.2.C. Type III Training Activities (Learning with Experts)

Type III training activities require more extensive control by expert professionals in specific knowledge areas. Once the method is defined (e-learning, blended learning), it may be combined with personalised coaching sessions. The evaluation process re-quires continuous supervision, which enables a formative and summary evaluation with various types of quantitative and qualitative VER CUADRO 07 / PAG. 036

1.2.3. Pedagogical Structure of Training Activities

This section looks at how to structure the training activities pedagogically. First, the information that must be considered for all courses – instructional documentation – is presented and, secondly, how it should be organised within the teletraining platform – the pedagogical architecture.

1.2.3.A. Instructional Documentation

The instructional documentation that accompanies any training activity includes two components, the first of which is material for the students:


038

Student Instructional Guide. A reference document for students on the characte-ristics and unfolding of the entire training programme. General and specific objecti-ves, method, content blocks (modules/topics), duration, credit hours, evaluation cri-teria, etc.

Didactic guides for each module/topic.For each module or course topic, the tea-ching team must create and make available a didactic guide for students that outli-nes the learning objectives, method, content, duration, evaluation criteria, head ins-tructors, tools for communication, guidance for learning, etc. for the module/topic in question.

Instructional manual. A manual with course content that must be made available to students as soon as the teaching team deems appropriate. Depending on the na-ture of each training activity, this manual may be handed out in modules/topics or at the end of the course. In order to comply with all current laws, those responsible for creating the instructional manual must follow all requirements with regards to inte-llectual property The second component is the material for the teaching team:

Instructor’s guide. A reference document for the team of tutors (instructors), which outlines in detail everything that is needed for each didactic unit. In other words, it is the document that describes how the course should be taught. All the modules and topics are described in a didactic manner in such a document.

1.2.3.B. Pedagogical Architecture

Pedagogical architecture refers to the way that the learning areas are organised in the teletraining platform, which are structured in the following way:

Required Content. Materials that students are required to study for the optimal de-


039


velopment of their learning process. This content may be presented in many different formats:

lAdvanced digitisation in training pills, flash, e-books, etc.

Example of Eva learnings pill.

lPDF documents created by an expert on the subject, based on a document that combines text and images (PowerPoint, Word, etc.)lLinks to open Internet content


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Supplementary Materials. Articles, links, references, etc., that supplement the re-quired content and allow students to obtain additional information and delve deeper into areas in which they are interested. This content will be reinforced with individual as well as group activities.

Individual Activities. Articles, links, references, etc., that supplement the required content and allow students to obtain additional information and delve deeper into areas in which they are interested. This content will be reinforced with individual as well as group activities.

Group Activities. Activities that require participation from the group of students. These activities must fulfil the pedagogical principle of encouraging team and colla-borative work.

lAudiovisual content: video recordings, audio files, etc.

Example of audiovisual channel (EVA Educational Channel)


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Example of pedagogical architecture.

All the training activities carried out in a virtual learning environment must be ac-companied by tools for communication and tutoring that enable interaction between students and the teaching team which assist this team in invigorating the student’s learning process. Moreover, they stimulate motivation and participation by reinforcing a group feeling within the course (social tools). Likewise, tools should be considered for evaluating students learning. These kinds of tools, among many others, will be dis-cussed later in this guide.


042


043

Teaching-learning experiences through the use of ICTs are developed under space and time circumstances that are unrelated to those of traditional teaching systems. The new learning scenarios must consider the changes that affect the educational pro-cess in terms of content, objectives, experts, students, etc.

Changes in education on any scale mean that anyone affected by it must understand and share the same vision as to how innovation will improve the education so they may be long-lasting and withstand time. Moreover, a new learning scenario will have to respond to the processes by which people are capable of learning individually and in a community through interaction and collaborative actions.

Three aspects that are important with regards to this point, in our opinion, constitute the basic pillars in these new learning scenarios – the role of the student, the role of the instructor and the training the instructors must receive in order to teach in an e-learning context.

1.3 New Learning Scenarios


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1.3.1. The Role of the Student

We shall begin by discussing the students, who are not regarded simply as knowled-ge receivers, as mentioned above. Dr Joanne H. Urrutia (2007), in her speech “Lear-ning 2.0 and the Future of Education”, refers to this issue: “Therefore, the role of the student includes those of contributor, creator and selector. The purpose of the teacher is merged with that of the students in becoming promoters of learning and collaboration”. The role of the tutor complements these new functions and commitments that the students have to acquire in this kind of training and which involve a level of moti-vation that must favour the learning platform in which the training programme is going to be developed.

So, we must be sure that the student is perfectly familiar with the learning environ-ment, including the tools, resources, activities, etc. that guide them in this aware-ness process. Thus, any training activity must feature an initial module (module 0), the objective of which is to transmit the necessary knowledge so the student learns to work in the virtual learning platform and can get the most out of their learning process.

In this initial module, they must be given instructional recommendations and gui-delines on what the commitment is and on the needs required by the e-learning method as this new scenario forces new skills and mechanisms for interaction to come into play. We would like to highlight the following idea that we got out of the document entitled “ICTs in Education: The International Scene and the Spanish Case” in which various authors mention that the student “must make use of their skills to begin learning and continue learning In a way that is more and more efficient and autonomous, in accordance with their needs and objectives”.


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1.3.2. The Role of the Instructor

We now move on to the second aspect indicated above, which is the role of the instructor and the new needs when dealing with a learning scenario in which the virtual learning platform will be the only contact with the students in most cases.

García Aretio (2006) refers to this role in these new learning scenarios: “In the most in-

novative learning environments, it is not about students and instructors doing more or less the

Module 0 de la EVA learning virtual platform.


046

same as they have in classroom learning scenarios. Besides the space-timing structural change,

the responsibilities and tasks of each also change substantially … the instructor becomes more

of a guide rather than a detonator of information”.

EVA creates the learning scenarios in which its training programmes associated with the various methods are carried out and they may be virtual or mixed scenarios (clas-sroom and virtual learning). Through its model, EVA promotes scenarios that incor-porate technology as a facilitator in the sense that it enables an opportunity to learn without any spatial and/or time limitations.

Therefore, this new scenario leads to discussions about a “new” instructor profile, the qualifications of which are presented below and which are categorised into three blocks or areas

As an expert in their knowledge area

• Expert mastery of the content to be taught.• Awareness of the design and academic structure of the training programme• Able to facilitate learning• Academic planning and organisation (curriculum)• Instructional support regarding content• Evaluation of students’ learning (regarding content and within the learning scenario)• Creativity and innovation

As a tutor in an e-learning environment

• Didactic understanding of the virtual learning environment


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• Able to work with communication tools and computer programmes• Instructional management of resources and virtual tools• Use of training applied ICTs• Promote participation and collaborative learning in an e-learning environment

As a learning adviser

• Guide students’ learning process• Use strategies and techniques to motivate learning• Invigorate learning• Communication skills for a virtual environment

1.3.3. Teaching Qualifications

In view of all the above, it is essential that instructors have the teaching skills indi-cated above. In order to guarantee the quality of the training activities and ensure the principles of the pedagogical model, the organisation is responsible for offering them a training plan that helps them acquire and/or improve their knowledge and skills in order to teach in the virtual learning environment.

One of the responsibilities of the Learning to Teach Team (LTT) is implementing this training plan. It begins with a phase in which training needs are diagnosed through the use of a “virtual instructional assessment tool” found on a website. This is used as a tool to assess instructional knowledge and the ability to use a virtual learning environment as an instructor. They may complete a diagnostic self-evaluation which allows them to discover their own level of instructional knowledge and skills.


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This training plan must include training activities on two levels:

LEVEL 1. Basic Teaching Qualifications: Training activities with essential con-tent (thematic areas) that must be mastered in order to guarantee the fulfilment of the pedagogical model. These training activities will be designed and taught by the LTT, where experts in pedagogical training will guide and direct the lear-ning process through individual monitoring and ongoing evaluation.

LEVEL 2. Supplementary Teaching Qualifications: Training actions whose pur-pose is to offer either updated/recycled knowledge or an introduction to innova-tive content of interest in the field of e-learning. These training activities are de-signed to provide the possibility of learning autonomously based on instructional guides and a well-defined pedagogical structure with special emphasis on digital content (major instructional and self-explanatory component, knowledge pills), with self-evaluation activities and tutoring by the programme facilitator as a key figure offering teaching support.

One example of this kind of training is the E-trainer Training ,activity, in which the teaching skills necessary for conducting activities in an e-learning training environment are developed. The content that is covered in this training activity transmits knowledge on the design and development of e-learning programmes, e-learning instructional skills, didactic handling of virtual learning environments and the instructional uses of e-learning tools and activities.


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Learning courses teacher training

050 065

2.0


The process of methodological innovation in training

Innovative teaching methods

MethodologicalInnovation.


053The Process of Methodological Innovation2.1We think of methodological innovation as the process by which various teaching stra-tegies and tools are incorporated based on the needs and qualifications of the stu-dents and the organisations, the nature of the content and their pedagogical design and the learning scenario that is chosen in each specific case. The teaching tools used, as well as the methods that uphold the training programmes we design, will be su-pported by the training possibilities and potentialities SEE CHART 08 / PG. 055

In this section, we shall focus on analysing the learning methods that constitute this integrated model, but before doing so, we shall identify the active agents in the pro-cess (learning community) and those who benefit from the various existing teaching methods:

Students, who develop their competencies in different ways, knowledge and skills acquired through training pills, strengthen their discursive capacity in themed forums, and develop their problem resolution skills through case analyses..

Experts, who generate knowledge and offer it by contributing their experience and background.

tutores y tutoras (docentes/profesorado), que orientan el aprendizaje y guían al alum-nado ofreciendo las mejores soluciones en cada momento.

dinamizador, a key figure who supports the agents above in organising and plan-ning the programmes, guaranteeing the quality of the learning activities undertaken in the platform.In order to be able to apply the integrationist model presented herein, the institution

0542.1 Methodological Innovation

that wishes to implement it must be equipped with certain technological resources and tools. As we have already mentioned in previous sections, in order to be able to carry out e-learning courses, the ICTs and the use of the Internet are absolutely essen-tial.

As examples, below is a list of resources that the EVA Programme was equipped with given the objectives we sought to achieve, not only to be able to offer e-learning cour-ses, but also to be equipped with other tools that allow us to develop a series of other related activities:

1. A Web Portal (www.portaleva.es),through which pedagogical services are offe-red.

2. A Teletraining Platform, through which the different training programmes are carried out and which attempts to be a personalised learning environment in which the members of the learning community share their experiences in a welcoming, cor-porate setting; providing them with a feeling of belonging, which is another of the transversal skills that are included in the teaching and learning processes.

3. Besides these two basic pillars (web portal and platform), we have worked to create other areas that can supplement our activity based on the pedagogical model suggested herein: a blog about e-learning, called a Laboratory and an educational channel on the Internet where our videos can be posted. Moreover, we have created accounts for our programme in various Web 2.0 applications, which allow us to share documentation and files (e.g.: flickr, slideshare, etc.).

Apart from the tools and agents involved in the development of the training program-mes, the integrated model contemplates the creation of materials in one of its phases thanks to the possibilities that technology offers. Digitising the content will allow us to present it in different formats (according to international standards and regulations), which enhances both its scientific quality as well as the criteria for its creation and interactivity with the user. Added to all of this are activities that are carried out in each of the programmes that encourage teamwork, thanks to interaction between all the agents of the learning community. Communication is another fundamental compe-tence that is boosted thanks to the different platform tools (videoconference, online communication, etc.), which will be analysed in more depth in the next section.

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Methodological Update in all areas

of knowledge: Academic and professional

Creation of all kinds of digital media (content,

e-books, SCORM) which are compatible,

accessible and interoperable

Expert pedagogical consultation

(instructional design, technical consultation, digitisation, creativity,

graphic design, etc.)

Integration in learning platforms

Content registry

Digital content as an innovation

project

Emphasis on expert

knowledge

Instrument: Guide to

Innovation

Open source software tools

Monitoring the content

creation process

Supplier selection

CHART 08


056

?


057

We will now lay out the learning methods used in our model as they may be used by the reader for reference. Each one of these methods may be applied to a greater or lesser extent, or combined depending on the desired pedagogical objectives.

2.2.1. E-learning

E-learning is understood here as training and learning provided through the tech-nology of networks, the Internet and ICTs in general that enable immediate access to resources and content.

The e-learning method is a new training strategy which is compatible with and com-plementary to other more traditional training models, which must evolve due to the constant changes that have occurred and continue to occur in social and technolo-gical environments.

E-learning is not a method that is going to replace already existing training models.

Innovative TeachingMethods2.2


Instead, as indicated previously, it constitutes a complementary method that offers the opportunity to improve the overall effectiveness of teaching and learning.

Out of all the characteristics that position it as a method that improves the quality of learning, a range of variables can be highlighted, such as:

• The manner in which the content is presented• The role of the teachers and students in the new learning scenarios• The use of synchronous and asynchronous communication tools, etc.

From among the many advantages attributed to it, we shall highlight the following:

• It makes a large volume of information available to students• It makes it easier to update the information and content• It adjusts the information regardless of where the instructors and students are and what time it is• It favours interactivity in various areas: with the information, with the teachers and among the students

But, despite all the advantages e-learning can provide, it would be unrealistic not to point out certain aspects that must be kept in mind before adopting this method. Cabero (2006) indicates some of them:

• It requires a greater time investment on the part of the teachers• It requires some technological competency on the part of teachers and students• It requires students to have skills in autonomous learning• It can diminish the quality of the training if there is not an appropriate teacher-stu-dent ratio• It requires more work than traditional methods

These disadvantages will be mitigated as more experience in its use is acquired. For this reason, it is essential that institutions that decide to incorporate this type of training train and enable their teachers, as well as explain to the students from the beginning what their role is in this new scenario – issues that have already been co-vered in this guide and which will be repeated as necessary throughout this text.

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2.2.2. Blended-learning

This training model is based on a combination of e-learning and classroom learning, by adapting the advantages of each of them and pedagogically structuring the virtual sessions with the classroom ones so that the objective of facilitating the learning for the student is met.

Focusing on analysing the advantages of each of the two methods may make it so-mewhat easier to understand what can be achieved by using this means of training:

Advantages of e-learning .

