Lifelong Learning Programme
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES TO SUPPORT NEW WAYS OF LIFELONG LEARNING
LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488
Lifelong Learning Programme
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES TO SUPPORT NEW WAYS OF LIFELONG LEARNING
Leonardo Da Vinci - Transfer of innovation LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 Book curators Francesco Macrì, Pietro Miraglia, Giuseppe Maffeo
Authors Elsa Zoffi, Massimilano Andreoletti, Giuseppina Scarciglia, Giuseppe Maffeo
Traslation and text revision Anny Ballardini, Sylvie Humbert Droz, Rachel Dixon, Paula Hubbort, Isabelle Rohmer
Cd-Rom development team Pierluigi Losapio, Massimo Zunino, Elsa Zoffi, Laura Belisari, Francesco Graziani, Giuseppina Scarciglia
Editing Laura Belisari, Francesco Graziani, Simona Molari
Leonardo Da Vinci - Transfer of innovation TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD
7 Which school, which teacher in the digital era F r a n c e s c o M a c r ì 19 The French catholic schools in the digital age Françoise Maine 23 English & Northern Irish catholic schools in the digital age Timothy Gardner, Gregory Pope
27 INTRODUCTION Pietro Miraglia
CHAPTER 1 The project: reason, aims, consortium, target groups, phases, outcomes
37 Web 2.0 technologies in teaching and learning 39 How can Web 2.0 resources be useful in schools? 42 Aims of the project 45 Consortium 52 Project target groups 52 The phases of the project 57 Results / Products
CHAPTER 2 Training activities, learning paths and ICT tools
63 Analysis of needs and structure of the course 66 Structure of the course 70 Contents and on-line activities 71 Questions and resources of the digital: digital natives, Web 2.0, Google Docs 74 Research on the internet: new modes of working 77 The analytical sitography (website): a new way to access information on the net 78 The phases of the research on the net 79 The interactive white board: a school resource 80 On-lin training: the didactic activity beyond the classroom 83 The research: the media and the students
CHAPTER 3 Project Monitoring & Evaluation: Quality Plan
89 The monitoring and evaluation model and the project phases 90 The monitoring and evaluation tools 92 Key outcome data analysis 92 Initial questionnaire 98 Intermediate questionnaire 104 Final questionnaire on the contents of the course 111 Final questionnaire for teachers who have followed the training activities
117 CONCLUSION
APPENDIX
121 Bibliography 131 Sitography FOREWORD
Foreword
WHICH SCHOOL, WHICH TEACHER IN THE DIGITAL ERA
Francesco Macrì President of the FIDAE
The challenge of didactic technologies
In the face of the explosion of new didactic technologies, FIDAE (Federazione delle scuole cattoliche primarie e secondarie d’Italia) thought it was indispensable to become the promoter of such a distinguished European Project that aimed to involve Catholic schools of different nationalities and of different traditions. The objective had to embrace two main points: the “didactic” aspect for its inevitable spin-off in the daily practice of educational activity and the organisation of school life; and the “cultural” aspect since it modifies the mental processes, the contents of consciousness, interpersonal relationships, interaction with the surrounding world, and self-understanding, that is, the intimate fibres of the humanity of each one of us. An initiative led in the full consciousness that it is our responsibility, as an institution representative of schools and of Catholic educators, to predispose students to actively embrace live IT phenomena. As a matter of fact, they are and will always be faced and conditioned by them. We thus have to help them to avoid being passive when faced with this powerful influence. It is our duty to support them; we must teach them to actively seize all their positive potential; help them to transform their immense bank of information and data in “knowledge” and “culture”; train them in how to surf and move around in the net of the cybernetic universe whilst keeping their freedom and autonomy untouched. This is an essential task for each school and each teacher1.
1 L. Masterman, Teaching the Media, 1998
7 This is even more important for Catholic schools and teachers, inspired by the great evangelical values of liberty and responsibility, whose central value is to place their attention and educational practices on the “person”, “unwilling” to be manipulated, homologized, or abused, be it only in a symbolical and communicative way 2. In order to realise these desired objectives, we at Fidae, through the present project on didactic technologies, have demonstrated our wish to show continuing commitment to bring to a conclusion a project that began many years ago, that aims to redefine and refocus a school, possibly contrary to its traditional methods, on the acquisition of research, experimentation, innovation and new learning methods. We aspire to build: schools that know how to distinguish more clearly, the “instrumental” range of the “means,” including digital ones, and the acquisition of the goals and of the values on which its own vision of life (Weltanschauung) is based; schools that can embrace in a critical and wise way the enormous quantity of data available on-line via this meaningful and useful cultural project; schools that are able to go beyond the closed and restricted space of their walls to open themselves to the immense horizon of the world, that breaks up some of its rigid bureaucracies and hierarchies to take upon itself lighter, more flexible, personalised, democratic and dynamically innovative modalities; schools that abandon multi-directional methodologies that create dependence and at times, even alienation (Ct. the well-known drop-outs) to adopt other more inclusive methodologies, capable of inspiring initiative, creativity, autonomy and collaboration. The Project: “Information and Communication Technologies to Support New Ways of Lifelong Learning” (LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488), which ended with a final meeting in Rome on September 29th 2012, has been promoted by FIDAE, and developed in a close and effective collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo Formazione and the General Secretari- ats of the Catholic Schools of England (CES- Catholic Education Service), and France (EC- Enseignement Catholique). 14 schools across three countries have taken part in this project and it has been an experience of great importance and significance for those who have directly participated. Thanks to the materials produced and published both as a book and electronically, the experience will be shared with other teachers, thus spreading excellent practice that has all the requirements to become ‘food for thought’ for other European schools. It goes without saying that, when facing the complex and ever changing subject of didactic technologies, the Project will surely fulfil the task of being a first, albeit important, step in a process that will continue to be developed. This is an inception of an analytical process that will have to explore in-depth, and case by case, new and emerging as aspects that will arise. This hopes to be a conscious interpretation of a didactic that progressively measures itself against the challenges of modernity with- out ever losing its own cultural roots and the fundamental values of Italian, French, and English pedagogical traditions. As reported in the Index, there have been various issues on which the participants have worked. I strongly suggest that you read the publication in its entirety focusing on each individual topic. I will just give some brief considerations of a general nature that give a flavour of the Project, giving the underlying philosophy from which the project took
2 Benedict XVI, Address to Rome Diocesan Convention on Educational Emergency, 2007
8 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 FOREWORD inspiration and the general objectives to which we aspired. Inevitably, the entire survey of problems is not exhaustive, but our aims certainly capture several urgent issues that a modern school has to face in order to find the best didactic and pedagogical solutions in order that its epistemological statute and educational mandate do not fail. This mandate was assigned by society and the families that have entrusted the education of their children to us. These are issues which challenge the school’s validity, authority, credibi- lity, effectiveness, and quality, and therefore its specific contribution as an educational institution leading to the creation of a new and better humanity.
