considerations related to face-to-face and web-based learning ...

Scientific Bulletin of the Electrical Engineering Faculty – 2008– Learn through network (Internet) P↔N(etwork);– Learn through network and persons (CSCL):P←N→P.Romanian educational system illustrates the first twosteps. Till now, the learning to use the ICT was supportedby the Ministry of Education through various actions suchas: the presence in all the initial and in-service trainingprograms of ICT courses, the project: “Educating for anOpen Society”, “InfoEducatie” Project, “P&G Project:Give our Children an Extra Chance in Life” etc.Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) represents alearning methodology that Romanian specialists ineducation wrote about even before 1990. In the fieldliterature this concept represents a buzz word about whichis more “said than done”. In practice, the use of computeris inserted in certain moments of the classical lesson for:– simulation of certain phenomenon;– creation of test problems;– differentiated work;– synthesis activities;– development of didactic games.While Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) are verylittle represented in the Romanian education, the useof Internet as a source of information is an informalreality which is more and more considered in theformal education. Students develop capabilities ofusing the Internet as a source of information ininformal settings. As this is a very popular activity andyoungsters nowadays, their motivation represents achallenge for schools which must adapt to this need.The use of Internet as a source of information inschools implies the training of teachers in generalInternet use skills and the development ofmethodological coherent schemes that integrateInternet sources in a formative way.3. THE WEBQUEST TECHNIQUEIn this respect, an interesting initiative was therunning of a course, for three editions, by Babes-Bolyai University, Science of Education Departmentand Valahia University Targoviste, on the use of ICTin education, specifically, on the WebQuest technique.The training was made in the frame of the SocratesComenius 2.1 European Project called “Think,Construct and Communicate. ICT as a VirtualLearning Environment” (106469-CP-1-2002-1-ES-COMENIUS-C2.1.,http://cfievalladolid2.net/thinkweb). The main purposeof this project was to promote the cooperation betweendifferent European teaching and educational entities(Infant School, Secondary School, High School,Teacher Training and University) by means of theWorld Wide Web to produce and disseminate aWebQuest based course with the objective ofstimulating the didactic use of the Web. Eightinstitutions from five countries (Spain, Romania,Finland, Italy and Poland) participated in this threeyear project. In Romania, 91 teachers and teacherstudents were trained on the use of WebQuest as ameans of collaborative project based learning tool.Bernie Dodge, the parent of WebQuest(http://webquest.sdsu.edu) made the essentialdescription of the technique. He defined a WebQuestas “an inquiry oriented activity in which some or all ofthe information that learners interact with comes fromresources on the Internet, optionally supplementedwith videoconferencing.” (Dodge [2]).The technique starts from the assumption that thereis a questionable educational benefit in having learnerssurfing the net without a clear task in mind, and mostschools must ration student connect time severely.Consequently, a WebQuest project is organized arounda specific task and the on-line resources are preselectedby the teacher and assigned to specificactivities within the project.Some other non-critical attributes of a WebQuestrelevant for collaborative and constructivist learningspaces include (Dodge [2]):– WebQuests are most likely to be group activities,although one could imagine solo quests thatmight be applicable in distance education orlibrary settings;– WebQuests might be enhanced by wrappingmotivational elements around the basic structureby giving the learners a role to play (e.g., scientist,detective, reporter), simulated persons to interactwith via e-mail, and a scenario to work within(e.g., you have been asked by the SecretaryGeneral of the UN to brief him on what ishappening in sub-Saharan Africa this week.)– WebQuests can be designed within a singlediscipline or they can be interdisciplinary. Giventhat designing effective interdisciplinaryinstruction is more of a challenge than designingfor a single content area, WebQuest creatorsshould probably start with the latter until theyare comfortable with the format.After completing a WebQuest, a learner would haveanalyzed a body of knowledge deeply, transformed itin some way, and demonstrated an understanding ofthe material by creating something that others canrespond to, on-line or off-line.The obtained results of the WebQuest impact in theclassroom proved that the technique was an importantsource of inspiration for the teachers, a suitable teachingand learning method and a way for integrating Internetin learning. One of the greatest gains of the WebQuestimplementation was obtained in pupils’ motivation andcooperative work (Gorghiu et all [3]).4. OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNINGOpen Distance Learning (ODL) has beendeveloped mostly within the higher education and inserviceteacher training programs. In the Romanianeducational system, ODL structures are relatively newand develop constantly. The ODL educational76