The reduction of costs habitually caused by transportation, accommodation, etc., the elimina-tion of spatial barriers and making time more flexible. In order to carry out a large part of the course activities, it is not necessary for those who participate to coincide in the same place and time.

Advantages of classroom learning .

Physical interaction, which has a notable impact on participant motivation. This faci-litates the establishment of bonds and offers the possibility of carrying out activities that boost skills and attitudes (training workshops that shall be explained later on).

Using this method, the e-trainer, with supervision from the LTT, can choose to define which content and activities are self-learned, which are tutored, the roles of the clas-



sroom learning adviser and the virtual e-trainer, etc. for a course that is being desig-ned.

This makes it possible to conduct activities such as those referred to as training wor-kshops above, where the content studied in the virtual part can be reinforced and assignments may be proposed to share the activities that were also carried out as part of the non-classroom side.

In short, this combination of methods opens a wide array of possibilities for learning and participant-subject interactivity.

2.2.3. Rapid -Learning

Rapid Learning is essentially based on the use of learning pills. By using this training method, it is possible to adjust to the specific training and technology needs of each organisation by teaching the pedagogically structured content and in multi-media formats that are implemented with animation, text, video and photos in order to get the most out of them educationally.

The main characteristic is the short duration and the presentation of the content in small doses, which may or may not be overseen and led by expert professionals on the subject.

It is important to make clear that the use of pills in and of itself does not constitute rapid learning. In fact, it is perfectly viable to use these pills in the other methods as digital content. In the case of e-learning, they will be accompanied by another se-ries of activities and for in-company corporate training, they may be accompanied by coaching, etc.

The fundamental difference with rapid learning beyond the use of these kinds of pill-type materials is the duration of the course, which must always be very brief. Moreover, they should be aimed at the acquisition of very specific knowledge.

061



2.2.4. Mobile-Learning

Mobile Learning is a teaching method that offers the possibility of learning through the Internet, but with maximum portability, interactivity and connectivity. It integrates e-learning with mobile communication devices (mobile phones, PDAs, MP3 players, etc.) for the purpose of generating educational experiences anywhere, at anytime.

The content that is transmitted using this method may be checked regardless of loca-tion as no physical connection is necessary; and in terms of time, no specific moment is required in order to learn. This method reduces even more, if possible, the few limi-tations of Internet-based learning systems.

This method is a response to newly-developed educational processes that serve ur-gent learning demands – just in time training – besides the fact that it can be set up on mobile learning scenarios, which offers immense interactivity.

Very specific examples of this kind of training are often those carried out through PDA devices in rural areas or areas that are difficult to access (training for NGOs), as well as those used by professionals that travel a lot for their work (emergency healthcare personnel). But it can also be used for informal learning, for example in a museum when standing in front of a painting and using a mobile device to provide the author’s biography.

2.2.5. Workflow-Learning

Workflow Learning is the method that combines the concepts of learning and work and is defined as learning that takes place during the working process through learning


pills that are viewed in real time within the context in which the professional wishes to be trained.

The use of this method makes it possible to train people while they are carrying out their professional duties and competencies, through content and systems that are in-tuitive for the student. It is about integrating the learning process and the working process where a student effectively learns at the same time he/she is working.

Jay Cross (2008) indicates in his book, Informal Learning that “informal learning is the path

towards productivity, agility and growth capacity. It is also an approach that respects the wor-

ker and challenges him/her to make the most out of all his/her capabilities”; and this is what this learning method attempts to do as it brings education to the worksite and enables training while people are performing their regular duties.

2.2.6. Case Analysis

The basis for this learning method are cases, which make it possible to simulate an experience that is later studied and analysed, thus extracting a correlation made up of a set of elements that are inter-related and happen in a process.

The case method can be applied to different scenarios, depending on the pedagogical strategy and intention. Transferring it to e-learning is the process that is outlined be-low and which is done by using a virtual learning platform.

workflow learning

informal learning=

063


Problem resolution is the key skill worked on when using the case method and there are others that can be covered in combination, such as the capacity to analyse and synthesise information, predict a future situation, the decision-making process, etc. Furthermore, the following transversal skills will be worked on:

• Communication skills• Teamwork•The capacity to work in a group• Innovation and creativity

Depending on the pedagogical intention, the case method can be applied in diffe-rent ways:

1. Resolución del caso a nivel individual. Each student works on the case, individually contributing solutions and resolving the situation described in the case (comprehen-sive reading, problem resolution, analysis of the situation presented, decision-making, and creation of a report of conclusions/solutions).


TOOLCase

SCENARIOVirtual Learning Platform

TEACHING METHODCase Method


2. Resolution in multiple groups. The case is resolved in groups, organised according to an established work plan, following a methodological structure:

• Division into small debate groups (shared detection of the problem and solutions)• Large group debate led by the tutor. Joint analysis and solutions.• The provision of supplementary information on the case that helps delve deeper into the situation (this will be provided in accordance with the needs established by the teacher)

The process by which the case method is implemented in e-learning involves five steps:

1. Defining the teaching strategy: Establishing the learning objectives, method, ne-cessary resources, instructor planning, means of instructional application, skills to work on, the system for participation and communication, the system for evaluating learning, etc..

2. Designing the cases: Carried out by a team of experts on the topic.

3. Adapting the case to the e-learning format: Digitising it to allow it to be provided in different formats (knowledge pill, PDF, etc.) as well as the creation of supplementary materials, such as audiovisual presentations, graphics, etc.

4. Configuring the learning scenario

5. Loading the content and setting it up on the platform

The development of the case method, whatever the target audience may be, will have certain objectives to cover and it will unfold in combination with online and classroom seminars.

Below is a summary of the learning methods that have just been explained : SEE CHART 09 / PG. 065

065

Training that is defined

by intensive use of the Internet and ICT to

improve the quality of the learning by facilitating access

to content and resources as well as communication and

collaboration among students and teachers, regardless of

scheduling or geographic limits

Training solutions that stand out due to their

versatility as they enable access to learning pills

whenever and wherever the professional needs them through devices such as

mobile telephones or PDAs.

E- LEARNING

MOBILELEARNING

1

4

This method combines both methodologies:

E-learning and classroom learning. Integration of

isolated classroom training sessions when the training

programme so requires.

Learning that takes place at the worksite and while

working through learning pills that are viewed in real time

within the context in which the professional wishes to receive

training

BLENDEDLEARNING

WORKFLOW

2

5

A teaching and learning method

that is particularly inductive, in which, by

studying and analysing real situations, the described

facts and processes involved are analysed and interpreted,

problems are defined and resolved and conclusions

are drawn on the basis of a decision-making

process

A method that is characterised by its short

duration and which aims to facilitate the training “just in time” through small content

packages or learning pills that can also be overseen and

revitalised by experts

RAPIDLEARNING

CASE ANALYSIS

3

6

CHART 09

B. 066

0833.0


Instructionally innovative learning tools.

Tools.


069

3.1 Learning Tools

The tools that are used most often in virtual learning environments must fulfil various requirements in order to foster a quality teaching-learning process. These require-ments include, among others, flexibility and the capacity to adapt to change. After all that has been mentioned in previous sections, we are now approaching the moment when they are applied as learning tools. They must be designed with the following question in mind: What can be designed and put into practice in a training progra-mme for which the objective is students learning in an innovative manner, working through collaborative learning, being autonomous in their learning, and in such a way that this learning has some kind of connection to students’ professional realities, all while using ICTs through innovative methodologies?

The purpose of the learning tools that are integrated in training programmes is to systematise the innovation and development process in learning. These tools are crea-ted by using open source software as the starting point as a means to transfer and exchange knowledge where all the agents in the learning community carry out their teaching.

Next, the most common tools used in e-learning will be explained, as almost all of them are used within a teletraining platform or through the Internet. In any case, as mentioned before, these tools can be used in combination with other methods. The explanatory files on each tool can be found in Appendix 1 of this guide. The learning

0703.0 Learning Tools

The learning tools discussed here can be categorised into three general areas:

Teaching Tools :

Forums • Electronic messaging • Wikis and Blogs • Interactive glossaries • Digital content • Additional content (multimedia, open source, links, etc) • File area/Download area • Chat • Virtual classroom • Videoconferences • Web 2.0 applications •Training workshops (classroom)

Evaluation Tools :

• Exercises and Tasks • Exams

Instructional Management Tools :

• Calendars • Notice boards • Sending SMS

Although we describe mainly the tools that are featured in the open source software teletraining platform Moodle, any platform, whether open-source or licensed, has

3.0 Learning Tools

many of them installed. The choice of one platform over another, besides being based on issues such as whether or not they are open-source, the pedagogical model they uphold, etc, should also be determined by the tools that they make available to ins-tructors and students, as this is what, for the most part, establishes the type of course and activities that may be offered. Each of these tools is outlined below:

3.1.1. Teaching Tools

3.1.1.A. Forums

A forum is the most powerful asynchronous communication tool in an e-learning course. Its asynchronous nature makes it ideal for requiring participants to think about, reflect upon and mature the contributions, which have a degree of perma-nence in and of themselves. The principal premise that this tool aims to cover is that of generating communication and collaboration among students and teachers, regardless of scheduling or geographical limits. Forums can be used in many ways based on their intention. Some of them are explained here as examples:

Debate/Themed Forum:This type of forum is used for debate or discussion among all the participants on a specific topic/case/situation that is set by the teacher.

Question Forum:This forum gathers all the students’ questions on a specific topic, an assignment or activity that has been explained by the teacher in the module

Working Group (Forum): This tool also permits the creation of group forums so that the students can work in a space that is dedicated to doing some kind of assignment, small group debate, etc.


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Open Area (Forum):This forum is open for participation by the entire learning com-munity, an area that has no defined debate topic, but instead is used as a means of socialising, a place to chat about non-academic topics, introductions among the stu-dents in the course, etc.

One application for forums is student email subscriptions, which allow them to di-rectly receive new messages via their email without having to enter the platform.

3.1.1.B. Electronic Messaging

Using this learning tool, the entire learning community that participates in a training programme can communicate directly through the platform.

Messages can be sent and received with this communication tool quickly and easily. Moreover, among other things, it allows a network of contacts (agenda) to be created so that communication is more convenient, to have access to all sent messages, etc.

As far as the teachers are concerned, they can communicate directly with the students, select groups or send messages individually. Normally, this tool is used when the con-tent of the message is not of shared interest; for example, explanations regarding a student’s marks.

3.1.1.C. Wikis and Blogs

Wiki: A tool that enables the creation of content in a collaborative manner. One of the things that is useful about a wiki in a training environment is the ability to create joint documents for an assignment. Content can be created, modified and deleted by different users, and thus, as a learning tool it has very high pedagogical

073


3.0 Learning Tools

potential as it contributes to the creation of constructive thinking among the entire learning community.

Blog: A blog, unlike a wiki, is more of a personal site, with information organised chronologically, in which teachers and students can create, with the intention that their colleagues will read what has been created. Colleagues can give their opinions on what is written, but cannot modify the original text, which is the main difference from a wiki. In this regard, a blog can be used in an educational context in many ways, such as having a blog about the way the course is going, how research is progressing, summarising content that is being worked on, etc..

Any of these two tools can be directly available from a teletraining platform, but there are also many websites on the Internet on which these tools can be used for free.

3.1.1.D. Interactive Glossary

This learning tool, which is offered on various platforms such as Moodle, makes it pos-sible for several users to create a glossary simultaneously. Moreover, the interactivity is a given as it is present throughout all the platform content. In other words, wherever a term from the glossary appears, it is automatically underlined so that the students can click on it and immediately read what it means.

3.1.1.E. Digital Content

Digital content, by definition, is that which has gone through some type of digitisa-tion, whether of a low level (e.g. PDF format) or of a high level (e.g. flash format). The types of formats used in digital content are all those that are used in office packages,


PDF formats, e-books, learning pills in flash, xhtml documents, etc. Section 4, Teaching Materials, deals exclusively with this topic, so it will not be covered in great detail at this point.

Here w shall highlight the specific usefulness of featuring certain digitised content within a platform such as the content created under SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) standards. It is possible to create structured pedagogical objects with the advantage that they can be reused, transferred to other platforms, updated, and so on. The additional advantage is that they are traceable through the platform so that it is possible to analyse, on an individual basis, what part of the content students have worked on, whether they have done the exercises and even what marks they have obtained on the self-evaluations included in the content.

3.1.1.F. Additional Content (multimedia, open content, links, etc.)

Any platform should have an area dedicated to additional content so that students can access other kinds of audiovisual resources and links of interest that provide added value to the training programmes.

For example, in our case, we have created an educational channel on YouTube so that we can post certain video files that are later easily accessed by students. In any case, the Web nowadays offers an infinite number of resources to create video libraries in which training videos can be viewed that are considered relevant or interesting to the learning community. Moreover, libraries can be created with audio files, online presentations, etc. Examples of websites where you can find these kinds of resources include YouTube.com, Dailymotion.com, podcast-es.org, podsonoro.com, slideshare.com, vpod.tv, flickr.com, etc.

Links of interest will also be used as a learning tool and can be used either as an ac-tivity that is part of the programme to study required content or as complementary

075


3.0 Learning Tools

content that enables students to get additional information and delve deeper into the areas in which they are interested.

3.1.1.G. File Area/Download Area

This tool is tremendously useful, especially for courses with a long duration. The file area can be used in many ways. One possibility is for there to be a common down-load area that is supervised by instructors, and another possibility that some platforms such as Moodle allow, is for every student to have their own personal file space, which he or she can also manage and, therefore, be able to share files.

It is important not to confuse the file area with the content. In our opinion, the content for a training activity must be arranged so that it is easily recognisable within its own module or topic. The file area is a different space, in which additional files or docu-ments can be posted and downloaded once that subject matter has been worked on in the course.

3.1.1.H. Chat

Along with some other tools that will be explained now, chat is one of the few that enables synchronous communication among participants. Its use is often linked to tu-torials in which teachers are available at a specific time so that students can ask them questions in real time.

Therefore, the use of this tool is very much linked to the availability of the participants as it requires all of them to be connected at the same time.


