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 approach Focus on e-learning Students can benefit from:  Updated contents available multimedia modality  Evaluation quizzes with immediate feedback  Social software allowing sync and async communication with the tutor

T-learning approach Focus on e-learning

Advancing Research Background:  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 Media  Podcast and Mobile  Second Life (Indire, National Agency for the Development of School Autonomy

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 Platform From propetary platform to OS CLAROLINE: A platform from teachers for teachers By Marcel Lebrun (IPM/ UCL - …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 =62&lang=en Autonomy of teachers Flexibility Personalization Definition of ICT competnces by EU Parliament

Open Source e-Learning Platform From propetary platform to OS Claroline Claroline e-Learning Platform experimented in various Projects at FOR.COM.: -AVATAR (LLP - Comenius) E-WINE (LLP - Leonardo da Vinci – Transfer of Innovation) AHEAD (LLP - Comenius)

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

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