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This document addresses the key issues arising from the Bologna Process concerning e-learning in European higher education. It discusses the need for a student-centered education approach, the importance of leveraging ICT for quality education, and the significance of creating coherent management strategies in universities. Key findings from the JOIN Conference 2004 outline current obstacles, future priorities, and the urgency for quality assurance in e-learning. Effective change management and the development of comprehensive ICT strategies are critical for enhancing e-learning in European universities.
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E-learning: some issues raised by the Bologna process Manuel J. Fernández Iglesias ceees@uvigo.es Commissioner for the European Higher Education Area Universidade de Vigo www.uvigo.es/ceees
Contents • Towards the European Higher Education Area • European universities vs. ICT • European Higher Education Area & E-learning • Conclusion JOIN Conference 2004
Bologna Process: Key Points • Student-centred education • Lifelong learning • Simplify the patchwork of qualification systems. Comparability, transferability • Improve mobility within Europe and attract students from around the world • Ensure high standards. Quality • ICT are the foundation, not just support JOIN Conference 2004
Wind of change… • Why to change? • EC says so… • Globalization, changing society: information & knowledge, technology, labour relations… • University: create knowledge from information • What to change? • Methodology • Management • Resources • How to change? • …. + E-learning + … ? JOIN Conference 2004
Traditional Europe’s Weaknesses • Lack of mid- and long-term strategies and policies, affecting schools and universities as well as technical training centres • Shortage of qualified staff, particularly teachers and trainers with ICT at their fingertips • Europe produces too little of the educational software, products, resources and services JOIN Conference 2004
European Universities vs ICT • Front-runners (18%) • Pre-eminence in all aspects, including cooperation • Co-operating universities (33 %) • Quite advanced, but limited use of e-learning courses and digital services • Self-sufficient (36%) • Co-operation with other universities / suppliers to a minimal degree • Sceptical (15%) • Lag behind the rest. Very low proportion of e-learning courses PLS Ramboll Management. Virtual Models of European Universities. Report to the EU Commission, DG Education & Culture. 2004. JOIN Conference 2004
Main findings • The basic foundation for ICT use is in place • Almost everyone has access to computers, the Internet and e-mail accounts • A ICT strategy should be developed at the management level • It is an important driver in the ICT developmental process. Historically, management has not been concerned with ICT and e-learning • Lack of an overall support structure for e-learning • Highly fragmented approaches. Many students still require basic ICT support PLS Ramboll Management. Virtual Models of European Universities. Report to the EU Commission, DG Education & Culture. 2004. JOIN Conference 2004
Main findings • Incentives should be developed • Support the work of the trailblazers. Awareness of the benefits obtainable from e-learning. Extra time for teachers to develop course materials and innovative pedagogy • The use of ICT to redesign education is at the very beginning • Need to redesign educational programmes, content and curricula on the basis of novel didactic frameworks PLS Ramboll Management. Virtual Models of European Universities. Report to the EU Commission, DG Education & Culture. 2004. JOIN Conference 2004
Main findings • The e-learning offer will increase largely in the next years • Most universities already offer some e-learning courses, but e-learning does not seem to be a preferred delivery mode. 65% of universities state that this will be one of their key priorities over next two years. • Lack of quality assurance teams • Quality assurance considered to be a great challenge. Only a fraction developed quality assurance teams targeted to e-learning PLS Ramboll Management. Virtual Models of European Universities. Report to the EU Commission, DG Education & Culture. 2004. JOIN Conference 2004
Key obstacles • From individual initiative to university culture. A long way to go • Absence of a coherent and comprehensive management approach • Resistance to change in the university culture • Lack of knowledge • Of the potential of e-learning and ICT • Shortage of ICT resources • High quality teaching material is very costly • Regulations should be defined • Intellectual property, payment systems, assessment, grading, credit recognition.... PLS Ramboll Management. Virtual Models of European Universities. Report to the EU Commission, DG Education & Culture. 2004. JOIN Conference 2004
Key challenges • Simplify e-learning adoption: adapt tools to users, minimize ICT training needs • Integral support of the learning process: management, tutoring, teaching, assessment • Specific learning methodologies • Content/Resource development • Support reuse and sharing of information and contents: interoperability, standardization • Regulations: intellectual property, payment systems, assessment, grading, credit recognition.... • Quality assurance systems JOIN Conference 2004
LMS & Content • Lots of e-learning management solutions • Open source • Commercial • Proprietary • Other: Content management systems, community building software, peer2peer, collaborative work, … • Added value will be in content, not in features • Many full-featured LMS, and probably more to come • Minimum assessment criteria usually do not consider content availability, content reuse or content sharing JOIN Conference 2004
LMS & Content • Content development & content reuse • Learning materials, courses are expensive. Reuse will keep overall costs reasonable. • Key information for the learning process should also be shareable: student profile, grading info, achievements, ... • Towards a solution: • Agreement upon e-learning standards • Repositories of e-learning material JOIN Conference 2004
EHEA & E-learning • Student-centred education • Blended learning • Educational Modeling Languages and instructional design: IMS LD, LMML, PALO, Targeteam, TML/Netquest, … • Standards for student profiles: LTSC PAPI, IMS LIP, … JOIN Conference 2004
EHEA & E-learning • Adoption of a system of easily readable and comparable degrees • Standards for student profiles: LTSC PAPI, IMS LIP, ... • European Diploma Supplement • Quality assurance JOIN Conference 2004
EHEA & E-learning • Adoption of a system essentially based on two main cycles • Establishment of a system of credits • Metadata Standards: LOM, ADL MD, IMS MD, DublinCore MI, … • Competence Definitions: LTSC Competency Definitions, IMS RDCEO, CEN (European Model for Learner Competencies) JOIN Conference 2004
EHEA & E-learning • Promotion of mobility: traditional mobility + virtual mobility • Standards for student profiles: LTSC PAPI, IMS LIP, … • Content aggregation & packaging: AICC Course Structure, IMS CP (Content Packaging), SCORM-CAM (Content Aggr. Model), IMS SS (Simple Sequencing), … • Runtime environments: AICC CMI/Lesson Communication, SCORM Runtime, IMS Shareable State Persistence, … JOIN Conference 2004
EHEA & E-learning • Promotion of European cooperation in quality assurance • New roles (tutor, validator, consultant, content developer, …) • Content development • Content life cycle • Assessment & Evaluation methodologies • Quality standards: ISO/IEC JTC1 SC36 WG5 JOIN Conference 2004
EHEA & E-learning • Promotion of the European dimensions in higher education • Promoting the attractiveness of the European Higher Education Area • Promote European e-learning solutions • Promote high-quality content development • Open software as the European stance? JOIN Conference 2004
EHEA & E-learning • Lifelong learning. The use of new technologies to improve social cohesion, equal opportunities and the quality of life • One of the strongest points of e-learning • Content repositories • Learner’s profile vs. Content description and competence definitions: matching problem! JOIN Conference 2004
Conclusion • Further development of an e-learning pedagogical corpus • The future is content • Production, sharing, … • The future are agreed upon standards • Student profiles, runtime, content, learning design • The future is information aggregation • Learner profiles, course metadata, competence definitions, … • Agents? Ontologies? Semantic Web? JOIN Conference 2004
EUN LTSC DCMI Standardization Institutions JOIN Conference 2004
Standardization Areas • Metadata • Content Aggregation • Educational Modelling Languages • Learner Information • Evaluation • Runtime Environments • Digital Repositories • Architectures and Interfaces • Accessibility • Collaboration • Glossaries and Vocabularies • Competence Definitions • Quality Assessment • … JOIN Conference 2004