E-learning for Regional Development: Cases in Latvia
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Transcript of E-learning for Regional Development: Cases in Latvia
E-learning for Regional Development: Cases in Latvia Atis Kapenieks
Riga Technical University, Latvia
Baltic IT&T 2006, Riga, Latvia, April 5-7, 2006
Outline of the presentation
e-learning - effective human resources development approach
Case in Livani (Latvia) 1999-2004 programme
E-course delivery approach
Knowledge Repository in Internet
EKD modelling for strategy development and capturing the new knowledge
Evaluation of programme results
Conclusions
E-learning for Regional Development
In this paper we are reporting on the results of 4 year-long cooperative effort on the part of Riga Technical University Distance Education Study Centre and the Livani region
The Livani region was among the most economically developed in Latvia from 1980 to 1990 but during the period of transfer to a free market economy and a knowledge society, 90% of the old industry collapsed, causing unemployment to rise up to 25%.
E-learning for Regional Development
The leadership of the Livani region responded to this bleak situation with a positive vision:
“There are new opportunities available by transferring to a knowledge society”.
E-learning for Regional Development
The Livani leadership drew upon the new e-learning solutions that had emerged at the time and that had been captured and designed at Riga Technical University:
The Distance Education Study Centre at Riga Technical University had a team that had participated in many international e-learning development projects and had the expertise.
E-learning for Regional Development
The leading team in Livani together with its partners at Riga Technical University conceived of the following plan:
Believe in the new opportunities;
Promote their acceptance in the local society;
Advance the philosophy of development;
Advance the technology and methods of e-learning;
Create opportunities and skills to design project applications for funding;
Use funding opportunities from national development programmes.
Year 1999
A trial business-planning course for 15 participants.
It demonstrated the new technologies and achieved some tangible results:
12 of the participants designed a business plan and passed the course;
Four participants implemented their business plan in a real-life business during the next two years.
Year 2001
An e-learning centre was created in Livani;
150 participants trained in new courses: IT for beginners;
Advanced IT;
Continued training in Business Planningfor Open Markets;
Installed a video-conferencing facility.
Year 2002
Training of 400 participants in new e-courses and previously developed ones:
Technical Communication;
E-business;
Innovation Management.
We also developed a Knowledge Repository in Internet.
Year 2003
Training of 300 participants in e-courses.
On a on-going bases updating the content of the Knowledge Repository.
Most importantly, we are developing a long term strategy of community development in a knowledge society.
E-course delivery approach
The courses currently being offered include:3 to 4 face-to-face seminars (about 6-8 hours);20 to 40 hours of estimated individual work on-line;Final asessment work
study aids include an interactive multimedia CD-ROM printed workbook.
Innovation Management Course
A challenging new e-game Marketplace was organised for the course Innovation Management.
Knowledge Repository
The design and development of a Knowledge Repository available on Internet was realized.
It put into effect the knowledge we had captured from our participation in the European 5th Framework programme project Hyperknowledge.
Our most visible successes were
e-courses with interactive multimedia CD-ROMs
The e-game in the Innovation Management e-course
With growing potential are activities
Further development and updating of the Knowledge Repository
Strategy development applying Enterprise Knowledge Development meta modelling (partners: Siemens Austria, Verbundplan Austria, KTH Sweden)
Knowledge Repository
Knowledge Repository
Knowledge Repository
PP presentetionorTranslation
EKD approach (Enterprise Knowledge Development)
Goals Model
Business Rules Model
ConceptsModel
Business Process Model
Actors and Resources
Model
Technical Components and Requirements Model
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motivates,requires
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uses, refers to
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uses, produces
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defines,is respon-sible for
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Business Rules Model
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By Janis Stirna, KTH
IST Call 4. 2.4.10 Technology-enhanced Learning. The objectivesTo explore interactions between the learning of the
individual and that of the organisation in order to improve how current or emerging ICT can mutually enhance the learning processes for the individual and for the organisation;
To contribute to new understandings of the learning processes by exploring links between human learning, cognition and technologies.