3.1.1.I. Virtual Classroom

Just as with the chat, the virtual classroom is a synchronous use tool as it requires all class participants to be connected at the same time.

There are many diverse applications for implementing a virtual classroom, based on the software that is used. For example, the open source software DimDim (www.dim-dim.com), which makes it possible for teachers to share a presentation, text, image, desktop, etc. with the students at the same time as they debate using a webcam. Mo-reover, with this software the instructor is the one that gives the others the floor just as would occur in a classroom session. In summary, this could be described as the most similar tool to a classroom session, but transferred to the virtual environment.

3.1.1.J. Videoconferences

Videoconferencing is the last of the synchronous tools that will be explained in this guide. Its use is primarily aimed at presenting a specific topic. In some training con-texts, it can be used to invite speakers as would occur in a physical classroom, semi-nar, workshop, etc. Its use is largely explanatory, like a master lesson, although it also allows for interaction from students.

3.1.1.K. Aplicaciones web 2.0

The term Web 2.0 was coined in 2004 by the founder and chairman of the publishing company O’Reilly Media, Tim O’Reilly, to refer to a second generation Web based on

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user communities and a special line of services such as social networks, blogs, wikis or folksonomies, which promote collaboration and the flexible exchange of information among users.

Agile and flexible are two adjectives that are almost always present when talking about the Web 2.0, especially in reference to the interface that characterises the services offe-red. As Davis (2005) says, the Web 2.0 “is not a technology, but rather an attitude”, it is the transition that has occurred from traditional applications to applications that work through end-user-centred websites.

Therefore, we see 2.0 as “all of the Internet utilities and services that are supported by a

database, which can be modified by the users of the service, whether as regards the content

(adding, changing or deleting information or associating data to the existing information), or in

the way it is presented, or in the content and form simultaneously”. (Ribes, 2007)

The Web 2.0 infrastructure is related to new technologies that have made it easier to publish information and share it with other websites. On one hand, content mana-gement systems (CMS) have been updated so that even people who don’t know an-ything about web programming can, for example, manage their own blog. On the other hand, Web 2.0 technology has evolved so much that standardised micro-formats have been created to automatically share information on other websites. One well-known example is the syndication of content under the RSS (Really Simple Syndica-tion) format, which allows access to information sources (feeds) that are published on other portals quickly and easily.

Through its Web 2.0-based e-learning Laboratory, the EVA Programme publishes the communication and collaborative work tools that it believes are of use to the teaching-learning process and of interest to the learning community. This e-learning Laboratory is also used as a technological observatory where revisions, analyses and reports will be made. This will be analysed in greater depth later on.


There is a broad range of learning tools, both in terms of their value and their type, that we associate with specific Web 2.0 applications. Below is an analysis of some of the applications as well as the values they enhance:

Folksonomy: A new paradigm for classifying information that enables Internet users to freely create labels to categorise all kinds of content from news links to photographs. As a learning tool that can be used in a training activity, these shall be highlighted by the web service del.icio.us (http://del.icio.us/), where students can add and categorise rele-vant web pages by classifying them using what are known as tags. This classification can be shared with all of their classmates and, in the same way, students can view Internet website classifications made by teaching staff.

EVA Laboratorywww.portaleva.es/lab

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RSS: A simple data format that is used to rebroadcast content for subscribers to a website. For education, RSS files can be used to syndicate formative content of interest that may be potentially interesting for a specific course. A notable value is its ability to invigorate learning or convert learning into a continuous on-demand resource that is adapted to how and when one needs it.

Social networks: The leading applications at the moment (Facebook, Ning, Elgg, etc.) have been integrated into the daily tasks of millions of users. With consistent technological characteristics, the cultures that surround the social networks are infi-nitely varied. Their application to education is best exampled in www.facebook.com, created by students from the University of Harvard, which is now open to any user with an email account, who can participate in one or more social networks depen-ding on their academic status, workplace or geographic region..

3.1.1.L. Training Workshops (Classroom Learning)

This learning tool is implemented in training programmes based on the blended-learning method, where the goal is to reinforce skill optimisation and improve-ment.

With this tool, students get involved in the training programme by simulating situa-tions they are interested in and which are quite possibly part of their professional day-to-day life. These sessions are conducted using techniques such as role play, group dynamics, guided debates, etc.

Teachers of these workshops must connect the classroom sessions with what was learned in the virtually studied modules, and the pre-course planning must take into consideration when these training workshops best fit in so as to reinforce the e-learning part of a training activity.

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3.1.2. Evaluation Tools

Although evaluation takes place throughout the course, there are tools that have been created exclusively for this purpose and these are explained below:

3.1.2.A. Tareas y Lecciones

These tools make it possible to use the teletraining platform as an evaluation tool. The assignment and lesson tools on the Moodle platform allow students to send exercises and to have them evaluated based on various scales. The choice of one tool over ano-ther will be determined by the pedagogical objective. For more information on how these tools work, please go to:

• The Task Module: http://docs.moodle.org/en/Assignments • The Lesson Module: http://docs.moodle.org/en/Lesson

3.1.2.B. Quizzes

With the Moodle Quizzes module, teachers have many exam options available to them (http://docs.moodle.org/en/Quizzes).

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3.1.3. Instructional Management Tools

3.1.3.A. Calendar

A calendar allows you to view the timing of the events of interest that will take place during the course. This includes events such as the start and end dates for each course module and dates for all the sessions with expert professionals. In our case, the pro-gramme facilitator is the one who manages it and is aware of all the events that occur during the course.

Web 2.0 applications such as Google Calendar make it possible to update important programme milestones in real time.

3.1.3.B. Notice Boards

This is the area on the platform that is dedicated to new developments and announce-ments of interest related to how the course is going and where tutors post statements and notices and provide information that is relevant and necessary for the training ac-tivity. For example, the start and end dates for modules, dates of interest, assignment reminders, etc.

We use the Forum tool for this, which has already been explained above and through which students may also receive, through their e-mail, any new notification that is posted to the board.

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3.1.3.C. Sending SMS

In this specific context, we think of sending an SMS as a tool that enables student mo-nitoring. We can send SMS notices to course participants alerting them of deadlines for completing activities, the end of modules, exam dates, etc.

The objective is to provide students with updated information on everything that ha-ppens in the training process and, in this way, guarantee that the entire learning com-munity is perfectly aware of how the course is going.

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Teaching Materials.


Innovative teaching materials.


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4.1 Innovative Teaching Materials

Teaching materials must constitute one of the fundamental values of a training pro-gramme. They must be aimed at the students’ lifelong learning and be created with pedagogical criteria that allow them to be associated to their particular realities and needs (cases, activities, content specialised by knowledge areas, etc.). Furthermore, they must be designed in different mediums and under web accessibility criteria that allow them to be interoperable in different learning spaces and platforms.

Aside from the different types of materials, the next few lines will cover some re-commendations that should be kept in mind when creating digital multimedia con-tent. Besides bearing these guidelines in mind, reference must also be made to the possible uses for the Internet in e-learning teaching-learning processes. To do this, we believe it is interesting to mention what María Luisa Santos (2006) wrote on the three teaching methods used on the Web: Web-Based Learning, Web-Based Training and the Virtual Classroom: :

“Web-based learning consists of merely distributing multimedia educational materials over

the Web, which a student can access by browsing, which is more or less free or directed. Web-

based training adds to the model the possibility of personal interaction between the student

and his/her tutor or professor. And the Virtual Classroom consists of an environment which,

besides offering publication and access to content, enables synchronous and asynchronous

communication and interaction among the student, tutor and other classmates just as occurs

in a physical classroom environment”.

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With these factors in mind, materials must be designed with the coherence needed to conduct quality training programmes. We shall now take a look at these types of materials and the guidelines for creating them.

4.1.1. Types of Materials

The materials could be categorised in many different ways depending on the crite-ria used. In our case, we advocate a classification that takes into account the level of autonomy these materials allow students in their learning process. In this regard, the types of materials coincide with the classification that has already been outlined for the types of training activities:

Type I Teaching Materials.

These allow for a high level of student autonomy and make it possible to continuously evaluate the learning through exercises for each unit

Type II Teaching Materials.

These must be used for support and require guidance from the learning mediator and the corresponding student oversight throughout the teaching-learning process.

Type II Teaching Materials .

These require monitoring and recommendations from experts in the specific knowledge area.


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4.1.2. General Recommendations to Keep in Mind When Creating Digital Teaching Materials

Once the content and sequencing structure to follow have been chosen (script or con-cept outline), the way in which they are presented is highly significant to achieving the learning objectives of the materials. Some guidelines for creating digital didactic content are set out below.

When talking about designing the medium in which the content will be captured, we are referring to the use of visual elements that make it easier to read and provide the material with corporate elements that identifies it with the organisation. Use of the following graphic elements is recommended:

Use of colours: eIt is important that the graphic design of the material features certain coherence in terms of the design elements that are used. The colours to be used must be chosen for a reason (one colour that identifies the titles, another for each section, etc.), thus making sure the slides/screens are not overloaded with many

Example of teaching materials used by EVA programme


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different and arbitrary colours. Using the organisation’s corporate colours as much as possible is recommended for use in titles, reinforcement messages, autoform colours, graphics, etc. It is a good idea to experiment with different combinations in order to be sure the content is legible.

Use of images: Use images, graphics and illustrations to reinforce the ideas set out in the text and make the presentation more dynamic. The use of photographs, images, etc, must comply with current laws on intellectual property rights (Spanish Royal Le-gislative Decree 1/1996 of 12 April).

Use of symbols or icons: As identification markers..

Font and font size: Use the same font for all the material (the organisation’s corpo-rate font); Maintaining the same font size as much as possible based on the location of the text on the slides/screens is recommended.

Use of bold and cursive: Use to highlight titles, concepts or messages for content that is of particular interest

In general, do not overload with colours, text, images, etc, as it can have an adverse effect, generate confusion and distract from the objective at hand.

4.1.3. Creating Content for the Materials

So that the content includes the didactic component that is being sought, you should be careful with the wording and aim it towards the digital format that is going to be used to present it to the target audience. For this reason, it should have the following characteristics:

Relevance : It should be interesting to the target audience and should gather the information that is most important and useful to that audience.


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Specificity: lPrecise and complete content helps the target audience acquire the knowledge without requiring the help of a teacher. In order for the content to fulfil this self-study characteristic, content that includes all the information the target audience needs to have – no more, no less – should be presented, and it must be updated and direct content

Simplicity:Simple wording will help present the content more clearly and facilitate comprehension. This involves:

• Using vocabulary that fits with the target audience

• Transmitting messages clearly and completely

• Avoiding complex sentences with unnecessary technicalities, whenever the content does not so require. If, however, the technicalities are necessary for the subject at hand, we recommend integrating a “Glossary” resource in the pill which includes a definition for them and which the target audience can visit when needing clarification.

• Use the active voice whenever possible; this helps us use fewer words to express an idea, thus making explanations clearer.

This section will conclude by focusing on the indicators that must be kept in mind when producing any digital content for learning and which vary based on the phase in the T-L process you are in. If in the phase prior to production, they can be used as deve-lopment premises; if at the end of production, they act as product evaluation criteria.

The analysis indicators we propose can be grouped into the following categories:

Content quality: Refers to the veracity, accuracy and balance in presenting the con-tent.

Didactic adaptation: Overcoming the difference between the level of prior knowledge on the subject and the level of the content presented.


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Adapting it to learning objectives : Adjusting the content, assignments and activi-ties presented to the learning objectives established. The activities proposed must be in line with the learning objectives presented.

The EVA Programme has collaborated with the eLera research team (www.elera.net) from Simon Fraser University (British Columbia, Canada) to translate and adapt a tool that, among other things, makes it possible to evaluate these types of issues with re-gards to teaching materials to the Spanish language. The tool is called “Learning Ob-ject Review Instrument” and is available in full for use from the EVA Programme websi-te (www.portaleva.es), under the research section.


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Legal, technological and educational issues involving open content.

Open Content.

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5.1 Open Content

The term open content dates back to 1998 when David Wiley used it to describe any content (article, drawing, video, etc.) published under a non-restrictive licence and in a format that explicitly allows it to be copied, distributed and modified. If we focus on the definition found at http://www.contenidos-abiertos.org/index.php, we can see that open content includes “materials, documents, and in particular, the educational resour-

ces that are provided for free for the express purpose of being reused by the rest of the learning

community”.

When thinking about designing open multimedia content so that it can be used as a teaching tool, various issues must be considered, which will define how it is used as well as how it is implemented. Therefore, the legal, technological and educational issues that must be kept in mind when designing this type of content will now be analysed.

5.1.1. Legal Issues

To begin with, and to focus on the legal issues, it is important to mention that any designed material must guarantee that any graphics, sound, videos or text has been used in compliance with the premises of what is called Copyleft, a play on the term Co-pyright, which, as described in Wikipedia, “includes a group of copyrights characterised by

the elimination of the distribution or modification restrictions of Copyright, with the condition

that the resulting work maintains the same copyleft licensing scheme as the original ”.

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The aim of this licensing scheme is to guarantee that each person who receives any copy of a work can use it, modify it or even distribute this work and the versions that come out of it. The author can transfer the rights for the commercial or non-commer-cial use of the products. Copyleft enables the free circulation of the intellectual work, thus favouring the spread of knowledge.

In 2001, the American non-profit organisation Creative Commons was founded in or-der to implement various types of licenses to register works and also offer more rights to third parties and users of the works, but under certain conditions or regulations, which are also chosen by the author. The six Creative Commons licenses that exist today are as follows:

Attribution.

The material created by an artist can be distributed, copied and exhibited by third parties if shown in the credits.

Attribution - No Derivatives.

The material created by an artist can be distributed, copied and exhibited by third parties if shown in the credits. Derivate works cannot be created.

Attribution - No Derivatives - Non-Commercial.

The material created by an artist can be distributed, copied and exhibited by third parties if shown in the credits. No commercial benefit may be obtained. Derivative works cannot be created.

Attribution - Non-Commercial.

El The material created by an artist can be distributed, copied and exhibited by third parties if

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shown in the credits. No commercial benefit may be obtained.

Attribution - Non-Commercial - Share Alike.

The material created by an artist can be distributed, copied and exhibited by third parties if shown in the credits. No commercial benefit may be obtained and all derivative works must be under the same licensing terms as the original work.