Scientific Bulletin of the Electrical Engineering Faculty – 2008programs exist usually in both a traditional face-tofaceand distance learning form. In fact this tends to bean implicit request of the central management.Basically, the ODL system combines the virtualcommunication with students with face-to-face meetings.The virtual communication does not provide a realinteractive and collaborative electronic learningenvironment: collaborative synchronous tools such asforums, discussion groups, whiteboard, schemes forspecific argumentation and search for a consensus of thelearning community or, as it would be normal, possibilitiesfor knowledge exploration, simulation of real worldsituations. The web is usually used in ODL as a generalinformation delivery space and a form of keeping in touchwith the students. The focus here is rather oncommunication then on what is being communicated.Face-to-face meetings consist of two types ofinteractions: tutorials and assisted learning. Tutorialsare simply lessons that use the classical means ofteaching, such as synthesis lectures, and assistedlearning is focused on application of knowledge andproblem solving learning situations.Attempting to create a real virtual learning space, someuniversities in Romania experimentally used variousplatforms (IBM Lotus Learning Management System,Blackboard etc.). In two Socrates Comenius 2.1 EuropeanProjects, Babes-Bolyai University and Valahia UniversityTargoviste experimented BSCW (former name – BasicSupport for Cooperative Work, actual name – Be Smart –Cooperate Worldwide) as a virtual cooperation instrumentin delivering specific on-line courses.As example, in the frame of the Project “FISTE - AFuture Way for In-Service Teacher Training AcrossEurope” (118766-CP-1-2004-1-RO-COMENIUS-C21-http://fiste.ssai.valahia.ro) with the overall aim on focusingto find new ways of how to teach in-service teachers intheir long-life training programs and how the teachersthemselves can learn and upgrade their knowledge andteaching methods by using ICT, 107 Romanian in-serviceteachers were trained to integrate the new technologies intraditional training (cooperative platforms, Multimediatechniques, Virtual Reality, videoconference). In thissense, they attended different editions of the on-line course“Integrating ICT in Traditional Training”. The BSCWsystem assured the cooperation and collaboration betweenparticipants, allowing them not only to follow and finalizethe on-line courses but also to work together with theircolleagues and develop interactive learning experiences(Gorghiu [4]).An analysis of the entire activity developed onBSCW demonstrates the subjects’ abilities to organize“the virtual class” in order to build a real contextfavourable to learning, fact that attests competences ofcreating an educational environment that supports thelearning. The competent usage of the spatial andtemporal organizational facilities of BSCWdemonstrates competences of organization andenvironmental factors management with a view to havean efficient organizing of the didactic activity (Glava[5]).5. FACE-TO-FACE LEARNING METHODOLOGY.SOUND INITIATIVESMost of the actions for restructuring of the learningmethodology were taken regarding the face-to-facemethodology. The major changes emerged from therecognition of the constructivist and cognitive learningtheories that contributed to our understanding of theefficient school learning process (Hsiao [6]): socioculturaltheory (based on Vygotsky’s inter-subjectiveness andZone of Proximal Development), constructivism theory,self-regulation learning (skill, will, and execute control),situated cognition, cognitive apprenticeship, problembasedlearning, cognitive flexibility theory and distributedcognition (“effect of” and “effect with” technology, forexample). These theories are based on the same underlyingassumptions that individuals are active agents that they arepurposefully seeking and constructing knowledge within ameaningful context. Within this move for changes at themethodological level that are able to change the focus ofschool learning, the process and the products, certaininitiatives have had a representative impact in Romania. Inthe following paragraphs, some sound projects which haveimplications at this level are exampled.5.1. Reading and Writing for CriticalThinking (RWCT) ProgramThis program (http://ct-net.net/) aims to promote amethodological frame for the development of higher orderthinking, the activism and self-responsibility in oneslearning process and the cooperative skills in students. Thedevelopment of the project was supported in Romania bythe Open Society Foundation and the InternationalReading Association. The former provided the first trainersfor the Romanian teachers. The project was