Quality criteria for Blended Learning courses implemented via Virtual Worlds

Quality criteria for Blended Learning courses implemented via Virtual WorldsTzimopoulos Nikos

BLAdEdu 539717-LLP-1-2013-1-IT-GRUNDTVIG-GMP

South Aegean islands

The South Aegean Sea comprises of 41 inhabited islands

Serious transportation difficultiesFew and very difficult training

opportunities


Training teachersThere is a great need for training, since the

teachers are usually young and inexperienced

There is a very great demand for training in new technologies, particularly in Web 2.0 tools and Internet security


Blended LearningThe only solution is Blended Learning trainingBut it is very difficult to organize face to face

meetingsOn the other hand, organizing meetings,

using alternative tools like Skype, ooVoo etc. does not contribute to the quality of education


Searching for a solution, we must take into account:

The benefits of a Community of PracticeThe particular characteristics of adult

learnersThe available free Web 2.0 toolsThe inclusiveness of these toolsThe demand for Open source softwares


Taking into account Quality Criteria in Blended Learning

Institution QualityThe course development The Learning Environment Technical IssuesAesthetic IssuesPedagogical issues


Our proposal: Virtual Worlds , Open Simulator

The Virtual Worlds are digital environments in which multiple users act, communicate and collaborate through embedded representations (animate - avatars) in divided environment


Unique features of the Virtual Worlds are the freedom given to the users…

to express themselvesto experimentto shape their own avatar andto develop a kind of social life in the digital

environment


Virtual Worlds incorporate a number of unique features, such as:

feeling your own and other users’ “presence” in the environment

the three-dimensional real-time simulationmultiple forms of communication and

collaboration among userspossible content construction and interaction

with itsupport constructive learning, allowing

students to develop their own understanding and actively participate in the learning process


Training modelblended learning training is appropriate to

the conditions of the remote islands of the South Aegean sea

for the asynchronous part, the e-learning platform Moodle was used, where all the material and activities were uploaded

for face-to-facce meetings and interpersonal relationships, Opensimulator software was used, ie a virtual world


Implementation From 1/2014 until 5/2015 three training courses were heldTwo training courses on "Safety Internet" andOne on "Teaching Differentiation in a

contemporary heterogeneous class"The courses were attended by teachers from

the islands of Santorini, Koufonisi, Donousa Iraklia Thirasia, Naxos, Ios, Amorgos and Syros


The objectives of the 1st course were:

•Internet• Spam - Fishing - Chain Mail• e-Commerce and Cookies• Social Networking and Social Games• Digital Profile• Problems of Internet use• Useful websites• Piracy software-Hacking- Cracking- Viruses


The objectives of the 2nd course were:• Differentiated teaching- Principles-content-Elements of differentiation-Case study of a school class. • The implementation of the person-centered approach in teaching- group work approach. • Use of the Sociogram in the teaching practice.• The design and the organization of the differentiated teaching. • Differentiated teaching examples in selected subjects. • Alternative forms of student and teaching assessment.


Educational activities • introduction• Plenary discussion• brainstorming • Group forming• Role game and • Case study


Course evaluation: all the trainees were satisfied

443%

5 very satisfactory57%

How do you evaluate the course?

1 not at all satis-factory

2

3

4

5 very satisfac-tory


When trainees were asked to write 3 positive things about the course, the following answers were received : Distance training interesting and contemporary themes satisfactory activities (with a special reference on role-play games and

theatrical games) question clarification concerning internet security consolidation exercises the innovation concerning the use of the virtual worlds the direct verbal communication among the trainees themselves and

between them and their trainer Each group’s working orientation, acquirement of new knowledge through

group work the excellent management the participants’ great motivation and activity the immediacy because of the real time procedures


When trainees were asked to state 3 things for improving a next course, the following answers were received : Technical problems, especially concerning the

soundThe short course durationNeed for better avatar zooming on points to

focusNeed for more interactive working screens


Cooperation with your trainer: very well

7%

5 very much93%

How much satisfied you are with the cooperaton with your trainer?

1 a little 2

3 4

5 very much


Evaluation of the educational material of the course: very satisfactory

443%

5 very satisfactory57%

How do you evaluate the educational material of the course?

1 non satis-factory2345 very satis-factory


Evaluation of the course activities: very satisfactory

443%

5 very satis-factory

57%

How do you evaluate the course activities?

1 non satisfactory 2

3 4

5 very satisfactory


Which of the following issues do you intent to discuss with your students? Trainees will present all different issues

e-trading 42,86%

Cookies; 28,57%Spam, fishing,

chain mail, trojan horses 50,00%

Social Networking 100,00%

Internet Addiction 100,00%

Digital profile 64,29%

Spam, fishing, chain mail, Trojan

horses 42,86

Search for help in case of a

trouble 78,57%

Internet Se-duction 78,57%

Which of the following issues do you intent to discuss with your students?

e-trading

Cookies

Spam, fishing, chain mail, Trojan horses

Social Networking

Internet Addiction

Dogital profile

Hacking, cracking, Viruses

Search for help in case of a trouble

Internet Seductionthe trainees were asked to answer more than one of the following questions


Community of practice : Trainees are feeling that they belong to a community

YES79%

MAYBE21%

Do you have the feeling that you belong to a community of teachers that were involved with

the internet security?

YESNOMAYBE


Virtual worlds : 64% believe that the meetings in the virtual world could replace the face to face meetings at a course

YES64%

NO36%

Do you believe that Virtual worls meetings could replace the F2F meetings in a course?

YESNO


The answers however differ as to whether the use of Avatar can replace trainees’ presence in a face to face meeting

1 not at all21%

37%

57%

721%

821%

97%

10 very much14%

Can the use of Avatar replace your presence in a F2F meeting?

1 not at all 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

10 very much


….. but avatars covered the need for communication with the trainer and peer trainees during the meetings

57%

614%

77%

814%

921%

10 very much36%

Has the Avatar use covered your needs for com-munication with your trainer and peer trainees dur-

ing the meetings?

1 not at all 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

10 very much


Because of the fact the trainees are living in islands and therefore face difficulties of commuting, their answers revealed their preference in meetings using the virtual worlds than the F2F meetings

Only meetings in the Virtual World and Moodle plat-

form21%

Only with the use of Moodle plat-

form (asyn-chronous)

7%

A combination of Virtual world and Moodle platform

43%

A combination of Virtual world and

F2F29%

Would you prefer to use in this course …………………………

A combination F2F and Moodle plat-formOnly meetings in the Virtual World and Moodle platformOnly with the use of Moodle platform (asynchronous)A combination of Virtual world and Moodle platformOnly F2FA combination of Virtual world and F2F


Usability of the virtual worlds and the moodle platform

To the question if the moodle platform is user friendly, all of them answered positively

The same applied to the question, if the platform covered their needs for asynchronous meetings

None reported any problems concerning the platform.


When asked if the virtual worlds were easy to be handled, all the trainees answered positively

Also positive was the answer to the question if the virtual worlds covered their needs in synchronous meetings

The trainees were asked to report any arisen problems concerning the virtual worlds. Few of them reported sound problems or connection problems. The majority didn’t report any problems


ConclusionsVirtual worlds could be used for the

realization of training courses with the method of Blended Learning and replace the face to face meetings in places like the islands of the South Aegean, where face to face meetings are very expensive and hardly feasible


Thank you for your attention

Disclaimer:This project has been funded with support from

the European Commission.This publication reflects the views only of the

author and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.


Quality criteria for Blended Learning courses implemented via Virtual Worlds

Education

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