Attribution - Share Alike.

The material created by an artist can be distributed, copied and exhibited by third parties if shown in the credits. All derivative works must be under the same licensing terms as the original work.

With Copyleft, which allows access to information free of charge, knowledge is free and shared and the authors establish the rules in terms of what can and cannot be distributed or modified, without being bound to strict copyright regulations.

5.1.2. Technological Issues

The possibilities, limitations and tendencies of the technologies that make open digital content possible must be considered. We shall now run through them from the tech-nological perspective of reusability (web standards, AAA and IMS accessibility, SCORM, etc.), as these premises could meet the diverse specific needs of users, environments and scopes of use.

The analysis of these technological issues will focus on e-learning standards, beginning with a definition of the term:

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The Royal Spanish Academy dictionary contains the entry “standard”, which is defined as follows: “1. adj. That which is used as a type, model, norm, pattern or reference. m. Type, model, pattern, level. Living standard.”

In other words, a standard is anything that is used as a norm, pattern or standardisation process in the production or execution of any product. At the same time, this same norm is set up as a level or reference point with which to measure the suitability of a certain product in light of the established rules.

Briefly and generally stated, a standard is a means of production as well as a pattern of reference for this same process.

When the term is used in reference to the Web, it refers to the set of recommendations given and maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C, www.w3c.es) on how to create and interpret web-based documents. The purpose of the W3C is to develop “interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software and tools) to lead the Net to its full potential”. In other words, the idea is for the information to be visible or accessible without having it depend on the device on which it is displayed or through which said information is accessed.

When applied to the creation of digital content for e-learning, observation of the stan-dards contributes to compliance with the main characteristics of open content, such as openness and reuse.

Why are we stating this? Because if certain content is produced in accordance with norms and guidelines, it may be updated, manipulated and adapted without the need for any cooperation from the producer or company that created it. Another requirement of learning objects is fulfilled – the fact that they are modifiable and assembled, so that by combining several of them, new educational content structures are obtained.

In the field in which we work, e-learning in general, it is advisable to comply with the web standards for producing digitised materials and the e-learning standards for distri-buting this material in courses that are distributed and supported by learning platforms. While web standards in and of themselves assume the recommendations on how to create certain materials, e-learning standards are what make it so that the instructional

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design – the pedagogical framework for the course – can be displayed in the same way on various platforms.

Otherwise and according to Baltasar Fernández (2006) “one of the main functions of the

standards is to be used to facilitate the durability and reuse over time of the applications and

the interoperability; in other words, to facilitate the exchange of the content among various

platforms and systems.”

Complying with web standards provides many advantages. Without mentioning those that are embodied in the term itself (accessibility, repository, etc.), we shall highlight that:

The code generated is more effective . Many of the recommendations are aimed at the fact that the content, code and presentation are separate. Since not everything is embedded in a single file, it is written once and then can be easily used at other times.

As a result; if something needs to be changed or added, all you have to do is rework the code in question which, if proprietary, will be easily identified due to the separation mentioned above.

Independence of the devices; In other words, it ensures to a large extent that the digitised content will not only work on different platforms, but in different browsers including those available on mobile devices

Likewise, one should ask why it is necessary to comply with e-learning standards. Be-fore answering, and referring back to the bibliographic references mentioned earlier, some brief notes are provided about the main standard for this field in particular.

Normally, the IMS Global Learning Consortium (www.imsglobal.org) is considered as the principal promoter and generator of open specifications for e-learning. The prin-cipal and main objective of such specifications is the interoperability of applications and services.

The main and most famous specification for their use is SCORM (Sharable Content Object.

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Reference Model), which is a “set of technical norms that enable online learning systems to import and reuse learning content that fits the standard”. The creation of these norms starts with the need that arose out of the existence of various learning systems and e-learning platforms. These had to display digital content, which, since they were based on proprietary systems and different production modes, were not interchangeable and distributable; this fact caused costs to rise dramatically and so the industry began to work on the development of norms that would make it possible to reuse and exchange content and, in this way, reduce costs.

The benefits and objectives are closely related to the principal requirements that the SCORM model attempts to fulfil, which are (from Wikipedia: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCORM):

Accessibility: The ability to access educational components from a remote site using web technologies, as well as distribute them to other sites.

Adaptability:The ability to customise training based on the needs of people and organisations.

Durability: The ability to resist the evolution of technology without needing a code reconception, reconfiguration or rewrite.

Interoperability: The ability to be used at another location and with a different set of tools or on another platform of educational components developed within a site, with a certain set of tools or on a certain platform. There are several levels of intero-perability.

Reusability: The flexibility that makes it possible to integrate educational compo-nents within many different contexts and applications.

In conclusion, the main e-learning initiatives regarding standards are summarised briefly:

AICC, Aviation Industry CBT Committee: fThe first body founded to create a set of standards that would enable the exchange of computer-based training (CBT) among

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different systems. AICC specifications cover nine major areas, which range from lear-ning objects (LO) to learning management systems (LMS), also widely known as tele-training platforms.

IEEE Learning Technologies Standards Comittee (LTSC): A body that promotes the creation of an ISO standard that is also widely accepted. The LTSC is responsible for preparing technical norms, practices and recommended guidelines for the computer-based use of education and training components and systems; specifically, the soft-ware components, tools, technologies and design methods that facilitate their deve-lopment, deployment, maintenance and interoperation.

IMS Global Learning Consortium: A private consortium of companies that develops and promotes open specifications to facilitate educational activities. Its main contri-bution was to define an XML file type to describe course content. This way, any LMS platform can load the course by reading the IMSMANIFEST.XML configuration file.

5.1.3. Educational Issues

When designing reusable open content, we recommend taking the following into consideration from an instructional perspective:

Pedagogical intent: The purpose for which the content has been generated and the didactic use with which it was created will need to be identified. This way, all the other users who wish to use it will be aware of the proper use for which the author created it.

Formative context:Open content must be designed by identifying the formative means under which it will be used, as it will be different if it is created for a physical classroom session or for an e-learning course.

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Target audience: identify the target audience for the digital content. Digital content designed for use by students as material for a training activity is not the same as when it is meant to be used by instructors or any other agent in the learning community.

Degree of interactivity: Prior to designing, it is necessary to define the level of interactivity of the content designed.

So, accompanying digital content with a technical-pedagogical file that includes all of these elements for instructional use is recommended.

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Training programme design phases.

Training Programme Design Phases .


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Training programmes are aimed at facilitating the development of personal and pro-fessional competences. An organisation’s training offer must meet specific training needs by facilitating the generation, management and exchange of knowledge.

We shall now propose a model for the diagnosis, design and development of training programmes in which we establish the milestones for achieving the training objecti-ves of each organisation or professional with a learning demand.

6.1 Training Programme Design Phases

NEEDSDIAGNOSIS

CREATION OF

TEAMWORK

TRAINING PROGRAMME

DESIGN

PLATFORM CUSTOMISATION

PREPARING THE TRAINING PROGRAMME

EXECUTING THE TRAINING PROGRAMME

EVALUATING THE TRAINING PROGRAMME

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The needs and qualifications of students, identified via a prior diagnostic process, define the nature of the content, always with the highest principle being that it must be directly connected to the professional reality and enable a transfer of what was learned to the job. The organisations must have a direct return on the professional improvement of their collaborators. Once these needs are taken into account, it is necessary to create materials that are adapted and updated with a pedagogical de-sign that also considers the medium in which it is to be produced, as discussed in previous sections.

6.1.1. Needs Diagnosis

The key to success in designing a training programme depends on this initial phase, which must provide for a systematic process for collecting information.

As a strategy to adopt in the diagnostic process, we shall follow the participatory ac-tion research model (PAR), incorporating the client (company student, etc.) into each one of the phases/points. Each of these phases is specified below.

6.1.1.A. First Contact

A learning demand is constituted by a client with the need to develop a specific trai-ning programme within its area of professional activity.

The objective of this first contact is to work out the details of the collaboration bet-ween the work team and the client, as well as identify who will be responsible for each of the parts in order to establish the framework for the relationship between both entities and the type of service that is requested.


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6.1.1.B. Initial Interview to Work out the Demand

The team of professionals at the organisation offering the training activity meets with the agents involved in the demand for the following purpose: •To identify the areas of development for the training programmes •To identify the training objectives to be covered •To identify and analyse the programme content •To work out the professional competences to be worked on in the programme •To identify the actions and needs to design and set up the programme, selecting representatives and all other agents involved •To establish the commitments of both parties in implementing the work plan •To establish a commitment on delivering the proposed training plan •To create and provide the mechanisms and communication channels between both par-ties

6.1.1.C. Information Gathering

This involves obtaining broad knowledge of the professional reality and the formative needs of the group towards which the programme is directed.

To gather the necessary information, the available techniques that enable a close approximation to the professional reality of the students that will participate in the training programme should be chosen. To do this it is essential to contact the various sources of information (agents, students, etc.). Information must be gathered on key


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elements from a technical-pedagogical perspective. Whenever necessary, a few joint working sessions should be planned with the client in order to adjust the work plan to the client’s needs and expectations so that this phase unfolds efficiently.

6.1.1.D. Information Analysis

The key and necessary information that provides data on the specific learning needs of the programme’s target public will be selected in this phase. It is necessary to ensure that focus remains on the needs set out by the client for each training programme. This element is key to the success of the project. After triangulating the various sources from the information gathering, a decision will be made on the type of action to be undertaken as well as on all the elements needed to design and customise the training programme that best fits the client’s reality. This review will be done from various le-vels of analysis.

Pedagogical Analysis

Definition of the profile of the users of the training programme. It is essential to know who each training programme is directed towards, in terms of their professional cha-racteristics, level of prior knowledge and their technical capacity for working with ICTs, among others. This element is important as the different possibilities for the use of e-learning tools will be based on the levels detected.

Content analysis. • Type of content • Extension of the content • Type of images, graphics and illustrations • Pedagogical structure of each training programme (syllabuses): learning objectives, learning content, structure and sequence, use of instructional elements, teaching ma-terials, etc.


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Tutoring model. Communication tools and method. Study of the most appropriate e-learning tools, always subject to the learning

objectives for each training programme.

Technical Analysis

The information gathering on this level is aimed at understanding the client’s expecta-tions of the browsing structure of the training programme content, the future material updates and the definition of the visual design. The actions that are carried out include:

Selecting key information to design the programme. Triangulating the gathered data. Making decisions on the information gathered to adapt the programme.

6.1.1.E. Training Plan

Once all of the information has been analysed, the competency areas and learning ob-jectives that will define the proposal and the most ideal training plan are established.

Based on the objectives and learning content, the training programme will feature different learning scenarios, developing at all times the ones that are the most didac-tically suitable for the study of each kind of content (e-learning; blended learning; mobile learning; workflow learning; rapid learning), as well as the most appropriate distribution channel (platform, Internet, CD-ROM, mobile, etc.).

The accreditation and certification system for the programme will be presented de-pending on the competency blocks that are included in the programme. A calendar in accordance with the teaching structure established with the client will also be esta-blished for the development of the training programme.


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6.1.2. Building the Work Team

The working group must be made up of a multidisciplinary team of professionals trai-ned by experts in pedagogy and digital management.

Training Programme Director:The person responsible for supervising all phases of the working process and ensuring that everything goes as planned. This person will coordinate the work team and be the client liaison.

Design Team : The design team is built through the following actions:

• Identification and selection of the team of experts, in consultation with the client, to design the content that is covered in the training programme. The type of contractual relationship governing their participation will be established.

• Presentation of the programme and assignment of design activities to each member of the team of experts, as well as the phases to follow and response times (planning). An operational working group between the team of experts and the management team will be created.

• Training: It is essential to train the team of experts on the competences and tools needed to properly create the content, adjusting them to the type of training that is included in the programme; using authoring tools, teletraining teaching skills, etc.

Expert in pedagogical design: The people that have created specific material and from which permission is requested for its use. In conjunction with the client, those who create or transfer specific material for the training programme will be contacted. The type of contractual relationship governing their participation will be established.

Expert in digital management: Responsible for everything to do with customising the platform, the technical adaptation of materials and the implementation of e-lear-ning tools.

Authors: The people that have created specific material and from which permis-


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sion is requested for its use. In conjunction with the client, those who create or transfer specific material for the training programme will be contacted. The type of contractual relationship governing their participation will be established.

Teachers: They will establish the design of the assignments and activities that the student must complete in the e-learning part of the training programme. Tutoring on the corresponding subject and later evaluation of the learning.

The team of teachers should be built through the following actions: • Identification and selection of teachers/tutors: The teaching team will be created in accordance with each expert knowledge area to set up the training programme. The type of contractual relationship governing their participation will be established.

• Presentation of the programme and assignment of teaching/tutoring activities: Each teacher will be told what sessions to teach, as per the curriculum for each one of them and by following our pedagogical model.

• Teacher training: Training on the competences and tools necessary to teach by ad-justing them to the type of training that is included in the programme; use of the platform, teaching skills for teletraining and classroom teaching, etc.

Facilitator: aWill provide the work team with teaching support by assuming the duties and competences explained in chapter 1 of this guide.

Below is an example diagram with the figures that are contemplated at the EVA Pro-gramme as explained above: : SEE CHART 10 / PG. 116

The Learning to Teach Team (LTT) that was discussed in previous sections will oversee the pedagogical adaptation of the programme designs as well as the teacher training in the various knowledge areas and in how to use the platform.

NETWORK OF COLLABORATING

EXPERTS

TEACHING SUPPORT

(Programme Facilitator)

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

E-TUTORINGCONTENT DESIGN

ACADEMIC MANAGEMENT

TEACHING

ROLES

116 CHART 10


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6.1.3. Designing the Training Programme

Once the training needs have been diagnosed, the training programme has to be de-signed (course(s)), with personalised attention and learning guidance that prioritises problem comprehension and solution in real practical contexts.

Likewise, it will be necessary to fulfil the requirements of the teaching method that will achieve (or develop) the professional qualifications detected.

The team responsible for designing the programme and the one responsible for the management will establish the dynamics to follow in the working sessions to plan, organise and monitor the programme design by following the established design pro-cedure. Moreover, the tools and systems for monitoring this entire phase are made available to the design team.

