Virtual Learning in Higher Education

Federica Funghi

Consorzio FOR.COM. Formazione per la Comunicazione

Dublin, 12 October 2011

Overview

FOR.COM. didactic offer: Contents and Methodology

Advancing research

The contribution from the International Projects Office

FOR.COM. didactic offer: Contents and Methodology

WHAT: Specialization courses and master courses

(400 h and 1500 h)

TOPICS: Language, Arts, Maths, Law and Economics, Motor Sciences, Computer studies

FOCUS: Initial and continuos training of teachers

HOW: T-learning approach and traditional approach

T-learning approach and traditional approach

Traditional Learning…for non-ICT literate students

Possibility to require and / or download lecture notes

T-learning…for ICT literate students

T-learning approachFocus on e-learning

Students can benefit from:

Updated contents available multimedia modalityEvaluation quizzes with immediate feedbackSocial software allowing sync and async communication with the tutor

http://ecampus.forcom.it/sqlcampus/

T-learning approachFocus on e-learning

T-learning approachFocus on e-learning

Advancing ResearchBackground:

Digital competence involves the confident and critical use of Information Society Technology (IST) for work, leisure and communication. (…) Skills needed include: the ability to search, collect and process information and use it in a critical and systematic way, assessing relevance and distinguishing real from virtual while recognising the links. Individuals should have skills to use tools to produce, present and understand complex information and the ability to access, search and use internet-based services; they should also be able use IST to support critical thinking, creativity, and innovation. (RECOMMENDATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on key competences for lifelong learning, 2005)

There is a shared acknowledgement that informal learning environments (television, videogames, internet) influence formal learning by favouring the problem solving skills, critical thinking and imagination.About the 80% of learning comes from informal contexts:Social MediaPodcast and MobileSecond Life(Indire, National Agency for the Development of School Autonomy http://www.indire.it/content/index.php?action=read&id=1675&graduatorie=0)

The contribution from the International Projects Office

In response to make teaching more attractive and linked to new ICT trends

International Projects Office’s main activities: To apply ICT to training process To experiment new learning and training solutions To promote research and innovation in the training fields To be up-to-dated with new e-learning trends To transfer research results in the Institutional Didactic Offer

Open Source e-learning Platform

Open Source e-Learning PlatformFrom propetary platform to OS

CLAROLINE: A platform from teachers for teachersBy Marcel Lebrun (IPM/ UCL - lebrun@ipm.ucl.ac.be)

…allowing teachers to make experimentations, to discover the need for a sound pedagogy and so to foster pedagogy in university teaching

Features Manage documents and links Create online exercices Develop learning path  Coordinate group work Produce : assignments and wiki Discuss : chat and forum Organize : agenda and announcements Supervise : users and statistics

http://www.aheadproject.eu/ahead/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62&lang=en

Autonomy of teachers

Flexibility

Personalization

Definition of IC

T competnces

by EU Parliament

Open Source e-Learning PlatformFrom propetary platform to OS

Claroline

Claroline e-Learning Platform experimented in various Projects at FOR.COM.:

-AVATAR (LLP - Comenius) 2009-2011 http://www.avatarproject.eu/avatar/index.php-E-WINE (LLP - Leonardo da Vinci – Transfer of Innovation) 2009-2011 http://www.e-wineproject.eu/-AHEAD (LLP - Comenius) 2009-2011 http://www.aheadproject.eu/ahead/index.phphttp://www.aheadproject.eu/ahead/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62&lang=en

Open Source e-Learning PlatformThe course home page displays the list of the available learning and communication tools

Open Source e-Learning Platform

Open Source e-Learning Platform

Why Claroline

The source cose is very clean and clear permitting the easy development of new functionalities

Very goog background documentation

Used worldwide

Big community of developers

Thank you for listening!Thank you for listening!

Federica Funghi

Consorzio FOR.COM.Formazione per la Comunicazione

f.funghi@forcom.itprogettieuropei@forcom.it