addressedfrom the beginning to teachers of all levels and subjectsand it offered training workshops aiming both at trainingof trainers and training for the use of the specificmethodology in the classroom. The methodological framethe project offers is based on a specific structure named:Evocation, Realization of Meaning and Reflection (ERR).While promoting and explaining this frame, the projectoffers a large pile of teaching methods focused on:information processing, prediction and formulation ofquestions, argumentation, cooperation and dialog,reflection, giving and receiving feedback, reading andwriting for learning, lifelong learning skills.Examples:a) Evocation: Questioning and setting of goals forlearning– Brainstorming;– Clusters;– Advance given concepts;– Free writing;77

Scientific Bulletin of the Electrical Engineering Faculty – 2008– I know / I want to know / I have learned.b) Realization of meaning: Information processing– INSERT (an ad notation system for writing ofscientific texts);– Reciprocal Teaching;– Collaborative learning groups: Jigsaw, ClassroomWalk etc.– Enhanced Lecture;– Think / Pair / Share.c) Reflection: Use of information and skills,synthesis– Reflection diaries;– Discussion web;– Debates;– Ten minutes essays;– Value Line.Since 1996, the year of the first training workshop inRomania, RWCT project has registered a large recognitionfrom teachers of all levels and draw the attention first onthe importance of active learning, development of higherorder thinking and collaborative attitude in schoollearning as well as on the questionable character ofknowledge, importance of context for the quality oflearning and relevance of self-regulated cognition.5.2. The National Program for Training of MentorsThis program initiated and supported by theRomanian Ministry of Education, aiming on trainingteachers with outstanding results to become mentors.The mentors are senior teachers in charge with the inserviceguidance and training of young teachers. Therelevance of the project for the present topic is givenby the training subjects where active and interactive,collaborative methodology has a central role.5.3. Technical and Vocational Educational Training(TVET)This project (http://www.tvet.ro) is the initiative of theRomanian Ministry of Education and is addressed to theteachers involved in the vocational and technicaleducation. The innovative side of the project consists in thefocus of the training program on subjects related with thenewest trends and research results about effective learning:student centered teaching and learning, MultipleIntelligences Theory in the classroom, learning styles andschool learning, feedback provision techniques.The main needs registered in Romania regardingthe implementation of ICT in the classical teachingand learning context are: the training of teachers to usethe computer and the Web in a creative and effectiveway, to offer structures for the use of newtechnologies as teaching means that will bring anadded value to the learning process in schools and toprovide access to the best practices in the use of webbasedand face-to-face effective learning methods.6.1. AcknowledgementsThis work was funded through Project 118766-CP-1-2004-1-RO-COMENIUS-C21 from EuropeanCommission, Education and Training, SchoolEducation: Socrates: Comenius. We thank all Projectinstitutions for their cooperation and work.REFERENCES[1] Dimitriadis, Y. (2003). E-Learning and Evaluation Tools(based on the work of the EMIC and GSIC groups).“Think, Construct and Communicate, ICT as a VirtualLearning Environment” Socrates Comenius 2.1. Project,coordinating meeting in Valladolid, Spain, 24.01.2003;[2] Dodge, B. (1995). Some Thoughts About WebQuests,http://webquest.sdsu.edu/about_webquests.html;[3] Gorghiu, G., Gorghiu, L. M., González, V., Garcia, A.(2005). WebQuest in the Classroom – Analysis of itsImpact. In “Recent Research Developments in LearningTechnologies”. Proceedings of the Third InternationalConference on Multimedia & ICT’s in Education, Caceres,Spain (pp. 625-629). FORMATEX, Badajoz, Spain;[4] Gorghiu, L. M. (2007). “FISTE - A Future Way for In-Service Teacher Training Across Europe” - A EuropeanComenius 2.1. Project Experience. In Education 21,Special number 2007 (pp. 11-21). Colecţia ŞtiinţeleEducaţiei 45, Casa Cărţii de Ştiinţă, Cluj Napoca;[5] Glava, C. (2007). BSCW as a Virtual Classroom Resultsof a Research Based Approach Regarding theEducational Features of the Platform. In Education 21,Special number 2007 (pp. 150-157). Colecţia ŞtiinţeleEducaţiei 45, Casa Cărţii de Ştiinţă, Cluj Napoca;[6] Hsiao, J. W. D. L. (1996). CSCL TheoriesWebpage,http://www.edb.utexas.edu/csclstudent/dhsiao/theories.html6. CONCLUSIONSThough in Romanian educational system andthinking there are some initiatives to combine face-tofaceand web-based learning methods it still comes along way in creating the efficient settings for schoollearning, in understanding the principles of the effectivelearning: autonomy, cooperation, higher order thinking,transferability of knowledge, principles which are fullyinvolved in the web-based learning settings.78