6.1.3.A. Pedagogical Design

All the elements related to the pedagogical structure (architecture) of each course included in the programme will be developed. The design team will develop guides for the students as well as for the teaching team which contain all the principles and purposes of the training programme, pedagogical objectives, didactic structure, etc. (specific for each didactic session/unit).

Likewise, the content and its format will be developed (book, manual, CD, etc.) as the curricular materials needed to teach the training programme are created. For all of this documentation, the people designing it will have the use of “templates/formats” that facilitate this task.


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By following the indications in the didactic guides (for students and teachers), the ac-tivities needed to teach the programme will be carried out, and indicators, tools, tests, etc. for evaluation will be created in order to assess students’ learning.

6.1.3.B. Technical Design

An image will be made of the digital content in accordance with current web design trends. These are based on highlighting the importance of the content over the image. To do so, a prior usability study will be conducted, which will facilitate access in an intuitive manner to all the information on the training programme. Moreover, a plea-sant environment will be created which encourages reading of the content without detracting from creativity in the platform design.

This technical design will include these three important phases:

• Creation of an interactive design in accordance with the user needs detected in the initial phase

• Hand over to production

• Creation of a design style guide. Standards are established for the fonts, colours, hea-dings and other elements that help maintain the integrity of the design.

Once the web image is defined, model pages must then be developed, which will be used as templates for the rest of the sections in the programme. For this purpose, each page is programmed in compliance with all the current standards defined by the W3C in XHTML and CSS under the tableless method, thereby separating the content from the graphic setting.

On the other hand, the layout for all the information related to the course is con-templated following the design planned for the model pages. New specific ele-ments are designed for each section in accordance with the programme content.


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6.1.4. Customising the Platform

The most appropriate corporate identity elements and those which give the program-me an image that can be identified with the organisation developing it will be studied, in consultation with the client. This way, a homogenous image is generated that places the user at all times with the organisation to which the training programme pertains.

6.1.5. Preparing the Training Programme

Once the content is ready, the training programme will be prepared and produced. This preparation involves the following milestones.

Configuring the activities on the platform: This milestone consists of preparing the platform tools that have been pre-designed as the most appropriate for the learning objectives of the training programme and which will be used to develop the interac-tive activities. The design team verifies the functionality of all the tools and activities suggested in the platform.

Setting up the courses and uploading the content: This milestone consists of pre-paring the platform to set up the training programme and the learning content de-veloped. Once the design team, along with the management team, has designed the programme, they will assemble it on the platform, keeping in mind that there will be activities that are directly “designed” on it..

Timing for the training activities: Creation of the calendar established as well as the timetable for implementing the various training activities.


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Student management: Selection and assignment of the student that will participa-te in the training programme as well as their later enrolment on the platform.

Instructor management: Selection and assignment of subjects to be taught by each instructor in accordance with the established timetable and calendar. Each ins-tructor must be registered in the management system and the training platform.

Instructive session with the teaching team: The teaching team is presented with all the materials, content and activities designed in the programme indicating their participation as instructors and their assignments (calendar and planning).

Resource planning: To get each training activity up and running, all the necessary resources must be selected both for the platform (setting up the activities, materials, etc.) as well as for the physical classroom sessions (classrooms, consumable materials, paper, etc.).

6.1.6. Executing the Training Programme

6.6.1.A. Start of each training activity

In our opinion, all training programmes that are developed on a teletraining platform must include a first module in which the students learn to use the various learning tools available on the platform.

The teaching team must be sure that the students have properly received the access codes to the platform and invite/motivate their group participation. They must be available for support and to follow-up on queries and questions.

The teaching team will present the students with the timetable for the training activity and the orientation and activity didactic guides.


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6.6.1.B. Completing Each Learning Block

The didactic completion of each course as planned (modules, sessions, classes, trai-ning workshops, etc.). It is essential that the established programme is followed and that there is coordination between the teaching team, and that strategies for student motivation and participation are generated (lifelong learning follow-up).

6.6.1.C. Evaluating the Training Programme

The teaching team will prepare an evaluation report for each student which reflects the achievement and level of learning (tests, completion of activities, response times, exams, and participation in activities, etc.)

6.1.7. Evaluating the Training Programme

Once the client’s training needs have been diagnosed, the training programme has been designed and set up, it will be necessary to find out and assess how suitable and well-adapted these are. In other words, establish mechanisms – tools and instruments – for evaluation.

Evaluating how students can put their learning into practice and the repercussions of this on the professional context will be one of the major instructive goals to think about each time a training programme is undertaken. This way, assessment instru-ments and data collection will make it possible to understand the impact that the


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training has had on students’ professional realities and their learning processes.

Not only should you focus on evaluating satisfaction and learning, but you should also analyse the practical level of what was learned and its application for the professional context – transfer and impact.

6.1.7.A. Evaluating the Training Programme

Evaluating satisfaction: Once the training activity has come to an end, students and instructors will evaluate their level of satisfaction through tools that are available from the platform.

Evaluating the instructors: The teaching will be evaluated and, to this end, the pe-dagogical activities in each course will be evaluated.

Didactic evaluation: The management team, along with the teaching team, will evaluate the implementation of the entire programme in terms of the appropriateness of the content, objectives, methods, activities, etc. Likewise, the incidences and diffi-culties encountered will be noted. This evaluation culminates with the establishment of proposals for improvements after gathering all the assessments.

6.1.7.B. Impact Evaluation

After some time has passed since the end of the training programme, the students will have the opportunity to assess the practicality of what they learned. In other words, to what degree the competencies worked on in the training activities have improved their professional development (impact assessment tools).


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7.0


Introduction to e-learning consultancy.

The consultancy process in the implementation of e-learning projects.

E-learning solutions.

Development phases for the consultancy process.

Quality assurance in e-learning scenarios

The Business of Consultancy in an E-learning Context.


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7.1 Introduction to e-Learning Consultancy

Throughout the previous chapters in this guide, we have discussed the concept of new learning scenarios, innovative training methods, learning tools that put this in-novation into practice, etc. In this section, we will analyse and discuss the business of e-learning consultancy through which advice is given on the most appropriate methods and tools, and how to implement them in an educational context.

We will also cover aspects regarding quality management for these new learning scenarios, touching on what we believe this management should be like and what methodological quality criteria we believe must be kept in mind when successfully setting up any e-learning training programme.

E-learning consultancy services enable the integration of complete online learning solutions that facilitate the advancement of organisations in the development and training of their staff. The many different e-learning solutions that can be developed for instructional purposes, and which may even be transformational for the organi-sation, will depend on the organisation’s objectives. From the organisation’s own

1287.0. The Business of Consultancy in an E-learning Context

internal management of the knowledge, through less formal learning formats, to the development of advanced lifelong learning programmes, which have a set training purpose, these methods are all aimed at improving and mastering employees’ com-petencies and skills. The use of new technologies as a means to enable and develop learning processes becomes the common denominator for these solutions.

The possibilities that the virtual medium offers in the area of training and lifelong learning are very broad; therefore, an organisation that is thinking about integrating these kinds of solutions must first stop to assess a series of issues that are necessary in order to implement any e-learning project, whether it be comprehensive or any of the specific elements. Sometimes, organisations do not know how to implement the most appropriate e-learning strategy for their staff, or the ideal type of training, the type of materials, how to develop a customised virtual learning environment (own platform), set it up, etc. What they are becoming more aware of, however, is that the appropriate use of technological advances can bring about a series of very powerful teaching possibilities. This, along with increasing competitiveness, the growing demand for training and the wide range of technology and online training packages that are found on the market, has led many organisation to become inter-ested in getting on board with this type of training. However, this task is not simple, especially if the organisation or those responsible for making these kinds of deci-sions do not have the minimum necessary knowledge of the alternatives and the suitability of one possibility or another, given the advantages and disadvantages. For this reason, more and more organisations are engaging external consultancies to do the groundwork, thus making it possible to implement the new training stra-tegies that the new technologies provide. The consulting team works alongside the organisation’s management team to evaluate, among other things, the costs and be-nefits, the investment involved, the deadlines and an assessment of the final impact that the learning solution should have on the organisation.

In this regard, we shall begin this section by discussing the consultancy work invol-ved in implementing any e-learning project, whether comprehensive or partial. To do this, we shall outline the various key elements that comprise such work, along with practical recommendations to be kept in mind when executing them, with a view to guaranteeing a successful training strategy and learning based on this type of training method.


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Before getting into the different elements involved in the consultancy business, it is necessary to begin by establishing a prior definition of the concept of e-learning con-sultancy, which we believe best fits the context at hand:

E-learning consultancy: A diagnostic study and pedagogical-technical advice on the imple-mentation of the e-learning solutions that best fit an organisation’s needs.

The consultancy business implies significant advising work, which, based on the needs of the organisation, can be aimed at two areas of action that have been simplified in the following diagram:

E-learning Consultation

Strategic advice. This procedure includes studying the most appropriate strategy for implementing training programmes through virtual learning environments.

Asesoramiento metodológico. This occurs in all or some of the phases involved in developing training programmes and training plans (diagnosis, design, execution and evaluation).

As a result of this advisory work, a proposal is established with the definition of the

E-learning Solutions7.2


most appropriate learning solution as well as an implementation plan for this solution within the organisation.

At this second phase, it can be said that there is a wide array of e-learning solutions that can be developed within an organisation, some more complex than others. Cho-osing one over another will depend on the learning objective to be achieved and the organisation’s specific demands, and also on the economic cost involved in develo-ping it. Within this wide range of possibilities, we can classify the type of e-learning solutions based on their comprehensive or partial nature. The next section will look in more depth at what each of them consists of.

7.2.1. Comprehensive Solutions

Comprehensive solutions are understood to be those that involve the complete imple-mentation of an e-learning system within the organisation, from both an educational and technological point of view. A comprehensive solution involves managing each phase of the implementation process. A more detailed look at the most important elements involved in this kind of solution is provided below.

Integrated management of the entire process: The implementation of virtual lear-ning environments. This comprehensive solution, as mentioned above, includes the development of all the phases in the process to implement a virtual learning environ-ment within an organisation, generally including the following aspects:

• Defining the most suitable e-learning strategy for the organisation • Integrating the strategy within the organisation’s training culture • Outlining a pedagogical model that underlines this strategy • Designing and developing customised e-learning programmes • Developing the ideal technical and educational resources for setting up the virtual learning environment

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• Instructional design of the training • Managing the technological infrastructure required for implementation • Designing the appropriate virtual learning environment • Training the agents involved in its development • Evaluating the training and the entire process • Assessing the impact of the training

7.2.2. Partial/Specific Solutions

Specific solutions are those that are aimed at meeting a very localised learning need. Organisations sometimes have needs that do not involve implementing a virtual lear-ning environment, but which are directly related to online learning systems. Many of the specific learning solutions presented below are carried out as part of the compre-hensive implementation process specified in the previous point.

Specific learning content and teaching method audits. These take place at organi-sations that have been carrying out online training and need to analyse and redesign both the learning content as well as the online training method used up to that point. They are normally organisations that have been working with more traditional online training models and wish to incorporate new approaches to this method.

Adapting teaching materials to e-learning formats. Digitising specific content that is suitable for this method.

Adapting physical classroom training programmes to the e-learning method.

Creating e-learning materials and products. They may be of a formative or informa-tional-dissemination nature, but always with a didactical objective.

Advising on the offer multimedia content and materials that already exist on the market, managing their didactic use and implementation on an LMS. The contribution


of technical-pedagogical criteria that helps the organisation make appropriate deci-sions.

Tutorial/didactic support.

Technical-pedagogical training for e-tutors.

Organisations that make a request related to the implementation of an e-learning solution, regardless of the type, are frequently faced with a dilemma: knowing exactly what their learning needs are, planning them in a specific manner and ha-ving knowledge of the various possible options/solutions that can be found on the market to cover them effectively and with quality. But this is not the norm. This is a result of the lack of accurate and structured information that many organisations have about e-learning. For this reason, and from a consultancy point of view, finding out the organisation’s learning needs becomes the key element when providing the most appropriate and successful learning solution.

Therefore, establishing the appropriate communication channels with the organi-sation in order to understand their needs and to ensure mutual understanding is the top objective related to the consultancy business. Training suppliers sometimes offer packaged solutions that are not particularly customised. These do not cover the real needs of the client, with resulting failure in the training. For this reason, it is essential to develop effective communication between the training supplier and the organisation; the creator of the proposal must have knowledge of the organisatio-nal scenario. This will facilitate the customisation component, which will lead to the organisation feeling that their demands have been understood.

Once this point has been reached, it can be said that a well-structured and systema-tic consultancy business will make it possible to establish the most ideal solution for organisations to meet their learning needs in a satisfactory manner.

The process involved in this business is outlined below.

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7.2.3. Development Phases of the Consultancy Process

The following diagram structurally represents the different phases involved in the e-learning consultancy process, which will then be explained:

7.2.3.A. Phase 1. Diagnostic Analysis of the Learning Needs

This phase involves the evaluation and learning needs diagnosis. To do this, it is es-sential to have an information gathering and systematic analysis process that aims at discovering the reality of the organisation and specifying the demand.

This phase is fundamental to understanding the needs of the client in order to confi-gure a design for the proposal that best fits these needs, as well as for understanding the stage the organisation is at in integrating the most appropriate learning solutions. The following aspects, among others, will be analysed in this phase:

• The organisation’s structure and activity • The organisation’s current training strategy and the training that has been delivered up to that point

DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS

1

PROPOSAL DESIGN

2

PLANNING

3


• The organisation’s training culture • A profile of the staff at whom the training is aimed • The technological infrastructure in light of the requirements for implementing a virtual learning environment • The training needs of the organisation and its professionals • The learning objectives to cover • The most appropriate teaching method • The level of knowledge and use of new technologies • The level of technological maturity

In order to gather this information, various diagnostic tests designed for the organisation can be conducted. Depending on the type of information to be obtained and the level to which the demand is to be specified, a needs assessment must be made on the following methods.

1. Surveys to gain knowledge about the organisation .

Mainly aimed at the organisation’s management team. This makes it possible to understand the organisational structure mentioned above, which is absolutely necessary for finding out the characteristics and needs of the organisation.

