J.C.M.M. Moonen

Web 2.0 tools and processes in higher education: quality perspectives

A major change has occurred in the way Web technology is being used in society. The change is grounded in user empowerment using Web 2.0 tools and processes. Students are already sophisticated users of these tools and processes, but outside of the mainstream instructional practices in higher education. In this reflection, the educational potential of Web 2.0 tools and processes is discussed, followed by three sets of perspectives relating to the potential quality of such practices in higher education course settings. For each perspective an analysis of key factors affecting the perceived value of Web 2.0 tools and processes is given, followed by suggestions for overcoming predictable barriers to uptake in mainstream instructional practice. Les outils et les processus d’Internet 2.0 dans l’enseignement supérieur : une perspective de qualité Un changement très important s’est produit dans la façon d’utiliser les technologies du Web dans la société. Ce changement repose sur la capacité qu’ont les utilisateurs d’employer les outils et les processus de Web 2.0. Les étudiants sont déjà des utilisateurs avertis de ces outils et processus, mais cela, en dehors des pratiques éducatives habituelles dans l’enseignement supérieur. La réflexion menée ici examine le potentiel éducatif des outils et processus d’Internet 2, le tout accompagné de trois ensembles de perspectives liées à la qualité potentielle de ces pratiques dans le cadre de cours universitaires. Dans chacune de ces perspectives on offre une analyse des facteurs principaux qui affectent la perception de la valeur des outils et processus du Web 2.0, le tout suivi de suggestions pour surmonter les obstacles prévisibles à l’adoption dans la pratique éducative courante. Web 2.0 Hilfsprogramme und Prozesse in der Hochschulbildung: Qualitäts‐Aspekte Ein bedeutender Wandel ist in der Art erfolgt, wie die Webtechnologie in der Gesellschaft benutzt wird. Dieser Wandel beruht darauf, dass die Nutzer höhere Handlungskompetenz für Web 2.0 Hilfsprogramme und Prozesse besitzen. Studenten sind schon fortgeschrittene Anwender dieser Werkzeuge und Prozesse, allerdings außerhalb der gängigen Lehrpraktiken im Hochschulbereich. In dieser Betrachtung werden die pädagogischen Möglichkeiten von Web 2.0 Programmen und Prozessen diskutiert, gefolgt von drei Anlagen mit Perspektiven der potentiellen Qualitäten dieser Techniken in Hochschulkursen. Für jede Perspektive wird eine Analyse von Schlüsselfaktoren bezüglich der erwarteten Werte von Web 2.0 Werkzeugen und Prozessen angeboten, gekoppelt mit Vorschlägen zur Überwindung von Denkhindernissen bei der Umsetzung in die durchschnittliche Lehrpraxis. Las herramientas y los procesos de Internet 2.0 en la enseñanza superior: una perspectiva de calidad Un cambio muy importante ha ocurrido en la manera de aprovechar la tecnología de la Web en la sociedad. Este cambio está basado en la toma de control por parte de los usuarios para el uso de las herramientas y procesos del Web 2.0. Los estudiantes ya son usuarios expertos de esas herramientas y procesos pero esto ocurre fuera de las prácticas educativas habituales en la enseñanza superior. La presente reflexión examina el potencial educativo de las herramientas y procesos del Web 2.0 seguido por tres conjuntos de perspectivas relacionadas con la calidad potencial de esas prácticas dentro del marco de cursos universitarios. En cada una de esas perspectivas se ofrece un análisis de los factores claves que afectan la percepción del valor de las herramientas y procesos del Web 2.0, esto siendo seguido por sugerencias para superar los obstáculos a una adopción dentro de la práctica educativa habitual.

The Contributing Student: Learners as Co-Developers of Learning Resources for Reuse in Web Environments

Learners can and do become engaged in learning through intrinsic motivations without the need for a teacher or instructional designer. In the workplace, for example, workplace learning is typically seen as a process of such self-guided learning, based on the needs of the task at hand. In the school and higher-education setting however, it is the teacher who has a major role in shaping the conditions within which students can become engaged in their own learning. In this chapter we review several sets of conditions of good instruction that are argued to increase the engagement of learners and we describe a particular pedagogical model which we call the “contribution” model which reflects those conditions. The majority of the chapter consists of examples from both higher education and professional learning situations which illustrate how the contribution model relates to engaging learning.

