Research in ICT and Learning Trends and opportunities in E-learning

1. Research in ICT and LearningTrends and opportunities in E-learning Ulf Hedestig Department of Informatics Umea University Sweden

2. Introduction • Background to development of information technology in higher education • Models for e-learning environments • Perspectives on design of learning environments • Virtual universities and Learning Centres

3. Background • Globalisation in society • Media convergence • Knowledge based economy End of 1990s • Virtual universities • E-learning in business

4. Tendencies of problems The Lab that Fell to Earth Once the center of the technology research universe, the storied MIT Media Lab is now teetering on the brink of breakup- or, even worse, irrelevance Wired May, 2003 • IT in schools have not been a success • Workload on teachers • High costs • Consequences after the IT-crash The Times Higher Education 2003-02-28

5. The key to the problem- to understand the context of e-learning environments 3. Organisation 1. Technology 2. Pedagogy 4. Practice

6. 1. Technology Top-down approach Bottom-up approach • Design of learning environments • For whom? • New communication behaviours • Technical infrastructure • Different strategies • Maintenance • Most expensive Learning environment

7. Design of learning environments Teacher-centered Student-centered Instruction Transmission Acquisition External reality Dualism Individually interpreted Mind-centred Reductionistic Individual Rational Symbolic reasoning Well-structured decontextualised Interpretation Meaning making Internal reality Cultural relativism Contextualised Socially negotiated Community based Complex Collaborative Social Constructive Situated learning Ill-structured Embedded in experience

8. 2. Pedagogy • Complicated forms of education • Integration of different models • Distance education/learning • On-campus education • Decentralised education

9. Technology and pedagogy • IT och pedagogy Driven by an invisible force (ICT) that calls us to the past, we seem to keep putting emphasis mainly on the delivery of information, that is, of content, almost completely disregarding interaction and activity – the context, the completely renewed social and cultural contexts that the new technologies are pleading to offer us (Antónia Dias de Figueiredo, PROMETEUS) • Computer Aided Instructions (Skinner) • Intelligent Tutoring Systems (Artificial intelligence) • Supported Collaborative Computer Learning

10. E-learning models – web-based models 1. Content + supportmodell • Copy of face-to-face education • Static content (course schedule, information, assignments etc) Some complementary support for tutoring, discussion forum, email lists… • Low level of interaction • No more than 20% of students time goes to interaction

11. E-learning models – web-based models 2. Wrap-around modell • Building in different activities into course material • Simulations, group exercises, discussions, group work • Around half of the students time goes to interaction

12. E-learning models – web-based models 3. Integrated model • Active learning/collaborative working • Course content is dynamic and based on individual preferences and needs • A list of resources compared to a fix content • Resources is created together with particpants during the course.

13. OrganisationHow to provide higher education in a virtual community? • On-campus and E-learning • Young students and adult learners • Full time studies and half time/evening classes • Teaching vs learning

14. Organisational models for e-learningThe University • Negotiation model • Groups on middle level at the university • Local investments in infrastructure • Financing from faculty level • Support/teaching recourses to enthusiasts Anarchy model • No central decisions, bottom-up • Minimal resources for central financing of course content • Low level of infrastructure • Dedicated teachers • Low level of awareness what others are doing • Central model • Central priorities – large scale • Large recourses for infrastructures • Professional developers and teachers - Center of Excellence in Educational Technology

15. Inter-organisational modelsUniversity  Regions (Learning centers) • Brokerage • Only provide information on possible courses, programmes online • Using existing providers (universities) • Open Learning Agency • www.ola.bc.ca, www.ola.edu.au • University for Industry • www.ufiltd.co.uk, www.scottishufi.co.uk B

16. Inter-organisational modelsUniversity  Regions (Learning centers) • Umbrella • Network with one central node • ”individually are we very small but together we become large” • University of Highland and Islands www.uhi.ac.uk • Western Governors University www.wgu.edu/wgu/index.html

17. Inter-organisational modelsUniversity  Regions (Learning centers) • Greenfield • Totally new organisation • Usually virtual universities • University of Phoenix • Magellan University www.magellan.edu • ”Microsoft Online Learning Inst.”

18. Inter-organisational modelsUniversity  Regions (Learning centers) • Partnership • Agreements between partners • National and internationally • Open University agreement with Hong Kong, Singapore etc U LC Learning Center

19. Learning Centers in Sweden Large Areas 450 000 Km² 600 000 Km²

20. Northern Sweden and Learning Centers 1150 Km 500 Km

21. Learning Centers in every municipality • Learning Center – an important link between higher education and the region • Provide education on different levels – mainly focused on adult education • Based on local needs and local industry • Information, counseling, marketing, recruitment

22. Good infrastructure • Computer labs • Videoconference equipment • Classroom, group rooms, • Local tutors • Libraries, course literature

23. Learning centers in Sweden • Learning centers are financed by the local municipality • Local learning centers integrated with other educational systems (secondary school, vocational training, adult learning etc) or regional development centers • University provides higher education financed by state government • Extra costs for adoptions to distance education – based on partnership agreements

24. Questions?