p. 1

e-learning for teacher training from design to implementation handbook for practitioners

[close]

p. 2

education and training for employment ete is an eu funded initiative implemented by the european training foundation etf its objective is to support the mediterranean partners in the design and implementation of relevant technical and vocational education and training tvet policies that can contribute to the promotion of employment through a regional approach contacts meda-ete project team european training foundation villa gualino viale settimio severo 65 i 10133 turin t +39 011 630 2222 f +39 011 630 2200 e info@meda-ete.net www.meda-ete.net

[close]

p. 3

[close]

p. 4

e-learning for teacher training from design to implementation handbook for practitioners the contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the european union giunti labs on behalf of the european training foundation 2009

[close]

p. 5

europe direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the european union freephone number 0080067891011 certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00 800 numbers or these calls may be billed more information on the european union is available on the internet http europa.eu cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication luxembourg office for official publications of the european communities 2009 isbn 978-92-9157-569-5 doi 10.2816/82694 © european training foundation 2009 reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged printed in italy

[close]

p. 6

table of contents 1 introduction 2 collection and analysis of user requirements 2.1 the overall process 2.2 toolset structure 2.3 mapping a state-of-the-art e-learning knowledge domain 2.4 lessons learned challenges met and corrective measures adopted 7 11 12 13 16 18 3 course design 3.1 context and goals 3.2 course syllabus 3.3 courseware elements 3.4 lessons learned challenges met and corrective measures adopted 21 22 23 28 29 4 course development 4.1 online materials for self-paced learning and assessment 4.2 the e-learning platform 4.3 lessons learned challenges met and corrective measures adopted 31 32 35 35 5 delivery 5.1 the choice of the delivery system 5.2 tutoring system 5.3 delivery process the relevance of face-to-face sessions 5.4 lessons learned challenges met and corrective measures adopted 37 37 41 53 55 6 evaluation and assessment 6.1 learning assessment and grading 6.2 project performance evaluation 6.3 project management and quality assurance 6.4 lessons learned challenges met and corrective measures adopted 59 61 66 70 72 7 how to support e-learning project implementation 7.1 implementation and project sustainability key elements 7.2 sustaining an e-learning project 73 73 75 8 best cases of e-learning pilot projects 77

[close]

p. 7

9 inventory of e-learning pilot projects algeria egypt israel jordan morocco occupied palestinian territory syria tunisia turkey 81 83 89 92 94 96 101 104 105 109 10 summary bibliography glossary annex 1 questionnaire to participants in training modules annex 2 focus group guidelines annex 3 interview guidelines annex 4 definitions and data presentation formats annex 5 lms evaluation questionnaire 113 117 119 125 133 135 137 141 annex 6 mid-term train-the-trainer course assessment participant satisfaction questionnaire 151 annex 7 mid-term train-the-trainer course assessment guidelines for interviewing teacher training institution representatives 157

[close]