2. Diagnostic surveys of training needs.

These can be directed at the organisation’s management as well as a sample of staff who will conduct the training. Involving the staff in designing the final proposal, and obtaining their con-tributions and opinions related to their needs, are important factors as they will be the ones receiving the training. This can be done as long as the organisation believes it is appropriate. This is a value element.

3. In-depth interviews.

These are carried out with the staff responsible for the internal training at the organisation or, in their absence, the management team, for the purpose of finalising the proposal from a strategic point of view.

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4. Group sessions.

These can be carried out with those staff who have undergone the in-depth interview as well as with a representative sample of staff that would benefit from the training activities. This makes it possible to study more specific and jointly negotiated information from a group perspective.

Once all the information has been gathered, it is analysed. In those cases where several tests are used, the results of the analysis will be obtained by triangulating the data obtained in each for the purpose of contrasting information from different sources. It is important to emphasise that contact with the organisation must be continuous in order to refine certain information, as the establishment of fluid com-munication channels is one of the main elements that characterises this phase and it must receive careful attention from the beginning of the process.

7.2.3.B. Phase 2. Designing the Proposal

Once all the information has been analysed, the proposal that best meets the needs gathered in the analysis phase can be designed. It is important to emphasise the im-portance in this phase of having a multi-disciplinary expert team of professionals that participates in the development of both the technical as well as the pedagogical profile. This is because decisions are made in this phase regarding the configuration of the most appropriate structure for the proposed e-learning solution as well as on aspects related to its implementation.

Issues related to the following are configured in the proposal design:

Definition of the proposed e-learning solution. Establishment of the objectives and learning content. The underlying pedagogical model for the development of the proposed solution.


Establishment of the most appropriate resources for the e-learning system that make it possible to develop effective learning experiences:

• Technical. Aspects related to:- The virtual learning environment (platform) aimed at developing the detected learning needs- The technological infrastructure (systems, networks, server hosting, etc.)- The maintenance and management needs for the learning system throughout the duration of the project

• Pedagogical. Aspects related to:- Definition of the pedagogical model and the teaching strategies- Teaching method- Pedagogical design of the customised content- Types of customised e-learning activities- Learning tools (inherent in the platform, Web 2.0 integration)- Type of digital content - Most appropriate formats- Profiles of the team of experts to design and tutor - Training needs of the agents involved in the project

Customisation of the virtual learning environment. Integration of the client

organisation’s corporate identity in the designed virtual learning environment. Operational development of the work phases. Description of the various phases in the

work system with the major milestones. Calendar. Financial proposal.

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7.2.3.C. Phase 3. Proposal Acceptance and Planning

During this phase, the designed proposal is presented to the organisation. It is essen-tial to make a structured presentation that clearly defines the decisions made when configuring it. These decisions must be based on the information obtained in the ini-tial diagnosis and analysis phase.

The client organisation is presented with the development and implementation plan for the solution/s suggested in the proposal for the purpose of:

1.Establishing the communication channels and the work systems for moni-toring the project

• On the part of the organisation: Representatives who are designated as being responsible for monitoring the projecto.• On the part of the supplying entity: A project coordinator who will be responsible for supervi-sing the project’s implementation at each of the phases and for the approval and relationships with the client organisation

2. Work plan and schedule

• Establish a development timeline for each phase with the roles that must be assumed by the client organisation and by the supplying entity Emphasise the major project milestones


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This section discusses an aspect that we believe is essential to the success of any e-learning project. Regardless of the type of project (whether it is a training activity, the creation of teaching materials, the configuration of a collaborative learning space, etc.), quality criteria must be used for guidance and to establish the way things are done: In other words methodological quality criteria.

A series of indications are presented here that can guide quality management for the-se kinds of projects. In presenting them, we shall focus on the design of e-learning training programmes.

When planning the configuration and design of a lifelong training programme, all the agents and areas involved in the process, either directly or indirectly, must be considered. In order to consider all of these variables, a series of evaluation criteria must be defined. These are conceptualised as “the elements of judgement or discer-nment norms on the basis of which the model is established to evaluate a training programme in its entirety, or some of the elements that are part of it. They will be associated with quality indicators, understood as guidelines or elements, based on

Quality in E-learning Scenarios7.3


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which the content and purpose for the criteria used to evaluate training program-mes is defined, established and delimited.” . Castillo, S. and Cabrerizo, J. (2003). Evaluación

de Programas de Intervención Socioeducativa. Madrid: Pearson Education.

This way, establishing a set of indicators will help guarantee the quality of the training processes as it will make it possible to guarantee and ensure a series of best practice principles, with the end purpose of achieving excellence in the development of the tra-ining activities. Thus, a system will be used that makes it easier to evaluate the develo-pment and implementation of the programmes, thereby obtaining satisfactory results and helping us to continuously improve. Therefore, the quality indicators must be esta-blished in a way that alludes to all the agents involved in the teaching and learning pro-cess as well as each of the phases involved in the process. These indicators must make up a system of standards that is appropriate for the pedagogical model implemented by the organisation.

We should bear in mind that it must be possible to evaluate the established indicators based on proof (observations, measurements, assessments, documents, etc.).

On the other hand, the quality indicators must be formulated with the following consi-derations:

• Who is responsible for evaluating them • The specific degree or weighting of each indicator in the overall assessment • A description (agreed upon by all those responsible)

Next, we will present the methodological criteria that helps assess the quality of the implementation of a training activity, grouped by blocks/areas according to each pha-se in the process. Once these blocks have been defined, the quality indicators must be established that will make it possible to evaluate the training programme. There is a differentiation between the quality criteria used for e-learning and the criteria that must be considered for blended-learning.

The following classification of criteria was made in consideration of the structure the training programmes follow in the EVA Programme, using the Methodological Gui-de as a source to analyse the quality of online distance education (http://www.adeit.uv.es/mecaodl/) at the University of Valencia).


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7.3.1. E-learning

7.3.1.A. Definition Phase

The phase in which the organisation makes the decision to set up an e-learning programme.

•The organisation’s e-learning strategy • A definition of the pedagogical model and how e-learning is conceived • The teaching method and types of e-learning • Evaluation of the quality of e-learning programmes (prior experiences) • Analysis of the training programme costs • Resources and technological means available for e-learning • Learning environment (Platform)

7.3.1.B. Needs Diagnosis Phase for the Training

This is the phase in which the target group’s training needs for the training programme are determined.

•Definition of the target public for the e-learning programme •Establishment of the procedure for gathering information on training needs


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• System for contacting the sources of the information (agents, students, etc.) • Identification of the techniques and instruments used to gather the information •Establishment of the system used to analyse the gathered information 7.3.1.C. Design Phase

This is the phase in which all the elements needed to set up an e-learning programme are identified.

Work Team.

• Selection of the expert team that will design the e-learning programme • Selection of the authors of the content, materials and resources needed for the training programme • Building the teaching team that will be responsible for teaching the e-learning programme • Didactic training of the teaching team (e-trainer training)

Programme Design.

• Adjusting the design to the pedagogical model defined by the organisation• Definition of the areas of development and professional competencies that are going to be worked on in the e-learning programme• A student motivation system• Educational objectives of the training programme• Identification and analysis of the programme content• Adjustment of the design to the detected training needs• Creation of the design with methodological and pedagogical criteria


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• Creation of instructional guides, materials, activities and evaluation criteria• Assembling the design on the e-learning platform

Content Design.

• The content is appropriate for the programme design• The content fits the training needs of the target students • The relationship of the content with the students’ professional realities• The content meets the standards and recommendations for usability and accessibility• Design of the content with pedagogical criteria: interactivity, sequence, self-evaluation, etc.• The content enables effective evaluation of the learning

..7.3.1.D. Preparation Phase

This is the phase in which all the elements necessary for the later implementation of the training programme are established. Planning the training activity and establishing a calendar. • Establishment of the planning and timing of the classroom sessions in the programme• Student management: training, enrolment, etc• Management of the training programme teaching team• Assignment of resources, materials and spaces• Identification of the formats for the curricular materials• Review of the set of elements for the training programme (Complete review of the product)• Establishment of information channels (marketing and publicity)


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7.3.1.E. Execution Phase

This is the phase in which the training programme is implemented.

• Identification of an information service for the students (technical, administration incidences, etc.)• Beginning of the implementation of the training programme. Establishment of the context, objectives and presentation of the physical classroom sessions.• Theoretical sessions (content knowledge)• Practical sessions (training workshops) for the development of professional skills• Group dynamics and actions that encourage participation and implication by the students• Instructional cases and activities that meet the needs of the students and their professional realities• A system to track students’ learning• A system and criteria for evaluating the students’ learning

7.3.1.F. Training Programme Evaluation Phase

This is the phase in which the level of satisfaction, evaluation and impact of the training programme must be determined.

• A system to evaluate training activity. Identification of the agents and the elements to be evaluated.


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• Identification of the instruments and tools used to evaluate the training activity.• A system to evaluate the impact of the training activity.• A report analysing the results of the evaluation. Establishment of the improvement plan.

7.3.2. Physical Classroom Training

Even though we have been discussing e-learning or blended learning at all times, we are also including the quality indicators to be kept in mind for purely physical classroom training as some of these indicators would be pertinent to the blended method. Many of these indicators are also used for e-learning.

In order to guarantee the quality of a training programme which is carried out in physical classroom sessions, the following criteria must be kept in mind from a methodological perspective and they are grouped in accordance with the different phases in the process to implement the relevant programme/activity/module, etc.

7.3.2.A. Definition Phase

The phase in which the organisation makes the decision to set up a training programme through physical classroom sessions.

• The organisation’s training strategy • Definition of the pedagogical model. Teaching method and types of training.


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• Evaluation of the quality of training programmes at the organisation (prior experience)• Analysis of the costs of the training programme• Resources and means reserved for physical classroom training• Availability of space (rooms, seminars, etc.) to implement the classroom training activi-ties

7.3.2.B. Needs Diagnosis Phase for the Training

This is the phase in which the training needs of the target group for the training programme must be determined. • Define the target public for the training programme• Establish the process/procedure for gathering information on training needs• System for contacting information sources (agents, students, etc.)• Identify the techniques and instruments used to gather the information• Establish the system used to analyse the gathered information

7.3.2.C. Design Phase

This is the phase in which all the elements needed to set up a training programme are identified.

Work team.

• Selection of the expert team that will design the training programme


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• Building of the teaching team that will be responsible for teaching the training programme• Didactic training of the teaching team (teaching skills, using instructional resources, etc.).

Programme Design.

• Adjusting the design to the pedagogical model defined by the organisation• Defining the areas of development and professional competences that are going to be worked on in the physical classroom training programme• Educational objectives of the training programme• Identifying and analysing the programme content• Adjusting the design to the identified training needs• Designing the programme based on the students’ achievement results• Creating the design with methodological and pedagogical criteria• Creating instructional guides, materials, activities and evaluation criteria

Content Design.

• The content is appropriate for the programme design• The content fits the training needs of the target students. The content is related to the stu-dents’ professional realities.• Design of the content with pedagogical criteria: practical nature, sequence, etc.• The content enables effective learning evaluation

7.3.2.D. Preparation Phase

This is the phase in which all the elements needed for the later implementation of the training programme are established.


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• Establishment of the planning and timing of the classroom sessions• Student management: training, enrolment, etc.• Management of the training programme teaching team• Assignment of resources, materials and spaces• Identification of the formats for the curricular materials• Review of the set of elements for the training programme (complete review of the product)• Establishment of the information channels (marketing and publicity)

7.3.2.E. Execution Phase

This is the phase in which the training programme is implemented.

• Identification of an information service for the students (technical, administrative incidences, etc.)• Start of the implementation of the training programme, establishing the context, objec-tives and presentation of the physical classroom sessions• Theoretical sessions (content knowledge)• Practical sessions (training workshops) for the competence development of professio-nal skills• Group dynamics and actions that encourage participation and results from students• Instructional cases and activities that meet the needs of the students and their professional realities.• A system to track students’ learning• A system and criteria for evaluating students’ learning.


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7.3.2.F. Training Programme Evaluation Phase

This is the phase at which the level of satisfaction, evaluation and impact of the training programme is determined.

• A system to evaluate training activity. Identification of the agents and elements to be evaluated.• Identification of the instruments and tools used to evaluate the training activity.• A system to evaluate the training activity’s impact.• A report analysing the results of the evaluation. Establishment of the improvement plan.

7.3.3. Blended-Learning

If the training activities involve those that combine physical classroom sessions with e-learning sessions, the quality criteria outlined above must be taken into consideration for each of the methods. Moreover, a set of methodological criteria that refer to the combination of both formats (blended learning) is presented below.

7.3.3.A. Quality Criteria for Blended Learning

• Didactic coordination of the pedagogical design between both methods


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• Methodological integration of the classroom sessions and e-learning sessions• Coherent training of skills that are being worked on in each method• Continuity in how the content is covered• Sequence of the content covered in each method• Complementary and related activities in each method• Conception for the students of a unique and integrated training programme• Coordination of expert and teaching teams• Unification of the evaluation criteria for students’ learning


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8.0

This section will discuss:

Innovative trends in education..

New Trends .


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Previous sections discussed the characteristics and applications offered by Web 2.0 and the fact that it is not only a technology in and of itself, but rather a conceptual model that makes it possible to design spaces that are 100% interactive. Among other things, it also enables a greater level of interactivity for the user, content syndication, the development of social networks, rebroadcasting of content, etc. Besides these applications and the tools that enable them, which have been covered in previous sections, new trends that are gaining ground in this field – the virtual environments and their applications in education – will now be analysed.

When talking about virtual environments, we are referring to the environment in which many users that are represented by avatars interact and move about in a three-dimensional space. Since 1996, when these environments started being set up, many of them have become even better and are visited by millions of users each day, almost all of them linked to spaces created for games and entertainment. The one that stands out the most in its application to education and due to the possibilities it offers as an educational resource is SecondLife (SL) and this is the one on which this analysis will focus.

