Giovanni Bonaiuti

Lifelong learning: what role for e-learning 2.0?

In the few last years, attention has increasingly been focused on lifelong learning, also in relation to the great expansion of the Internet, in which the so-called Web 2.0 has recently begun its evolution.In this paper, we wonder about the role that the so called e-learning 2.0 might have in supporting lifelong learning.In the fi rst part, we present a summary of the main features of the 2.0 world”. In the second, we propose some limits or e-learning 2.0 against a hypothetical lifelong learning scenario.

Mobile learning for the integration of groups that risk being marginalized

Social inclusion and cohesion are two of the objectives that the European Union has very often proclaimed in its documents, in the past ten years. At the same time, community policies have emphasized the role that ICTs can play to encourage and support participation and integration opportunities of disadvantaged citizens. Within this context, the ENSEMBLE project, presented here, aims at developing a strategy of use of ICTs to promote socio-cultural integration of immigrant citizens by using technologies such as MP3 players and mobile phones, and by experimenting instructional methods and communication models suitable for the adopted instruments. The present paper focuses particularly on the educational communication design of MMS messages.

Lifelong Learning : quale ruolo può svolgere l' e-learning 2.0?

L’attenzione al Lifelong learning si e progressivamente accentuata negli ultimi anni, anche in relazione allo sviluppo delle tecnologie di rete che recentemente hanno visto una evoluzione verso il mondo 2.0. In questo lavoro ci chiediamo che ruolo potra avere il cosiddetto ’e-learning 2.0 nel contesto della formazione continua. Nella prima parte presentiamo sinteticamente le caratteristiche del mondo 2.0. Nella seconda parte individuiamo vincoli e criticita dell’e-learning 2.0 all’interno di uno scenario possibile di Lifelong learning.

Mobile devices to increase attention and improve learning

The paper presents a research carried out at the University of Cagliari during two academic years. The aim was to analyse the effect on students learning resulting from the introduction of a method based on questions and answers in a traditional large-classroom lecture. We investigated whether an interactive teaching approach, facilitated by an interactive software application based on mobile technologies, would lead to improved student engagement and learning outcomes in large-group of environmental engineering science lectures for undergraduate students. The goal was to assess the impact on learning outcomes, as well as the acceptance and appreciation of the students, of a lecture intermixed with questions and answers followed by analysis and discussion of the answers. In our experience we compared two different application of this methodology: with and without technology. The results obtained, in turn, were compared with those of a traditional lecture. Dispositivi mobili per aumentare l’attenzione e migliorare l’apprendimento Il contributo presenta una ricerca svolta all’Universita di Cagliari nel corso di due anni accademici tesa ad analizzare le potenzialita di una modalita di lezione basata sull’uso frequente di “domande e risposte” gestite attraverso tecnologie. Abbiamo cercato di capire se un approccio didattico piu interattivo, facilitato da un’applicazione software basata su tecnologie mobili, riesca a migliorare il coinvolgimento degli studenti e i risultati di apprendimento, in un contesto caratterizzato da un elevato numero di partecipanti. L’obiettivo era quello di verificare l’impatto sui risultati di apprendimento, oltre all’accettazione ed all’apprezzamento da parte degli studenti, di una didattica frontale intervallata da domande di verifica e dalla conseguente analisi e discussione delle risposte. Nell’esperienza sono state comparate due diverse modalita di applicazione di questa metodologia: con e senza le tecnologie e, i risultati ottenuti, sono a loro volta stati confrontati con quelli di una lezione tradizionale.

A public, open and flexible catalogue for e-learning products: development of a «European search engine» for courseware and learning objects

The EMDEL Project, financed by the UE in the Leonardo Da Vinci Programme, promotes the constitution of a large public catalogue of e-learning products. The Catalogue constitutes an opportunity for European course- producers and providers to have a greater and better visibility on the global e-learning market. The catalog is a «European show-case» for e-learning courses and a way to facilitate users in their search for learning objects and courseware.