IST4BALT 2005, Riga, April 6-7
Fragment of Goals model for raising quality of continuing education
Goal 13To rise quality of continuingeducation
Goal 3To crate (activate) demandfor distance education
Goal 4To raise ones individualhappiness
supports
sup
port
s
Goal 5To promote social involvement(socialization) with a help ofdistance education
supports
Goal 8To help oneself actualize insociety
supports
Goal 14To increase the role andresponsibility of universitiesfor continuing educationsupports
Goal 15To provide course internalquality
supports Goal 16To provide course externalquality (possibilities andconstraints)
supports
Goal 26To provide quality of resultsof continuing education
Goal 27To provide quality ofeducational process
Goal 23To develop student pre-course knowledgeassessment system (skills,knowledge, attitude)
Goal 25To provide fair pre-courseprojection of subjectmastering results
Goal 24To provide pre-courseconsultations
Goal 22To provide qualified expertsand tutors of continuingeducation, make themavailable throughout Latvia
hinders hinders
Goal 11To promote role, value andpotential of continuingeducation.
Goal 12To foster and extend societyunderstanding aboutcontinuing education
Goal 10To develop courses thatmight potentially interesteveryone
Goal 21To formulate course goalsfairly and adequately
Goal 2To provide operationadequate regulatingmechanisms
Goal 6To promote academic elite’sunderstanding of continuingeducation
Goal 1To promote political elite’sunderstanding of continuingeducation
Problem 1Low purchasing ability ofcustomers
Goal 9To attract external funds Ls50000 during next 2 years forpurpose of providing freecontinuing education for localmunicipality
Goal 7To provide acceptablecontinuing education pricesfor people living in rural areas
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orts
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Goal 20To develop collaborationbetween social help agencyand consultation centre
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Goal 17To develop courseprogrammes matchingstudents abilities, easilyadaptable
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Goal 19To provide clarity about eachcourse connection with longterm educational programme(individual)
supports
Problem 2Lack ofmotivation
supports
Goal 18To promote collaboration ofeducational establishments,entrepreneurs, and municipalityfor provision of quality
supports
hinders
Most essential support activities
Development and maintenance of the e-study centre
Installation, demonstration and availability of videoconference technology
Results after the first small-scale project
Fifteen participants enrolled in the course “Business Planning for Open Markets”;
Twelve participants completed the course producing a self-designed business plan;
Four of the business plans were actually implemented making the small businesses;
The participants told us that they had had to visit a bank only three times as compared to eight times as was necessary for non-participants;
Moreover, the non-participants often ended up paying a consultancy fee to design a business plan and their projects were viewed as a higher credit risks.
To assess the quality of training courses;
To assess the quality of study materials;
To assess the work of the consultants;
To assess the training method (distance learning) in general;
To assess the overall results of training to assess the quality of training courses.
The objective of the next evaluation study was:
The evaluation methods employed
Semi-structured qualitative interviews with training course participants;
Observations of trainers, trainees andof the physical facilities provided for training.
Course fees
Each participant had to pay a tuition fee, about 20 EUR;
The majority of the participants paid the fee themselves;
For some participants their employers paid the fee.
Employees’ attitude towards training
All the employed respondents indicated that their employers responded positively to the training;
Those respondents who were unemployed believed that the training (and certificate) might be helpful for getting a job or even starting their own business.
Certification
All the respondents hoped to receive a certificate after completing the courses.
All the respondents have mentioned that the certificate might be useful when searching for new job.
Trainers and consultants
All the respondents were satisfied with the trainers and consultants
They have mentioned that the trainers and consultants are real experts in their field, good teachers and responsive to their needs.
None of the respondents were critical of trainers and consultants.