p. 8

1 introduction this publication describes the methodological approach and achievements of the euromediterranean partnership`s education and training for employment meda-ete project1 on e-learning for teachers and trainers in the meda region the document provides guidance for the reader in terms of the design of e-learning and its implementation in the teaching process it focuses on lessons learned and challenges faced in the different phases of the training course in terms of both participation and the quality of learning although it reflects experience gained at the regional level the conclusions and suggestions can also be applied at institutional and national levels the aim of the meda-ete course was to develop european union eu partner country capacities in building e-learning courses based on an outcome-centred approach in the wider context of education and training reforms the project considers teachers and trainers as drivers of deep change although the idea in itself is not new the strong point of the project is that with the support of high-level experts it has developed a distinctive course that focuses on enhancing methodological and pedagogical capacities in trainers and teachers so as to enable them not only to use the new technologies in their everyday working environment but also to develop practical experience in making teaching and learning more flexible and more responsive to the trainee s needs the meda-ete course can be considered to be one of the few examples of a tailored-made initiative that aims to meet the needs of a specific group teachers and trainers and at the same time reach the maximum level of sustainability and ensure the continuity of the capacities and skills acquired the course which was developed in english and french was designed on the basis of a preparatory phase involving teacher/trainer training institutions tti these the project s main beneficiaries lead project implementation at the local level in each country with the aim being to develop and strengthen their capacities and skills in this field these institutions cooperated in particular in completing the training needs analysis that was the necessary basis for course design and curriculum development given that it affects the entire learning process in a comprehensive way teacher training institutions also contributed to the design of the e-learning curriculum the curriculum outline was approved by country representatives from teacher training institutions to ensure the relevance of training to participant needs and to promote national and regional exchanges each module was fine-tuned before being delivered to the participants each stakeholder has a different perception of the effectiveness of the learning process depending on specific interest and needs thus three target groups with different aims were identified 1 the meda-ete project is a unique regional initiative that works to set up a regional agenda on technical and vocational education and training tvet and its links with labour markets in the mediterranean region as an expression of the shared interest of meda partners this regional project encompasses four components · component 1 euromed annual forum on tvet for employment · component 2 euromed network on tvet for employment · component 3 support for young unemployed people in the areas of self-employment and the creation of microenterprises · component 4 development of e-learning for training in information and communication technologies and tvet for further information see www.meda-ete.net ­7­

[close]

p. 9

teacher training institutions whose aim was to acquire knowledge skills and competences in managing e-learning programmes training institution trainers whose aim was to acquire knowledge skills and competences in designing developing and deploying e-learning programmes technical and vocational education and training tvet students whose aim was to acquire skills and competences in learning using technological tools in virtual environments · teacher training institutions involved at each stage of the project teacher training institutions provided inputs and feedback to the development team in order for them to acquire the knowledge skills and competences necessary to design manage and implement e-learning programmes their involvement varied depending on the different stages of the project at the methodology development stage which focused on identifying best practices and policies and developing communities of practice they provided information also on the materials available in their institute at the needs analysis stage they participated actively in filling in questionnaires and in responding to requests for information from the e-learning development team at the course design stage which involved development localisation and testing of the course they provided feedback and commented on the programme developed by the e-learning team a group of people in each institution was identified as a community of practice cop2 that would be deeply and proactively involved in the project and would encourage the sharing of knowledge problems decisions and solutions as a team working on e-learning issues during the train-the-trainers programme deployment cop members were involved as trainees their activity within the community of practice has continued on a voluntary basis in terms of discussing e-learning issues arising from course deployment · training institution trainers this group of trainers was composed of members of the community of practice and trainers selected from the employees of local teacher training institutions · tvet programme participants tvet course attendees formed the end-user group on which the pilot project was tested figure 1 illustrates the target groups and their involvement in the project figure 1 meda-ete target groups 2 a community of practice is a phrase coined by researchers who have studied the ways in which people naturally work and play together in essence communities of practice are groups of people who share similar goals and interests in pursuit of which they employ common practices work with the same tools and express themselves in a common language through common activities they come to hold similar beliefs and value systems a community of practice which is a group that learns has special characteristics communities of practice emerge of their own accord three four 20 maybe 30 people find themselves drawn to one another by a force that is both social and professional they collaborate directly use one another as sounding boards and teach each other a community of practice is a diverse group of people engaged in real work over a significant period of time during which they build things solve problems learn and invent in short they evolve a practice that is highly skilled and highly creative pór 2001 ­8­

[close]

