Finnish Virtual University

1. Finnish Virtual University Matti Sinko Finnish Virtual University Development Unit October 24, 2001

2. Presentation outline • Overview of the FVU initiative • Some policy issues concerning eLearning materials

3. Seeking rationale for going virtual in Finnish HE(a SWOT presentation) • Strengths • modern hi-tec & networked • campuses • successful long-term national • education & research policies • large constituency of motivated • developers • Weaknesses • units small and scattered • units remote and isolated • number of students declining • less attractive than many • academic ”hubs” • slow progression of studies • thin collaborative tradition • Threats • lessening attractiveness • lowered competitiveness • poorer cost-effectiveness • anachronistic system • failing to learn networking • Opportunities • high profile of Finnish know -how • capitalising on strengths • necessity to face complex • challenges ofglobalisation

4. Various interests and concerns of stakeholders • Students • improved access to on- • line learning environments • improved flexibility in • learning and admin • improved mobility • modernising teaching • better access to learning • materials • Staff • increased flexibility • improved access to • research results and • research communities • more efficient teaching • protection of IPRs • protection of staff • welfare • Universities • improved • competitiveness • better service to • students • appropriate working • environment for staff • new PPPs • autonomy of academia • R&Dcommunities • many SIGs and agendas • eLearning lobby being • one • global research network • global research • databases • global on-line publishing • critique • Public sector • efficiency and • effectiveness of HE • enhancing strategic • thinking of universities • enhancing k-economy • serving other national • agendas • Business community • supply of professionals • up-dating staff • competence • R&D services and • partnership • Global HE market • liberating • harmonising • globalising • commercialising • customer orientation • Miscellaneous • Emperor’s new cloths? • Equal access? • Empowerment or • impoverishment of HE • provision • Qualifications of teachers

5. The Finnish Vision • By the year 2004 a high-quality, ethically and economically sustainable network-based model of organising teaching and research will have been consolidated. Education, Training and Research in the Information Society; A National Strategy for 2000-2004 • There will be set up a virtual university by 2004 based on a consortium of several universities, business enterprises and research institutes. It will produce and offer internationally competitive, high-standard educational services. Information Strategy for Education and Research 2000-2004; Implementation Plan

6. Our objectives • to diversify university studies • to develop university curricula • to improve the quality of teaching and learning • to enable networking in teaching, studying and research • to develop a new model of net-based operation • to make better use of the ICT networks • to improve the competitiveness of the Finnish academia

7. We are not aiming at • establishing a new university • full virtuality

8. From BRICK and mortar to click and mortar!

9. To do • Continuous refining of the aims and the needs analysis • Building-up the capacity to commit, to collaborate and to go on-line through a number of sub-projects addressing support to and training of staff • Curriculum development and research through a substantial number of network projects • Setting up proper structures, functionalities and management • Sustainable funding & pricing policies; fees • Optimising technical solutions, standards, learning management systems • Logistics and support to course design and tutoring • IPRs and other legal and regulatory issues • Issues of user identification: towards stronger authentication and federal authorisation • Student assessment • Legal status of the consortium • Quality assurance of products and services • International collaboration and exchange • Niche on the global HE market • Marketing and brand creation • Roles of companies as members, partners, customers

10. Division of responsibilities • Ministry of Education and its virtual university task force • funding • strategic follow-up • Universities • generating initiatives and projects • functional specifications • providing content for the activities • Consortium, Development unit and Projects • design, piloting and scaling-up • coordination and support • further development and on-going tune-up • consolidating services

11. Funding • Earmarked for 2001 • MoE: total nearly 10 M€ split between • individual universities (½) • inter-university projects (½) • ESF: 0.5 M € for the portal • plus resources and synergy from other national initiatives and intra-university projects • Anticipated MoE and ESF funding for 2002 and 2003 to stay at least on the same level. • 2004 yet open

12. Organisationof FVU Univ 1 Univ 2 Univ 3 Univ n MoE Consortium assembly The virtual university task force Steering committee Development unit Virtual polytechnic initiative services projects FinELib CSC

13. Summing up our current policy on eLearning materials • acknowledging the growing importance of e-materials in e-learning • producing locally and virtually • delivering globally but not uncontrolled • reaching sufficiently coherent procedures and practices enabling and empowering net-based e-learning through • standard indexing and metadata systems (preferably on source) to enable effective searches and data mining • interoperable/compatible learning platforms and LMS, including ease of data transfer and delivery of materials over the net • full acknowledgement and respect of IPRs • pivotal role of staff development and training in concocting all this into an e-success story

14. The hidden rationale of any educational ICT strategy? ”If you don’t do your chores, Mother said, I won’t let you have a birthday party & instead of being nine, you’ll be eight for another year & none of your friends will want to play with someone younger than them..” Hal Sirowitz, Mother Said (1996)

15. More • after the vernissage of the FVU portal phase # 1 on November 8 at: • www.virtualuniversity.fi • matti.sinko@hut.fi