methodology
Methodological Issues
This paper identifies and addresses problems inherent in assessing 21st-century skills, both in tests and in the classroom, focusing particularly on computer-enabled and large-scale assessment.
Is eLearning quality in the eye of the beholder?
The article reflects the role of stakeholders and experts as well as their composition in review teams, based on the example of epprobate, the international quality label for eLearning courseware.
Some aspects of what we mean by eLearning quality can be captured in a reasonably objective manner (e.g. are learning objectives stated) but most of what we mean by quality (e.g. student engagement) can only be captured through more subjective measures. However, once we start to use subjective measures then the results begin to depend on who is doing the measuring, and, crucially, the results vary depending on the positioning of the reviewers with respect to the courseware.
So an eLearning producer may have one view (and within the company, the coders may have different views from the graphic designers), but the learners and teachers who will use the courseware, the employers who will employ those who have used the course, maybe the company that has commissioned the courseware for its employees, national government agencies and other social agencies may all have different perspectives on what is important in judging the quality of the courseware.
None of these perspectives have a monopoly on truth, and so the new international quality initiative ‘epprobate’ is using an approach that calls on views from a range of perspectives and stakeholders in order to develop its quality reviews.
Mere popularity is no guarantee of quality – one only has to look at the most popular TV programs, newspapers and YouTube videos to be convinced that popularity is not necessarily the same as quality!
On the other hand the traditional approach to quality assurance also has its problems. In education, the traditional approach has been for a small team of educational experts to come to a consensus view as to whether a journal article, a course, a programme of courses or an educational organization meets an established set of criteria. Such experts typically have knowledge of education and the quality evaluation processes and call on content experts if this is appropriate.
Such quality assurance systems have been criticised for being overly controlling, dominated by one particular perspective, and stifling initiative. So these approaches to quality assurance are giving way to quality enhancement approaches, and at the same time much more emphasis has begun to be put on student involvement in the quality process.
However these general quality schemes even in their most recent formulations are not ideally suited to the demands of an educational system subject to rapid change and growth and in particular those demands that arise from the use of eLearning. Many quality schemes for eLearning have been developed but most are somewhat tied to the limiting aspects of traditional quality approaches.
The solution that epprobate is proposing is to carry out reviews from a range of perspectives, in terms of a published set of quality criteria (http://epprobate.com/index.php/en/epprobate-quality-grid), and to involve the courseware producer with a learning community based around this review process. The production by the eLearning courseware producer of a self assessment is a vital part in encouraging the development of eLearning quality through self evaluation. A typical review panel would consist of representatives of the target group for the course, a pedagogical and quality expert, another eLearning courseware producer, a content expert and the eLearning courseware producer. This panel would produce a report examining the courseware in terms of the published criteria, and would award the epprobate label where the courseware was found to be of high quality.
Rather than simply a process of providing a label, the core of the epprobate process is the promotion of a community of peers working together to improve eLearning quality. We will achieve our goal of supporting the development of high quality eLearning courseware through a combination of consulting with a range of perspectives and multiple stakeholders, reviewing against a published set of criteria, producing detailed evaluative reports, and involving eLearning producers within our learning community.
EDEN Annual Conference 2012
The Annual Conference will approach the key questions of learning methodology and technology focusing on the “Open learning generations”, the contexts of socially significant target groups: junior and senior e-learners. We will explore their learning cultures, technology use patterns, and discuss new approaches in pedagogy and andragogy that respond to them.
The changing technology dimension: development of networking tools, new platforms and standards, and interoperability questions, will also be addressed from the perspective of different groups of users.
The European Distance and E-Learning Network exists to share knowledge and improve understanding amongst professionals in distance and e-learning and to promote policy and practice across the whole of Europe and beyond.
With more than 200 institutional members and over 1200 members in the Network of Academics and Professionals (NAP), EDEN assists a wide range of institutions, networks and individuals to become involved in professional information and networking activities. It does so through the organisation of acknowledged European conferences, its publications and information services, and by taking an active role in a wide range of important EU projects. EDEN has also proved successful with thematic activities such as the Open Classroom Working Group (school level distance education), and by contributing to, and promoting, ‘cutting edge’ research in the field. In addition, EDEN has also provided extensive secretarial support to the European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning (EURODL).
See more detailed information about the 2012 EDEN Annual Conference key note speakers and conference scope and programmes here.
Read an interview with Dr. Ulrich Bernath - Committee member of the EDEN Conference programme committee and Chair of the Board of Directors and Trustees of the Ulrich Bernath Foundation here.
10th e-Assessment Question Conference - 2012
The focus this year puts assessment and e-Assessment into the context of qualifications and certification. Both formative and summative assessment inform and very often leads the learning process. A number of organisations and institutions in the UK have been at the forefront of developing and implementing learning and training that is assessed using the latest IT and ICT techniques and technologies.
The range of experiences, options and solutions in the marketplace is growing rapidly. For those selecting, implementing or using computer based assessment (in all its forms) this is challenging and the change management processes, daunting.