p. 10

the course adopted a blended approach3 combining learning on an online platform with both country-based and regional face-to-face meetings a socio-constructivist4 approach with a strong emphasis on collaborative learning,5 was adopted for the course which takes participants through the different stages of how to design develop and deliver an online course by the end of the course individual participants had produced their own project drawn from their personal experiences and adaptable to their specific working context they also had practical experience of the difficulties and challenges implied in putting together an e-learning course from different perspectives pedagogical structural and technological the curriculum learning path encompasses all features linked to the creation and implementation of an e-learning course from introductory modules on e-learning to core modules on tutoring pedagogy and technology all complemented with a full range of correlated aspects such as management finance and logistics certain key modules are the object of particular focus in terms of the effort required and the topic and so are linked to methodological and pedagogical aspects as well as to the tutoring function they represent fundamental elements in shaping the role of the trainer and teacher in an e-learning context from a pedagogical point of view the socio-constructivist approach adopted in the different phases of the process requirements analysis design development implementation and evaluation enables quality learning and efficient tutoring support for learners when interlinked with the use of new technologies learning becomes a comprehensive process that includes knowledge acquisition knowledge sharing and the capacity to reapply and replicate knowledge in concrete terms and in order to guide learners towards the achievement of their learning objectives each module provides theory along with a variety of practical examples in which the theory is applied the learner s achievements are finally assessed both on the factual knowledge acquired through multiple-choice tests and on learning outcomes through the combination of an evaluation of their contributions to collaborative work and the production of a summary outcome sample of training needs analysis course storyboard etc learners receive regular feedback on their results to allow for re-engineering and fine-tuning the learning process is supported by tutoring actions that support learners while creating trust and confidence in the new learning methods in addition to providing direct support through the platform teacher training institutions in the country are committed to providing support to and motivating trainees during course implementation the structure of the toolkit is based on one of the methodologies that are more frequently used in instructional design a cascade method in which each phase feeds the next phase the e-learning content production process is similar to a building where every floor is founded on the lower one and acts as a basis for the next in the addie analysis design development implementation and evaluation method figure 2 needs analysis is the first step in the process section 1 the information collected examined and processed during this analytical phase covers all aspects that have to be examined in depth in order to produce the course or training namely targets learning context requirements and training objectives and performance 3 4 5 a mixed learning system that combines a diverse range of learning modes alternating between distance and face-to-face sessions for more information see http en.wikipedia.org/wiki/blended_learning the paradigm theory which focuses the attention on subjective differences on social and environmental contexts and on the active role of individuals in the learning process this implies that learning can only be partly planned within the limits of specific individual requirements and of environmental constraints a fundamental role is played by learning styles preliminary knowledge cultural factors and inter-subjective dynamics gaimster and gray 2002 active process by which a learner works to build up his knowledge base the trainer facilitates the learning process while the group provides information stimulates enthusiasm develops a mutual support and cooperation network and acts as an interactive vehicle dedicated to building pooled knowledge bases the collaborative process means individuals and groups each participate in furthering the other s learning path for more information see http en.wikipedia.org/wiki/collaborative_learning ­9­

[close]

p. 11

figure 2 addie method analysis design development implementation and evaluation the requirements document represents the analytical output and the input to the design phase section 2 during the design phase many elements have to be taken into account · course delivery modes from fully online courses to blended forms · didactic methods from self-learning to web-based collaborative learning · course structure in terms of content design and creation related to course objectives · content concept map syllabus that summarises explains and connects all the choices made providing an outline of contents and learning paths the syllabus enables progression to the next phase of the e-learning course production process and representing the core of the production process this is course development section 3 which consists of developing e-content that includes learning objects los and interactive activities and collaborative tasks once content has been developed the next step is to choose the platform and the method of delivery that best suit the needs of the participants and to set up a tutoring plan to support e-learners operating in a virtual environment section 4 evaluation and assessment is the last step but since it concerns the overall training process it needs to be taken into consideration at all the different steps previously described section 5 this document describes all the aspects that should be taken into consideration in the implementation of an e-learning project and describes actions that support the sustainability of the project at the institutional regional and national levels and its gradual integration into the teacher training system during the meda-ete course besides self-assessment tests and outcome-based assessments learners were required for the final evaluation to draft an e-learning course project for the information and communications technologies icts or tourism adapting it to the peculiar needs of their own environment and training institution this toolkit also includes an inventory of the e-learning pilot projects developed by the participants along with a description of the five best case studies ­ 10 ­