SL was created in 2003 by Californian company Linden Lab and currently boasts five million users worldwide. Even though it is a Virtual World that primarily focuses on education, it was initially developed as a video game. After its growth and the interest that has arisen since its creation, many researchers have used SL to develop educatio-nal practices and instructional applications. We believe it is necessary for this research, conducted by experts in pedagogy, computer programming, audiovisual communi-cation, etc., to continue in this manner. New educational and learning environments must be promoted through tools such as this, which will expand and enrich training programmes and the training of knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Innovative Trends in Education8.1

8.0 New Trends

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SL has grown from being simply a virtual environment in which points are won or levels are passed, to an environment in which users can socialise, people can get to know each other and relationships are formed – it is a new form of communication. The educational experiences at companies, universities, and other places that have been developed with SL use this environment as a communication and interaction tool as well as an ideal space to acquire and transfer knowledge. Among its many advanta-ges is the fact that it is free for students, very powerful and features a programming environment that is full of possibilities with versatile communication tools. It includes many places with visibly attractive content that is available for development.

The possibility of integrating SL into e-learning proposals as a didactic tool has gene-rated the SLoodle project which consists of a combination of SL and the open source e-learning platform Moodle. In this way, its educational possibilities have been greatly expanded. This integration has diminished one of the limitations of SL, the need to hold external resources (textual, for example) when users are not connected at the same time. For synchronous meetings, discussions, simulations, etc., SL offers several possibilities. For this reason, this hybrid brings about infinite spaces and teaching re-sources that can be applied to e-learning.

These new learning scenarios provide instructors with many possibilities in terms of how they conduct varied activities, as the instructor also has to implement various skills. The teacher, as has been mentioned in other sections of this guide, must be an adviser, and in this case a guide in the discovery of new spaces in the virtual world that help complete the students’ training. In these virtual environments, it is common to implement investigation proposals such as Webquest, which is a guided search me-thod in which students investigate and resolve problems, either individually or in a group.

This section concludes by naming some other virtual worlds besides SL, which nowadays see millions of users a day and extrapolate their practice to educational issues. These include Croquet, Active Worlds, and SmartMeeting, all of which offer trai-ning solutions through this approach, a combination of 3D Internet and training.

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177

A.1

Tools.

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FORUMS

FILE 1.

A forum, within an online training activity, is an asynchronous tool that, due to its versatility, can be used in many different ways and with different intentions. These different methods and how they are applied in each case will now be examined. When suggesting a forum as an educational tool, it is important to start with the goals that can be achieved by using it. These include exchanging knowledge, which enables learning among peers; and teaching students to arrange and build their thinking autonomously and fa-vour technological integration, which enables issues to be dealt with in the same way as in daily life where opinions are expressed and exchanged.

PEDAGOGICAL OBJECTIVES.

• To enable real-time communication among the entire learning community• To exercise critical and creative thinking• To promote autonomous learning

TEACHING RESOURCES NEEDED.

• A training activity that is developed on a virtual learning platform• Resources for analysis and reflection that provoke/encourage group debate.

UTILITY.

162FILE 1. FORUMS

The type of forum is determined by the intention for which they are created in a training activity. Before thinking about using this learning tool, it is important to ask why you wish to create the forum and to make sure that it is integrated in the course objectives. The success of a forum depends on many factors and one of them is the moderator, who, among other duties, has the task of intervening in order to ensure a discussion thread and coherence in what is being debated (in the case of a themed forum).

The main types of forums are as follows:

Debate/themed forum: In this forum, experts on the subject lay out a debate or discussion theme related to the content being studied. It encourages student participation through the use of questions for reflection, articles, bibliographic references, etc.

Forums can be evaluated, which means each student’s contribution on the topic in question can be mar-ked.

Question forum: In this forum, questions that students may have on a topic, activity or any aspect of the training activity are gathered. Therefore, forums focused on question resolution for each module in the course will be created.

Working group forum: This type of forum can be used for activities for which work in small groups is necessary. Different forums can be set up for each working group, in which they can complete an assign-ment, group debate, etc., and only the participants linked to this forum can participate.

Teachers can mark the contributions made by the students just as in the themed or debate forums.

Open forum: In this type of forum, the objective is to promote communication among the entire learning community with the characteristic that the topic is not based on academic issues but rather on introductions among students, as this environment is intended for socialisation.

This space must exist in any e-learning training activity in order to create an environment that favours the teaching-learning process.

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INSTANT MESSAGING

FILE 2.

Instant messaging enables direct communication among the entire learning community as it allows both students and instructors to get into contact through the teletraining platform, take note of pending acti-vities, event reminders, etc.


•To permit direct, rapid and easy communication among the entire learning community• To create a list of contacts that facilitates communication among participants in a training activity


l Datos de los participantes de una acción formativa que se desarrolla en una plataforma virtual de aprendizaje.

UTILITY.

Email can have utility for both instructors and students

Utility for students:

• A tool with which to contact instructors through the teletraining platform in order to express a

164FILE 2. INSTANT MESSAGING

question, comment, initiative, send an activity, etc.

lA tool for communication with the other participants in a training activity

Utility for teachers:

• Individual assignment of a specific task and a means to receive any activity; it allows easy and quick access as it is saved on the platform itself• Facilitates student monitoring given that comments can be made to each one on the quality of the work done• Enables sending individually and in groups

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WIKIS AND BLOGS

FILE 3.

A common feature of these two tools is the fact that content can be shared by students as well as by instructors and each has a special feature. For the Wiki, the space in which this content is inserted can be modified by all the other participants in a training activity. In a Blog, the user that edits the content is the one that creates it and other participants can only make comments.


• To enable the joint creation of documents, thereby building collaborative learning.• To modify and/or provide a constructive opinion on the comments that other participants. in the training activity have made about a proposed activity.


• A virtual learning platform that features these tools.• Internet sites with direct access to creating these tools.

UTILITY.

The utility differs depending on the tool::

• Wiki: The creation of joint documents for a specific assignment, thereby promoting constructive thinking among the entire learning community

166FILE 3. WIKIS AND BLOGS

• Blog: The creation of individual content by instructors and students with other participants able to view the content and provide their comments. They can therefore be used as course development blogs or a summary of content being worked on, etc.

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INTERACTIVE GLOSSARY

FILE 4.

A glossary is information that is structured into “concepts” and “explanations”, just like a dictionary or encyclopaedia, but for the terms used in a specific training activity. It is a text structure that includes “entries” that lead to a definition of the term used.

An interactive glossary is one that, combined with the above, is found on a virtual learning platform and can be edited either only by the course tutor or, in some cases, is open to the inclusion of terms by students.


•To provide an extensive vocabulary on the topic of a specific training activity.• To achieve yet another link in building collective learning with its use.


• A virtual learning platform in which term entries and definitions are added.

UTILITY.

Cuando es editado únicamente por docentes:•The interactive glossary can be used as a dictionary of terms for a specific topic that are used in a training

168FILE 4. INTERACTIVE GLOSSARY

activity and made available to the students; in this case, editing would be restricted to the teacher/tutor of the course• An encyclopaedia in which the terms are defined more extensively through articles, for example • In Moodle, it is possible to link glossary entries automatically to other texts introduced in the course. This way, every time a term defined in the glossary is used in a resource, Moodle will automatically insert a hyperlink (known as an autolink), thus making it possible to view the corresponding explanation of that term in the glossary.

When edited by instructors and students::

•In this case, the aim is to jointly build knowledge. This not only encourages passive reading of the terms of interest, but also students can associate comments to the term entries that they include. •This tool, used in this manner, can allow an evaluated activity to be carried out by students

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DIGITAL CONTENT

FILE 5.

This tool is put into practice in courses that are taught on a virtual learning platform and includes all the digitised content. There are many different formats in which it can be presented, but it is all accessed through the platform on which the training activity is being carried out. Examples of these types of content are learning pills in flash, xhtml documents, e-books, etc..


• To transmit the content in a motivating and accessible manner•To create content that can be reused, updated, transferred to other platforms, etc. conveniently and simply


• There are various resources, depending on the type of this content. It should be kept in mind when de-signing this content, especially as regards flash content and xhtml documents, that it is created under web standards for the production of digitised materials, as discussed in section 5.2 of this guide.

UTILITY.

• Quicker and more efficient access to information for instructors and students, thereby decreasing

170FILE 5. DIGITAL CONTENT

obsolescence and making better use of resources that are available in a training activity.

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ADDITIONAL CONTENT

FILE 6.

This learning tool is aimed at reinforcing the knowledge that is transmitted in the various modules that make up a course. The use of the Internet and the new technologies helps reinforce and provide quality to the teaching and learning process, thus providing added value to the training programmes..


• To reinforce the knowledge that has been studied during the course or a specific module• To add value to the training programmes


• The medium for this complementary content can and must be diverse in type and can be presented as multimedia resources or links of interest• Multimedia resources: training video available on the EVA Educational Channel, slideshare presentation, etc. • Links of interest: links to texts, documents, reports, studies, etc. that are relevant to the content studied

UTILITY.

The utility of complementary content in a training activity can be diverse::•To boost the knowledge to be transmitted

172FILE 6. ADDITIONAL CONTENT

• To reinforce the analysis of a specific issue that has been raised during the course• To expand information on specific issues dealt with in the course

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VIDEOCONFERENCES AND VIRTUAL CLASSROOM

FILE 7.

Both are synchronous tools, but each has its own special features, enabling real-time communication bet-ween two or more points connected through telecommunication networks, whether through the Inter-net, a telephone system, etc. They are characterised by their interactivity, specifically in the case of the virtual classroom. Bidirectional communication that is very similar to what occurs in physical classroom teaching is permitted. In terms of videoconferencing, its use is more centred on the teachers explaining a specific topic.

The appropriate use of this tool has great pedagogical potential, whenever it is used while keeping in mind its intended use and objectives. This will make it possible to emphasise the teaching-learning process.


• To break down the geographic barriers of e-learning training• To encourage communication and group learning, which will enrich mutual learning• To comply with the premises of interactivity and communication that are achieved in physical classroom learning


• A videoconferencing system (audio, webcam, etc.) that is well-integrated in a virtual platform, with access through the Internet, mobile devices, etc.• The didactic value of these tools is determined by the support resources which are contributed by the teachers (instructional cases, articles, viewing videos, etc.)

174FILE 7.TELECONFERENCES AND VIRTUAL

CLASSROOM

UTILITY.

• Virtual classroom: This tool can be used to make any comment or ask a question live. In other words, the question can be answered as soon as it is asked, therefore making it live assistance and the most similar to a physical classroom session that has been transferred to the virtual environment.

• Videoconference: Depending on the training context, it can be used for a speech by an expert related to the topic of the training activity, a master class presentation, etc. In some cases, it enables student interac-tion, but this is more common in the virtual classroom.

Among other uses, we can say that these learning tools can be used for participants to get to know each other personally, for learning guidance (explaining the objectives of the training programme or study methods), and to reinforce the e-learning content from a training activity, as well as to boost the learning by expanding the knowledge covered in the course

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PHYSICAL CLASSROOM WORKSHOPS

FILE 8.

The physical workshop tool in an e-learning context is used as reinforcement for the virtual programmes for which the physical presence of the students is considered to be pedagogically necessary.

In order for there to be coherence between the content worked on and the physical classroom workshops, the monitor will make use of these sessions to train very specific skills with focused activities (role play, group dynamics, guided debates, technical skills).


• To put the knowledge learned in the virtual learning environment into practice through physical simulations and direct feedback from the monitor • To train specific skills using group work techniques • To reinforce group relations and the continuous evaluation process face-to-face


• Instructions with the cases that are presented during the session• Instructor feedback which contextualises the e-learning part and develops it in the session in which the tool has been put into practice

UTILITY.

The purpose of conducting a physical classroom workshop as an activity that is part of an e-learning cour-

176FILE 8. PHYSICAL CLASSROOM WORKSHOPS

se is to reinforce skills that cannot be trained virtually. For this reason, this tool is used in activities that simulate a situation, attitude, skill, etc., such as a role play.

The attached graphic illustrates a physical classroom workshop in which social skills are worked on through role play, analysis and the recreation of real cases with simulations.

SKILLSCIRCUIT

TEAMWORK COMMUNICATION

POSITIVE CONFLICT

MANAGEMENTPEDAGOGICAL

STRATEGIES

Training circuit in practical

skills

Role Play Method and practical, in

situ, theoretical reinforcement

Online reinforcement

with tutorial follow-up

Physical training sessions with the recreation of real

situations

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185 A.2

Integration of Innovative Teaching Methods, Resources and Physical Classroom Learning and Online Tools.

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SET IN CONTEXT

PRACTICAL ASPECTS

INTERVENTION STRATEGIES

TRAIN

GROUP DYNAMICS

INTEGRATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

TEAMWORK

LEARN AND

WORK AUTONOMOUSLY

REINFORCE AND

STRENGTHEN

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A series of resources and tools associated with physical classroom and online methods are presented below. These can be used as a reference in order to effectively transfer knowledge in accordance with our learning objectives and the pedagogical intentions.

Contextualise. An instructive presentation using the following resources independently or in a combi-ned manner:

• Slide presentation. The slides could give rise to student interaction.

• An instructive panel to introduce the topic.

• A reading discussion on current documents related to the topic at hand.

Practical aspects. Using the following resources independently or in a combined manner:

• A talk by experts on a topic.

• Critical student reviews on the talks (creation and critical review technique).

• An integrated perspective through the analysis of educational videos or films.

Implementing intervention strategies: This can be done by using the following resources, either independently or in a combined manner:

• Case study and analysis (individual case analysis method or community intervention).

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• Searching for cases in the media.

• Specific bibliographic searches

Having an integrationist perspective in the context of an activity by using the following resources, either independently or in a combined manner::

• Presentation of work.

• Guided class debates on the work completed.

• Role-play as simulation as an integration method for the activity.

Group Dynamics to internalise subject concepts:

• Guided Discussion. A dynamic in which, based on a topic or point of interest, the various members of the group are moderated and directed towards achieving the proposed objectives.

• Instructive Panels. A dynamic that consists of constructive group learning through panels that are completed with ideas and knowledge contributed by the members of the group that participates in the dynamic..

Train In order to use skills based on the knowledge learned::

• Case Study. An analysis of real situations that occur in a certain in-company situation.

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• Classroom practice. Undertaking specific guided assignments with instructive workbooks that systematise students’ work.

