1. Towards Virtual Academy – Teacher’s changing role
Katri Koistinen
FINLAND

2. Virtual Academy? Haggrén and Munk Sørensen, 2000:
Academy, which works within an information network
Consists of a common understanding among its members to provide their knowledge, expertise and research products to each other and for co-operative use
may function internationally and at any distance

3. What do you mean by teaching in the net?

4. How do we use network for learning?
The key issue is what we want to achieve by using the Net?
ODL including face-to-face and other media
Open and Distance Learning
E.g.
support material
slides
link lists
information
E.g.
discussions
exercises
tutoring
feedback
group-work
Activity of the learner is essential. Network is the working environment
Network as a delivery tool for teaching 1 3
PRODUCT
PROCESS
E.g.
hyper-text book
self-study package
Administration, eg.
Information on courses
and timetables
Network provides totally new environment for collaborative learning
producing knowledge in collaboration 2 4
Copyright: Irene Hein &
Anna-Kaarina Kairamo
HUT Teaching and Learning Development
NETWORK
Only network based learning

5. Where our course is currently located?
Where we want it to be in the future?
Available technical solutions?
The pedagogical approaches?

6. Learning environments
Typical functionalities
managing documents
communication (one-to-one or group)
shared documents
administrative tools
The usability and openness vary
Selection of the system?
Pedagogical way of thinking behind?

7. Technical and pedagogical revolution at the same time?

8. Technical and pedagogical revolution at the same time?
”Using information and communication technology in higher education brings the current teaching practices into daylight” (Hein&Kairamo, 2000)
Do we want to transfer our teaching as such into network?

9. Learning = active process What kind of learning processes teacher wants his/her students to experience?

10. Learning process vs. teaching process
Goals determined by the teacher
Resources: staff, time, money, materials etc.
Teacher’s idea of good learning and teaching
process
Learning, teaching and administration processes of the course
Activities of the student
Merja Ranta-aho, 2000
Activities of the teacher: lecture, feedback etc.
Material

11. Students in the network (optimistic version)
motivated
independent
self-discipline
self-acting
etc
= mature studying skills
Virtual learning environment:
freedom
independent of time and place
flexible
mechanisms available to support the student’s studying process

12. Studying in the net A very positive and succesful experience OR
lost in the virtual cyberspace?

13. Teacher’s role in network

14. Various skills needed Technical skills Network communication skills
written vs. spoken
feedback and interactivity
Time management skills
synchronous vs. asynchronous
realism, steering mechanisms
Information management skills

15. Case:

16. Pedagogic levels (Haggrén & Munk Sørensen, 2000)
4th level: Research!

17. Pedagogic levels Texts Tools lecture material available in the net
freedom to concentrate on the specific subjects during the face-to-face lectures
freedom for self-studying
Tools
from simple to complex
exercising the theory and parts of the technology
advantage if available in the internet

18. Pedagogic levels (continued)
Projects
the solving of practical professional problems
applying theory and tools
Recearch
production of new knowledge and information
at least its results should be connected to the ”texts”, ”tools” and ”projects” levels in early phase

20. Change in Teacher’s role
In past:
information delivering emphasized
authority of the teacher
In future:
a coach or a personal trainer
even a fellow student

21. CONCLUSIONS Pedagogical way of thinking!!!
Updating pedagogigal skills at the same time as technical skills
Every teacher should try studying in the network course