[close]

p. 12

2 collection and analysis of user requirements this section introduces the reader to user requirement data collection and analysis for a train-the-trainer programme in public and private teacher training institutions it looks into the overall process and presents a widely used methodology for identifying trainees needs6 and for collecting analysing and reporting the references necessary to complement daily vocational education and training vet training activities the text includes descriptions of experiences and lessons learnt from the regional meda-ete e-learning programme7 to illustrate theory in practice in order to lay the foundations for a successful course and to meet the demands and requirements of the participants and the institution at large a full-fledged requirements analysis process is necessary an analysis of the requirements of the participants and why is it important to an assessment of the institutional backgrounds and the collect and analyse user educational contexts of the stakeholders are of utmost needs importance this kind of mapping enables a training to create a course that programme to be designed that is adapted to the needs and meets the identified needs specific situations of the participants matching as closely of the participants as possible their learning profile and microcontext scenario to support teacher with the offered course this requirements collection and training institutions in the analysis process is crucial in promoting a good return on provision of tailor-made investment outcomes as it defines the conditions necessary training programmes for the training programme to be tailored to individual needs and facilitates the integration of content into the professional practices of the participants as teachers trainers developers and managers making them competent actors in their field of work what is the main output of the needs analysis a map of participant training needs on which course structure and content development will be based a regional report this process the first important cornerstone of the project demands considerable efforts in order to lay the foundations for ultimate project success the requirements analysis forms an integral part of the project plan the requirements analysis is not only important for the course itself but also for the development of the institutional capacities of teacher training institutions for this reason it is crucial that the teachers training institutions take part in the entire process from the outset their cooperation in completing the training needs analysis validating tools collecting data etc represents an important basis for the course design and for the development of the course curriculum 6 7 the concept of triangulation c.f treumann 1998 the regional meda-ete e-learning project supports the integration of ict in teaching and learning in the meda region through a train-the-trainer programme for vet teachers and a trainer programme which is deployed through e-learning ­ 11 ­

[close]

p. 13

2.1 the overall process requirements are analysed in a phased approach comprising two stages · a first phase aiming at validating the toolset and harvesting qualitative and initial quantitative data through experts and managers from the teacher training institutions participating in the course · a second data collection phase implemented with the support of the teacher training institutions and based mainly on questionnaires issued to the target group of trainers and technicians the first phase starts with the preparation of a toolset questionnaires interviews and focus groups and is complemented by a study of reports and an assessment of the literature it also involves meetings with teacher training institutions in which the overall course concept is reiterated the toolset is discussed and validated and first data are collected the representatives of the teacher training institutions mainly experts and managers provide feedback on the institutional setting and trainees needs the meeting also represents a unique occasion to address and assess face-to-face relevant aspects of the training design it contributes to sound understanding of the training process objectives and results and fosters ownership of the project from the outset it is also an opportunity to clarify roles and determine subsequent actions required from the teacher training institutions it is in this context that focus groups are organised individual interviews are carried out and questionnaires are distributed to be followed up by group discussion the focus groups and questionnaire distribution are organised according to regional and linguistic groups8 and are facilitated by a moderator support and guidance in the setting up of organisational issues building a project team for each institution are provided the organisation of the second requirements analysis is also discussed by the working groups and institutional action plans are designed to facilitate the process the requirements analysis figure 3 uses a variety of tools and instruments in order to be able to reflect the very heterogeneous group of participants and institutions in an appropriate way it should be noted that the first phase is a descriptive and exploratory approach to collecting data on needs and requirements from the participants and at the same time serves as a tool validation phase figure 3 requirements analysis process 8 participants from 9 countries were involved in the meda-ete project algeria egypt israel jordan morocco occupied palestinian territory syria tunisia and turkey three regional groups group 1 algeria morocco ­ tunisia group 2 egypt ­ israel ­ turkey group 3 jordan ­ occupied palestinian territory ­ syria were established in order to promote better interactivity and dialogue and to ensure linguistic coherence ­ 12 ­

