Post on 31-Mar-2015
Digital Learning Environments At Universities
Virtual MobilityBetween Universities
&
Leen Van Rentergem,Herman Buelens,
Piet Henderikx, & Wim Van Petegem
K.U.LeuvenGeneral Information
27.734 students
6.500 employees
14 faculties
Geographical distribution over Leuven, Heverlee & Kortrijk
About 500 buildings
3.777 international students (16/1/2004), coming from more than 120 different
countries, 75% enrolled in postgraduate or doctoral study programs
572 outgoing Erasmus students, 591 incoming (in 2001-2002)
56 study programmes in English, and >10 joint programmes
Internet ConnectivityBelnet Gigabit network
K.U.LeuvenICT Facilities
K.U.LeuvenICT Facilities
Internet Connectivity
PC Classrooms
Public accessible 24 hours / day, 6 days a week 17 classrooms, 500 PC’s internet connectivity via KULeuvenNet Reservations for class activities or individual use Printer facilities by using print cards
K.U.LeuvenICT Facilities
PC renting price range: 30 - 50 € / month
(= cost of a pint of beer per day)
buy off option with recovery of paid money Success
PC-shop (Sale) hardware software: campus licenses
K.U.LeuvenICT Facilities
KOTNET (about 20.000 users) Strategic vision
Added value Optional For every student Without financial thresholds
low cost preferably fixed amount target 0 €
K.U.Leuven dormitories connected to K.U.Leuvennet free
Private rooms: connected via Television cable 5,5 € per month per student
Dial in telephone cost
K.U.LeuvenICT Facilities
Educational concept: Guided Independent Learning
Students learn best when they can act as independent critical
researchers within their discipline Students become responsible for their own learning Teachers on the other hand are responsible to adequately coach
their students
K.U.LeuvenEducation
“Let a thousand flowers bloom”
Isolated projects Carried by enthusiastic individuals
or small teams Ad hoc, micro-level Funding
University (OOI) Regional (STIHO) European (EC)
K.U.Leuven anno 2000ICT in education
“Let a thousand flowers bloom”
Some impressive results Awareness raising Enthusiasm and goodwill
Lot of reinventing the wheel Results disappear as projects finish
& individuals leave (Doesn’t scale up) Hard to support centrally
(educationally & technically) No consolidation, no “share and reuse” Too fragmented, no integration for students
K.U.Leuven anno 2000ICT in education
“Let a thousand flowers bloom”
Only small-scale impact However, this phase of experience
and adaptation was criticalfor the introduction of ....
K.U.Leuven anno 2000ICT in education
LogoAlcatara-bridge in Toledo (Spain)Bridge between students and faculty
Acronym Toetsen en Leren Doeltreffend OndersteunenEffectively supporting Testing and Learning
ProjectAim is to implement and support (technically and pedagogically)a digital learning environment for all students and facultyat the K.U.Leuven
K.U.Leuven anno 2001Toledo
Task force on learning platforms
Criteria: Basic functionality (in line with GIL) Easy to use, minimal training Should fit within university ICT infrastructure Connectivity with administrative systems Reliable support Access to and reuse of learning material
Process: Pre-selection, pilot projects Study visits Installing a team of 7 FTE
K.U.Leuven anno 2001Toledo: the selection of a DLE
WHICH
DLE ?
July 2001 purchase of software and hardware
Augustus 2001 installation
Load all courses Load all teacher-course combinations Enrol all students in mandatory courses
September 2001 Roll-out The use of Toledo is on voluntary basis Information sessions in all departments were organized For more experienced users: workshops were organized
K.U.Leuven anno 2001Toledo: GO!
December 2003 More than 19000 active students Over 1250 active teachers More than 1500 active courses 240 000 hits/day ( max 80000 last year)
0
1000000
2000000
3000000
4000000
5000000
6000000
7000000
2001-09 2002-02 2002-07 2002-12 2003-05 2003-10
K.U.Leuven anno 2003Toledo in use
At the micro level (=K.U.Leuven courses)
makes teachers think about their education 20% of all courses combine functionalities of the DLE
with more traditional forms of education (‘blended’ learning) Toledo was used mainly to deliver information to students 25% of the courses use Toledo’s communication, assessment and
assignments functionalities substantially
The use of these functionalities had positive effect upon educational practices (i.e. in line with the concept of guided
independent learning).
K.U.Leuven anno 2004The impact of Toledo
At the meso level (=K.U.Leuven institute)
Positive effects upon both education and research:
a common basis for conversation and future collaboration Every day more that 6000 students use Toledo, this affects
ICT services (KOTnet) Role of central services Educational support services
Toledo is used as an administrative tool within faculties Due to the new use of administrative data, Toledo contributes to
the design of a new campus management system
K.U.Leuven anno 2004The impact of Toledo
Reasons for the impact on micro & meso level ?
The software Easy to use minimal training user friendly Reliable Offers basic functionalities...
Embedded in the university’s technical infrastructure administrative systems organisation of education (i.e. Toledo is course oriented)
K.U.Leuven anno 2003The impact of Toledo
So far about The Digital Learning Environment At K.U.Leuven.
What about Virtual Mobility Between Universities ?
“Let a thousand flowers bloom” ?
Isolated projects Carried by enthusiastic individuals
or small teams Ad hoc, micro-level By means of
video-conferencingcomputer-conferencing...
Used as an subsitute for fysical mobility ?
Virtual Mobility anno 2004
“Let a thousand flowers bloom” ?
Some impressive results Enthusiasm and goodwill
(e.g. 2 case-studies presented hereafter)
Awareness raising
Lot of reinventing the wheel ? Results disappear as projects finish
& individuals leave ? Hard to support centrally
(educationally & technically) ? No consolidation, no “share and reuse” ? Too fragmented, no integration for students ?
Virtual Mobility anno 2004
“Let a thousand flowers bloom”
Bologna context: Flexibilisation Internationalisation
Only small-scale impact ? We are now where we
were with Toledo 3 years ago, i.e. at the crossroads for a broader and more structured implementation and approach
Virtual Mobility anno 2004
“Let a thousand flowers bloom”
Is this phase of experienceand adaptation criticalfor the introduction of ....
Virtual Mobility anno 2004
DLE’s within universities to promote Virtual Mobility in the future ?
Opportunities
DLE’s might help to redefine ‘virtual mobility’ no longer as a substitute for physical mobility, but as a totally different opportunity
DLE’s can be used for more specialised courses (complementarity – Erasmus-like) joint courses and programmes (sharing electronic learning content with other
universities) creating international learning communities (by / for students / faculty), e.g.
international discussion groups, seminars, etc preparation for physical mobility sharing experiences with other universities (staff mobility) …
DLE’s might help to overcome the con’s associated with a ‘let a thousand flowers bloom’- approach.
DLE’s & Virtual Mobility ?
DLE’s & Virtual Mobility ?
Obstacles
DLE’s are embedded in the university’s technical infrastructure administrative systems organisation of education (i.e. DLE’s are course oriented)
The software and hardware Licence agreements Need for new tools (interfacing) Need for standards
The same factors that facilitate positive effects of DLE’s at micro & meso level might hamper positive effects at a macro level (i.e. virtual mobility between universities).
DLE’s & Virtual Mobility ?
Solutions?
Further promote blended (hybrid) learning within universities ?
Look for low budget technology ? (web cams...) Linking DLE’s between universities?
DLE’s & Virtual Mobility ?
A mission for Coimbra?
Show and promote best practices? Launch experiments and pilot projects? Lobby, negociate with vendors of DLE’s? Share ideas
And not to forget:
Your creativity during this workshop
Thank you for your attention !