Flexibilidad en la educación superior: revisión de expectativas

Llevamos bastantes anos estudiando la construccion de la flexibilidad en la educacion superior, tanto desde la optica de la investigacion como de la practica. Entendemos por flexibilidad la opcion de ofrecer a los estudiantes la posibilidad de elegir como, que, donde, cuando y con quien participan en las actividades de aprendizaje mientras estan en una institucion de educacion superior. En el libro que escribimos sobre esta tematica en 2001 identificamos opciones posibles para los estudiantes de educacion superior con la finalidad de incrementar la flexibilidad de su participacion. Lo estudiamos no solo desde la perspectiva del estudiante sino tambien desde las implicaciones para los profesores y para las instituciones de educacion superior, y examinamos el papel fundamental que desempenan el cambio pedagogico y la tecnologia en el aumento de la flexibilidad. Ahora, diez anos despues, revisamos los temas clave relacionados con la flexibilidad en la educacion superior e identificamos, en terminos generales, hasta que punto se ha ido estableciendo el incremento de la flexibilidad, si todavia esta evolucionando o si ha evolucionado de una forma que no pudimos prever hace diez anos. Revisamos tambien nuestros escenarios para el cambio en la educacion superior relacionados con la flexibilidad y los contrastamos con un estudio mas reciente llevado a cabo en el Reino Unido. Nuestra conclusion principal es que la cuestion de la flexibilidad en la educacion superior sigue siendo tan pertinente en 2010 como lo era en 2001.

Policy from a Global Perspective

Remarks made in the preceding chapters in this section, in addition to some personal observations, are converged towards a conclusion about the success or failure of the policies developed, and to suggest a path toward the future. In general, the higher the economic level in a region the more that an explicit policy focus on IT and education is fading. Using IT in education is becoming more implicit and incorporated in a broader policy context, especially around needed qualifications and competencies of citizens in a knowledge society. There is a lack of convincing evaluation and assessment results that show the impact of the policies. Perhaps it will only be when both informal and formal learning are considered that the potential of IT for the transformation of learning will be achieved.

The design and prototyping of digital learning material: Some new perspectives.

Stimulated by the growth of multimedia, the World Wide Web, and the convergence of communication and information technologies, the nature and potential of digital learning materials are rapidly changing. Design methods and in particular prototyping activities have to adapt to the new situation. New design approaches are not only needed in the area of digital learning material. From a more general perspective rational and relational design approaches can be examined in the context of their contribution to design strategies. In order to cope with the new situation, a new design approach called ‘the 3-space design strategy’ is presented and applied to the design and prototyping of digital learning material. Furthermore an example of a design project about a media-selection support system is discussed from the perspective of the 3-space design strategy.

A Methodology for the Development of Educational Software

ABSTRACT Large scale introduction of computer-based learning is hampered by the lack of good quality software. Supplementary, the high costs for the development of software form an extra obstacle. To come to grips with these problems a methodology for educational software development is proposed. The software development path is split up in three different levels: the research level, the action-research level and the industrial production level. System modelling and project-management are the central factors at the action-research level. Four abstraction levels are distinguished in the system development traject. Project-management concentrates on using four different groups of people. In general, the global methodological approach should lead to a Computer Aided Design for Computer Assisted Instruction (CAD/CAI) system.

Changing the school: Experiences from a Dutch “technology-enriched school” project

Educational change does not occur easily. Intensive and long-standing efforts are necessary. Such efforts are happening in many countries, particularly with reference to technology as a stimulus for the change. But are these efforts resulting in real changes in schools? In this paper we will describe four areas of change: (a) the curriculum, (b) the role of the teacher, (c) the school structure and (d) student learning. The paper reflects on the impact of intensive computer use on each of these areas using observations from a ?technology-enriched school? project that is currently underway (1989?1992) in the Netherlands.

Simplified return-on-investment.

In this article a new approach to calculate the return-on-investment (ROI) when introducing technology in education or training is introduced. After an identification of major aspects that are of significance when talking about traditional ROI an alternative method called Simplified ROI is introduced. The main function of Simplified ROI is less to come up with an exact value to determine if a positive ROI is happening or not, but more to be a platform for explicit discussion among decision makers about the value of certain ROI aspects when considering technology in education or training.

Educational interactive systems research: instrumentation and implementation

In this essay we analyse why the introduction of computers in education has not so far proceeded as expected. Three perspectives are being used in this analysis: a technological, educational and administrative perspective. It is concluded that from a technological point of view, the evolution is going better than was expected. For the other two perspectives, the reality has not at all reached the expectations. We describe that, in order to cope with this mismatch, we are adapting by changing some of the concepts underlying the expectations in the technological, educational and administrative areas. As a result we claim that in order to stimulate progress, a pragmatic approach in conducting research that connects instrumentation and implementation has to be pursued.

Institutional perspectives for online learning: Policy and return-on-investment

In this article an analysis will be presented about why, at the institutional level and in particular at the university level, on-line learning is being introduced. This will be done in the context of a general design approach to steer innovation in education. Costs and financial-benefit issues will be explored, including costing models, measurement of productivity increases, and return-on- investment. Although the article focuses on the university context, it can be predicted that similar issues will soon confront secondary schools.