General assessment of training courses
Respondents were asked to evaluatethe course in general, marking grades 1 through 5 (where 1 was the lowest score and 5 excellent)
afterwards they were requested to assess different aspects of the training courses.
Assessment in general and various aspects of each course
IT for Beginners
IT Advanced
Technical Communication
Business Planning for
Open Markets
Quality in general 5 4.5 4.5 4.5
Work of consultants 5 5 5 5
Explanation 5 5 5 5
Possibility to meet consultant
5 5 5 4
Course materials/books
5 4.5 4.5 4
Internet 5 5 5 5
Supplies 5 5 5 5
Method of distance learning
4.5 4.5 4 4
Value 5 5 5 4.5
Innovation Management Course
“I received the unbelievable knowledge! I have to rethink my business now!”
Interwiews with participants
Participant of Innovatinon Management course:
“It was my best experience during last two years!”
Often participants joined the seminars even without previous registration.
Main conclusions on course delivery
In general, all the respondents were:
Satisfied with the opportunity to have a good training;
Happy to have good training materials, so they are able to complete their work when they had problems with computers;
Willing to continue training on a more advanced level;
Would like to receive a certificate and would like a public ceremony to commemorate the occasion.
From the above, we can conclude that the training was also an excellent means to remedy the social and economic marginalization of the participants, a significant factor in an economically depressed town such as Livani.
Evaluation of regional development programme
The key success factors of programme were (1):
Small scale start-up project with tangible and visible results;
Use of advanced multimedia learning materials and internet study support technologies which were not available 10 to 20 years ago in traditional classes;
Availability of courses for development of basic computer skills for a number of participants who needed it (IT for beginners);
Appropriate share of face-to-face seminars (6-8 hours in a 25 to 40 hours long course);
Permanent availability of tutors by telephone and e-mail.
The key success factors of programme were (2):Permanent availability of computers with Internet accessin a local “ e-study centre” where necessary;Opportunity to move to a more advanced group, when necessary;Rich, well designed, user friendly interactive multimedia CD-ROM study materials which the participants retainafter the course;Final assessment work with real applicability in the business world or job-related activities of the participants;Large scale funding in 2nd and 3rd phase of project increased the number of participants with a synergetic effect: the projects included up to 15% of economically active people of region.
Evaluation of regional development programme
GDP in districts with e-Projects (Preiļu rajons) and
neighbor districts after 4 years of e-Learning projects
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
K rās lavas rajo ns
L ud zas rajo ns
P re iļu rajo ns
R ē ze kne s rajo ns
E-learning success in local community
Conclusions
The package of 4 projects presented here is the long-term approach to rapid development and successful transfer to a knowledge society
These “just-in-time” knowledge-training courses present an opportunity to transfer to a knowledge society without damaging the infrastructure and traditional values.
This is possible because of the number of similarities between pre-industrial and post-industrial ways of working.
Further activities
Participation in EU 6th Framework Network of Excellence in e-Learning “Kaleidoscope”
Training programmes with 6-8 courses with adwanced multimedia study materials
Courses in engineering
Knowledge Repository for adwanced e-learning development
Large scale dissimination of e-courses / CD-ROMs
Network of Excellence in e-Learning “ Kaleidoscope”
Kaleidoscope aims to ensure European leadership in the area of multidisciplinary research and technology development in e-Learning which is the ‘engine of the Knowledge Economy[1]’.
[1] Ruttenbur, B., et al, eLearning: The Engine of the Knowledge Economy, eLearning Industry Report, Morgan Keegan, 2000,
Training programmes with 6-8 courses with adwanced multimedia study materials (New skills for 21st century)
New skills should be trained by innovative approaches
IT opportunities could possibly change the learning paradigm
Large scale dissimaination of e-courses /CD-ROMs; 1247 schools have received the innovative learning materials in 2002
www.Riga.lv
Demonstration of course materials
ECDL 2nd Level
SQL Fundamentals