A broad range of learning, training and study is now assessed using technology. The scope and coverage grows each year
• The tools and techniques in the marketplace are becoming increasingly sophisticated and traditional doubts and barriers are being overcome.
• A number of large scale qualifications are using e-Assessment and considerable experience is being gained in education, training and industry.
• There is an increasing expectation by students, employees, assessors and government that the technology will be available to use in a secure, robust and fit for purpose manner.
The e-Assessment Question has become the key event for discussing all the issues surrounding the practical application of computerised testing and assessment. The impressive attendance of the last seven years and the wide range of speakers and exhibitors have shown that there is real interest from the classroom to the workplace in the use of e-Assessment.
EDEN 2012 Annual Conference: Open Learning Generations
The Annual Conference will approach the key questions of learning methodology and technology focusing on the “Open learning generations”, the contexts of socially significant target groups: junior and senior e-learners. We will explore their learning cultures, technology use patterns, and discuss new approaches in pedagogy and andragogy that respond to them.
The changing technology dimension: development of networking tools, new platforms and standards, and interoperability questions, will also be addressed from the perspective of different groups of users.
Pragmatic observers may state meanwhile that there is not that much novelty in new generations applying different tools and approaches to changing social and technology conditions. Thus there is space for interpretation by established distance learning professionals to consider the diverse practice and experience with young and adult learners in the open learning arena.
Conference Scope
Social and policy context
The European Year and movements for Active Ageing
The population in Europe is getting older. The EU Commission stressed in the Europe 2020 strategy the importance of healthy and active ageing. Values represented by mature citizens are becoming increasingly important in contemporary European societies. The year 2012 will be "The European Year of Active Ageing and the Solidarity Between Generations".
The European Year serves as framework for raising awareness, generating innovative approaches, disseminating good practice and encouraging stakeholders to participate. In a time of great challenges for Europe, all generations are called to act together and also to learn, to produce, share and preserve knowledge. In the digital knowledge society, technology and social media should not divide, rather they should foster cohesion amongst generations.
Generation Y
Another frequent question has been: how to deal with the new generation of learners who have grown up with the Internet and who are currently entering our schools and universities? The members of “Generation Y” or “Net Generation” are technology-immersed learners, easily adapting to technological developments, to the changing media and ubiquitous networks. They have developed critical thinking towards sourcing and judging information and even knowledge. Their expectations and behaviour are enormously different from the previous cohort.
Mature generation and e-learning
Promoting access of older persons to education and to information and communication technologies, and updating skills by providing access to lifelong learning, helps them to remain active and involved in the society. ICT enhanced learning has its place in the lifelong learning of the “silver age group”. Their electronic media use is more frequent and intensive. Media and the Internet makes it easier to reach them and they may gain ICT skills to maintain contact with relatives and friends.
There is a lot to do to avoid exclusion and marginalisation of older persons: lowering of access barriers to ICT enhanced learning; and remove cultural, technological, situational, educational obstacles. Provision of e-learning products and services including learning environments suitable for them is however a bottleneck. The few existing attempts have been predominantly "pilots" rather than being consolidated in character. There is poor knowledge only on the didactic level. It is important to care about the constructive social embedding of eLearning based on interests and ambitions.
Open learning for and amongst diverse generations
The movements aiming to enhance openness of educational resources encourage institutional policies which support innovative pedagogical models. Such models have been significant in empowering learners and their communities as co-producers in networked lifelong learning. Open resource attitude promotes democratic transformations in the information society. New media and technologies help to accelerate this process.
The development of an open climate and culture of learning enables educational institutions to better meet the demands of the public. Helping to spread educational resources as digitised content which accommodate different learning pathways, widening participation and promoting shared learning experiences between generations contributes to closing the technology gap.
Risorse per docenti dai progetti nazionali
Un supporto all’implementazione delle Indicazioni nazionali attraverso i percorsi e i prodotti dei progetti nazionali cofinanziati dal FSE per promuovere lo sviluppo professionale degli insegnanti. Le risorse del sito sono organizzate per area disciplinare e includono guide alla costruzione dei curricoli, riflessioni sugli sviluppi delle discipline e della loro didattica, strumenti per la verifica degli apprendimenti, esemplificazioni metodologiche e approfondimenti.
ViLBe - Virtuelles Lernen in Berufsschulen
Die Schülerinnen und Schüler im Bereich der Berufsschule sollen Kompetenzen im Umgang mit digitalen Medien erwerben, um den veränderten Anforderungen der Arbeitswelt nachhaltig gerecht zu werden. Der Unterricht mit digitalen Medien soll durch Lehr- und Lernarrangements geprägt sein, die neue Formen der Unterrichts-organisation und neue Unterrichtsmethoden beinhalten. Sie sollen selbst organisiertes Lernen der Schülerinnen und Schüler sowie individuelle Förderung weitgehend ermöglichen und so ein wichtiges Fundament für das Lebensbegleitende Lernen schaffen.