Team work and autonomous work:

• Work Group Content created by conducting bibliographic searches in various sources, properly cited bibliographic quotes, critical perspectives and proposed practices for intervention in the context being worked on

l Recensiones. Contextualising the talk within the scope of specific knowledge, an explanation of its con-tent and a critical analysis with proposals for intervention as per the content worked on in the subject.

l Examen. For groups of 8-10 people (each group chooses a topic), create a test with 30 questions that the teachers will check and hand back to the student once checked and which will be used as material for the exam. There will also be a question to work out with materiall.

Reinforce and enhance the content and skills learned:

• Forums. Guided debates and discussions led by the teacher on the subject regarding topics related to the content of some of the didactic units.

• Email. The use of email for the student to send and receive assignments (searches on the web for resources and links related to specified content).

• Shared folders. A shared area on the net within the virtual campus..

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197

G.

Glossary.

189

Case analysis: A particularly inductive teaching and learning method in which, by studying and analysing real situations, the described facts and processes involved are analysed and interpreted, pro-blems are defined and resolved and conclusions are drawn based on a decision-making process.Definition: Own wording.

Autonomous learning: his term refers to the Type I training activities proposed by the EVA Progra-mme, which are characterised by the fact that the student is given the opportunity to learn indepen-dently based on some pedagogical guidelines and criteria that has been defined for each course. Defi-nition: Own wording.

Learning with experts: lThe Type III training activities proposed by the EVA Programme that require more exhaustive control at the hands of expert professionals in specific knowledge areas. Once the me-thod is defined (e-learning, blended learning), it can be combined with personalised coaching sessions. Definition: Own wording.

Guided learning: This term refers to the Type II training activities proposed by the EVA Programme, which are characterised by the fact that they provide tutored monitoring through a mediator, who is a figure of reference for the student and will accompany him or her in their learning process. Definition: Own wording.

Pedagogical architecture: This refers to the didactic sequence that the training activity will follow in general, and to the organisation of the learning areas within the teletraining platform. Definition: Own

wording.

Asynchronous: sThe learning tool that does not require any simultaneous time relationship between the teacher and student will be referred to in this way. These tools make it so that the rhythm of pre-sentation and/or assimilation of the information by the receiver (the student) does not have to coincide with the rhythm of presentation of the information/knowledge on the part of the transmitter (instruc-tor). Definition: Own wording.

Online assistance: A service that is made available to students in which individualised tutorials and real time assistance are provided through the teacher or programme facilitator. It is provided over the Internet through programmes designed for this purpose and during previously established

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hours that students have been informed about by the training programme. /Definition: Own wording.

Additional content: A process through which the content that has already been created is reviewed in order to analyse the extent to which all or part of it can be reused. /Definition: Own wording.

Blended Learning: This training mode combines e-learning methods with classroom methods, inte-grating isolated classroom training sessions when the training programme so requires. /Definition: Own

wording.

Blog: A tool for creating content used both by students as well as teachers. The created content can be commented on by all other participants in a course or even by the teachers. /Definition: Own

wording.

Coaching: A system of questions through which the coach (professional) helps the coachee (client) get the best out of himself or herself. An interactive and transparent process through which the coach and the person or group involved in the said process seek the most effective path towards reaching the objectives set by using their own resources and skills. /Definition:Wikipedia.

E-learning consultancy: A diagnostic study and technical-pedagogical advice for the implementa-tion of e-learning solutions that best fits an organisation’s needs. Through this study, advisory processes are carried out on the most appropriate methods and tools and how to implement them in an educa-tional context. /Definition: Own wording.

Additional content: This learning tool focuses on reinforcing the knowledge transmitted in the va-rious modules that make up a course. The use of the Internet and new technologies helps reinforce and improve the teaching and learning process, thus adding value to the training programmes./Definition: Own wording.

Digital content: eA process through which the content that has already been created is reviewed in order to analyse the extent to which all or part of it can be reused. /Definition: : Own wording.

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Copyleft: This is a group of copyrights that are characterised by the elimination of the restrictions on distribution or modification that are present with Copyright, with the condition that the derivative work maintains the same copyright scheme as the original. /Definition: Wikipedia.

Copyright: Literally means the right to copy and refers to the ownership part of authors’ rights, un-derstood as a set of norms and principles that regulate the moral and ownership rights that the law grants authors (copyrights) simply because they have created a literary, artistic or scientific work, whe-ther it has been published or is yet to be published. /Definition: Wikipedia.

Chat: A virtual communication tool that enables real-time conversations through the learning platform or an Internet site where the participants of the same training activity can be in simultaneous contact, thereby enabling the direct interaction that is generated in a conversation between a group of people. /Definition: Own wording.

Creative Commons: An American non-profit organisation, the purpose of which is to implement va-rious types of licenses to register works and also offer more rights to third parties and users of the wor-ks, but always under certain conditions or regulations, which are also chosen by the author. /Definition: Own wording.

Digitisation: The process of generating and producing content that can be distributed through di-gital media (web, TV, etc.), which will allow it to be presented in different formats (as per international standards and norms) that emphasise both the scientific quality and the criteria for creation and user interactivity. /Definition: Own wording.

Dinamización de programas: eThe figure in the training process that monitors each student indivi-dually throughout their learning, motivating them to learn and maintaining direct contact throughout the training process. /Definition: Own wording.

E-learning: Training that is defined by the intensive use of the Internet and ICTs to improve its qua-lity by facilitating access to content and resources as well as communication and collaboration among

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students and teachers, regardless of scheduling or geographic limits. Definition: Own wording.

Distance education (distance ed): Formal education based at an institution where the learning group is separated and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect students, resour-ces and instructors. Definition: M. Simonson,2.006.

Feed-back: A process used to check or verify if the information has been understood by the student. Aguilar, D. y García, F.J. (2001). Desarrollo integral de competencias pedagógicas para formadores: formación de for-

madores: manual didáctico.

Folksonomy: A new paradigm for classifying information that enables Internet users to freely create tags to categorise all kinds of content from news links to photographs. Definition: : Own wording.

Forum: A forum is the most powerful asynchronous communication tool in an e-learning course. Its asynchronous nature makes it ideal for requiring those who participate in it to think about, reflect upon and mature the contributions that have a degree of permanence in and of themselves. The main objective of this learning tool is to generate communication and collaboration among students and teachers, regardless of the scheduling or geographic limits. Definition: Own wording.

Content Management Systems or CMS: A programme that makes it possible to create a support structure (framework) to create and administer content, mostly for web pages. It consists of an interfa-ce that controls one or several databases where the site content is hosted and which allows the content and design to be managed independently. Definition: Wikipedia.

Interactive glossary: A learning tool in which information is structured into “concepts” and “explana-tions”, just like a dictionary or encyclopaedia, but on the terms used in a specific training activity. This tool allows access to the definitions of certain terms from the text where they appear. There is often an indication through a modification in the term’s format (colour, font) that indicates it can be found in the glossary. Definition: Own wording.

Course instructional guide: A reference document for students regarding the characteristics and pro-gression of the entire training programme. This includes general and specific objectives, method, content

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blocks (modules/topics), duration, credit hours, evaluation criteria, etc. Definition: Own wording.

Didactic guides for each module/topic: A document made available to students that outlines the lear-ning objectives, method, content, duration, evaluation criteria, head instructors, tools for communication, guidance for learning, etc. for the module/topic in question. Definition: Own wording.

Instructor’s guide: A reference document for the teaching team which outlines in detail everything that is needed for each didactic unit. In other words, it is the document that describes how the course should be taught. All the modules/topics are described in a didactic manner. Definition: Own wording.

Infoxication: An excess of information or change in the quality of the information that generates anxiety in a student due to an inability to assimilate it. Definition: Alfons Cornella (2000).

Laboratory: Based on Web 2.0, the EVA Programme publishes the communication and collaborative work tools that it believes are of use to the teaching-learning process and of interest to the learning community through this web space. This e-learning laboratory is also used as a technological observa-tory where revisions, analyses and reports will be made. Definition: Own wording.

Instructional manual: manual de contenidos de un curso, que se pone a disposición del alumnado en el momento que el equipo docente estime oportuno. Dependiendo de la naturaleza de cada acción formativa, este manual puede ir entregándose por módulos/temas o a la conclusión de la misma. /Definición: Own wording.

Instant messaging: herramienta que permite la comunicación directa de toda la comunidad de

aprendizaje, facilitando la interacción a través de la plataforma de teleformación. /Definición:Own wording.

Tableless method: consiste en la construcción de sitios web sin recurrir al uso de tablas simplemen-te por propósitos de presentación. En vez de tablas, se utiliza la colocación de CSS (Hojas de estilo en cascada) para ordenar los elementos y el texto en una página web. /Definición: Wikipedia.

Moodle: A freely distributed course management system that helps educators create online lear-ning communities. This kind of technology platform is known as LMS (Learning Management System).

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Definition: Wikipedia.

Mobile-Learning: Training solutions that stand out due to their versatility as they enable access to learning pills whenever and wherever the professional needs them through devices such as mobile telephones or PDAs. Definition: Own wording.

Multimedia: A term that applies to any object that used different forms of informative content such as text, sound, images, animation and video simultaneously to inform or entertain the user. Electronic media (or other media) can also be considered to be multimedia when it enables the storage and pre-sentation of multimedia content. Definition: Wikipedia.

Learning optimisation: A system used to improve a student’s teaching-learning process through guidance strategies that are defined in a curriculum. It indicates to the student a series of aspects that facilitate this process (the estimated study time needed each day, the key sections to check and rele-vant information for studying, the recommended study sequence, the need for self-scheduling, etc.). Definition: Own wording.

Teletraining Platform or LMS: Learning Management System. An LMS registers users, organises cour-se catalogues, stores user data and provides reports for management. It often also includes communi-cation tools for use by course participants. Definition: Wikipedia.

Platform customisation: A process which, in conjunction with the client, studies the most appropriate corporate identity elements to be incorporated and gives the programme an image that can be identified with the organisation developing it. It places the user at all times with the organisation to which the training programme belongs. Definition: Own wording.

Learning pills: Formats used to present content, the main characteristic of which is the short dura-tion and the presentation of the content in small doses, which may or may not be overseen and led by expert professionals on the subject. Definition: Own wording.

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Rapid Learning : A training method used to adjust to the specific training and technology needs of each organisation by teaching pedagogically structured content in multi-media formats that are imple-mented with animation, text, video and photos in order to provide optimal educational value. Definition Own wording.

Recycling: Updating competencies through training activities in which students receive instructio-nal materials with a highly digitised component as well as self-evaluation activities and learning aid resources that enable their autonomous development. Definition: Own wording.

Role play: A technique in which a student takes on a certain role, representing a character in a real-life situation so as to develop the capacity to understand human relations, work on behaviours that must be used in that real life situation, etc. Definition: Aguilar, D. y García, F.J. (2001). Desarrollo integral de

competencias pedagógicas para formadores: formación de formadores: manual didáctico.

RSS: (Really Simple Syndication) A format that allows access to sources of information (feeds) pu-blished on other portals quickly and easily. Definition: Own wording.

Second Life (SL): A virtual world that was launched in 2003 by Linden Research, Inc. (widely known as the Linden Lab). One of the main attractions of this virtual world is the ability that users have to ‘become’ another person, through the use of avatars or AV, which are fully-configurable 3D characters. Definition: Wikipedia.

Synchronous: A characteristic of the learning tool that enables real-time contact between teachers and students, thus enabling direct and immediate interaction between the transmitter and receiver. Definition: Own wording.

Sloodle: A combination of SecondLife and the open source e-learning platform Moodle, which broadens educational possibilities. Definition: Own wording.

Open source software: Software that gives users freedom over an acquired product, meaning that, once obtained, the product can be used, copied, studied, modified and redistributed freely. Definition: : Wikipedia.

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Comprehensive solutions: Those that involve the complete implementation of an e-learning system in an organisation, from a pedagogical and technological point of view. Definition: Own wording.

Proprietary software (non-open-source): Refers to any computer programme for which users have limited usage possibilities, in terms of modification or redistribution (with or without modifica-tions), or for which the source code is not available or access is restricted. Definition: Wikipedia.

Tags: Also called labels, used by students to add and classify web pages that are relevant to a trai-ning activity being undertaken, or that are of interest to students individually. Definition: : Own wording.

Training workshops: A session that is implemented in a training activity with the physical clas-sroom learning or blended learning method, the objective of which is to train very specific skills with focused activities such as role-play, group dynamics, guided debates, technical skills, etc. Definition: Own wording.

Autonomous work: Work the student does while assuming responsibility and control for their own learning, establishing their own rhythm and evolution in the teaching-learning process. Definition: Own

wording.

Collaborative or group work: Group activities and actions in which students can individually share what they have learned with all the other agents in the educational process. From this perspective, it is very important that students feel like members of a community and share their knowledge, experien-ces, points of view, etc. Definition: Own wording.

Tutoring: A systematic pedagogical monitoring process that can be carried out by expert professionals or learning mediators depending on the type of training activity. Definition: Own wording.

Videoconference: A synchronous learning tool that makes it possible to maintain audiovisual com-munication in real time between two or more points connected through telecommunication networks, (internet, telephone, etc.).Definition: Own wording.

Web 2.0: A term coined in 2004 by Tim O’Reilly to refer to a second generation Web based on user com-munities and a special line of services such as social networks, blogs, wikis or folksonomies, which promote

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collaboration and the flexible exchange of information among users. Definition: Wikipedia.

Webquest: A guided search method in which a student investigates and resolves problems, either individually or in a group, and which is always monitored by the teacher. Definition: Own wording.

Semantic web: An Internet space in which any user can find answers to their questions quickly and easily thanks to very well-defined information. By giving the Web more meaning and, therefore, more se-mantics, solutions to common problems can be obtained when searching for information due to the use of a common infrastructure through which it is possible to share, process and transfer information easily. Definition: W3C, Semantic Web. “A Brief Guide to the Semantic Web”. /Definition: Wikipedia.

Wiki: A tool used by students and teachers to create content. This space in which content is created can be modified by all the other participants in a training activity.Definition: Own wording.

Workflow-Learning: Learning that takes place at the worksite and during the working process through learning pills that are viewed in real time within the context in which the professional wishes to receive training. Definition: Own wording.

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