[close]

p. 14

building on the outcomes of the first phase exploration of qualitative and initial quantitative data and validation of toolset the second phase consists of gathering data and analysing the results through the main requirements analysis tool the questionnaire about the final target group of the train-the-trainer course the second phase of the requirements analysis is conducted by means of a quantitative survey based on the validated questionnaires which are sent by email to all potential participants in the course the contribution of the teacher training institutions in this phase of the process is extremely important in terms of deploying the questionnaires and gathering the data for processing and analysis following digital data recording and data cleaning to erase outliers and errors the questionnaires are analysed and the results are fed into the course design the analysis is structured by focusing on audience technology job task and content in terms of classification and weighting factors the purpose of this exercise is to determine the skills knowledge and attitudes that will have to be covered in the courseware for the target audience and identify the gaps that have to be addressed the analysis is a supportive decision tool that is also used in the design and development phases in order to retain a focus on collaborative learning on the basis of a fixed content set comprising references support materials and examples starting from the data collected a first step is to gain an overview of the regional picture and then derive the national picture on the basis of a further analysis the overall process is structured as follows step 1 raw data are organised and classified step 2 data sources are examined and used to add relevance to classified data which are partitioned in terms of geographical origin step 3 classified and weighted data are compared with reference values for the system model that describe the expected status of the environment thereby enabling gaps at the regional level to be identified step 4 the same process of comparison with reference values for the system model is performed to gain insights into country-specific gaps by the end of this multi-step process it will be possible to map both common and specific requirements and gaps allowing to define in the course design phase the lowest possible starting point and the paths available for accessing the various subsequent steps defined by each gap while remaining within the boundaries of the course methodology 2.2 toolset structure the choice of tools to support the requirements analysis process depends on the time and the organisational conditions of the project it should take into consideration two dimensions the perspective of teacher training institution managers and experts and the perspective of the target train-the-trainer course group some examples of tools which can be suggested are as follows a standardised questionnaire addressed to the target group and aimed at obtaining insights into their needs and requirements a focus group discussion guide forming the basis for an exploratory initial group discussion aiming at identifying the necessary change processes barriers and challenges facing the introduction of e-learning in a specific region a semi-structured interview guideline for interviews working groups to foster and promote dialogue and cooperation between the countries ­ 13 ­

[close]

p. 15

involved in setting up the training course and concept the information collected through the standardized questionnaire can be used to collect baseline information which can then be complemented through information from the more qualitative data sources such as focus groups discussions and face-to-face non-standardised interviews the requirements analysis can use qualitative as well as quantitative data the methodological mix of research methods which is referred to in the social science literature as triangulation treumann 1998 is commonly used to gain deeper insights into the analysed phenomenon however it should be underlined that the different tools applied are not necessarily sequential but can be used in parallel with adaptations made throughout the course to respond to trainees needs the toolset can be used in person in remotely synchronous environments via chats interview at a distance or in remotely asynchronous environments whether online form completion and submission through a forum form download completion and submission or by email form download completion and submission questionnaire the use of a standardised questionnaire with closed questions collects data that can later be aggregated so as to interpret clear messages this tool is used to collect baseline information which can then be complemented with data collected from the more qualitative methods focus groups discussion and face-to-face non-standardised interviews thus the requirements analysis relies on both qualitative and quantitative data the results of the standardised survey are not intended to be representative of the whole population of the project target for obvious reasons the diversity of systems and contexts is too large to be modelled by a standardised questionnaire and there is no secure knowledge about the statistical background of the target population therefore the survey should take an exploratory focus to assess conditions in each participating institution and country the questionnaire is composed of five sections figure 4 dealing with the relevant information areas needed to assess requirements see annex 1 questionnaire to participants in training modules figure 4 questionnaire components · section 1 aims at gathering information about participant general experiences with e-learning used here in a broad sense to mean all forms of technology-supported learning the questionnaire classified e-learning experiences along relevant dimensions namely the extent of the experience long or short term the kind of technology used and the learning method · section 2 is devoted to exploring aspects related to the access to the icts both from an ­ 14 ­

[close]