The reference scene
Among the most meaningful traits that characterise our postmodern society, a particularly relevant place is occupied by the expansion of the service and manufacturing industries, the qualitative change in the work-force, the financialisation of the economy, the spreading adoption of increasingly swift and planetary decision-making tech-niques, but above all, the explosion of information and knowledge3. The tools of this revolution are mainly electronic devices, telecommunication systems, computer technology, and their infinite combinations. The raw material is made up of data, information, scientific knowledge, rational thought, and human resources. Information and communication technologies (ICTS) are transforming all aspects of our lives and of our civilisation4. The change we have been going through is global and profound. As a matter of fact, a different, quicker, more complex, more widespread use of information means the opening of new virtual frontiers to knowledge and thought, and thus, to civic, social, and human progress. Within this scene of a progressive evolution of society, information technologies with their multiple and pervasive application, are not only a specific technology, but they are also foremost a “cultural” phenomenon. From being a tool they have now been turned into language, content and method5. They are a different way of being, as well as creating “culture”. They allow for an actual “mutation” of our minds, favour the passage from “doing” to “creating,” from the stage of concrete to formal operations and vice versa6. Since they offer important cultural tools (linguistic, conceptual, operational, and material), they become for us all an irreplaceable and fundamental element for our general development because they interfere with the human faculties of perception, memorisation, interpretation, manipulation and transformation of reality. Their growing relevance does not mean that we should lose sight of the fact that at the centre and above, there is (or there should be anyhow) and always will be Man, and not a machine, his intelligence, personality, morality and interaction with others. The qualitative leap that will thus be undertaken by each one of us resides in the direction of a growth, of a “surplus” in intelligence and freedom
3 P. Flichy, The Digital Revolution, 1996 4 Z. Bauman, Globalization: The Human Consequences, 1998 5 M. McLuhan, The Medium is the Message 6 H. Inose - J. R. Pierce, Information Technology and Civilization, 1984
9 for humanity. That is because the more the development of information technologies will be correlated to software, the more production activities will be transformed into services. New materials will depend on scientific knowledge and advanced technique and, international transactions will be virtual. It is anyhow evident that human endeavour will have to be directed to imaginative and creative activities in the use and organisation of processes and products mainly “immaterial.” All these operations presuppose a refined intellectual substratum and a high human content. It is within this aspect that we highlight the effort of growth and wisdom that each of us has to accomplish to equip himself to live in this new society. This is simply the old dream of Man, to free himself to the suggestive and fascinating Dionysian dream of “creating,” of dreaming, of imagining, of “versifying,” of enjoying without the heavy and monotonous weight of “having to do,” of “having to work”7.
The dimension of the knowledgeable society: acceleration, globalisation and complexity
One of the main objectives of the Lisbon strategy is to “make of Europe the most competitive and dynamic economy in the world.” It is interesting to notice how the European Parliament stresses knowledge and not Man’s technologies. The importance is Man as the producer and bearer of knowledge, not natural resources or financial- economic capitals. Man is the true resource, the compulsory passage toward a new season in the world. But in order for this to happen, a mobilisation of all the institutions, in particular of schools and universities, is needed. A further clarification is anyhow due regarding the European Parliament’s statement that the relevance of knowledge is not exhausted in the promotion of wealth and well-being, nor in the attitude of its standing with regards to competition of the global market. Knowledge is first of all a tool to progress in the direction of what we could define as the “civilisation of knowledge”8 where the cognitive dimension and the ethical dimension are not independent of each other, while they are joined in a relationship of mutual strength both on the level of the individual and collectively. In particular, collective cognitive advances determine a context able to recognise the true and the good behind the screen of the complexity of events and of the multiplicity of images, thus promoting the ethics of public life in the social, economic and political arenas9 recognises the ethical dimension as the fifth and final key necessary to face the future. Today, Man lives and works in a sort of time-space continuum. Time and space profoundly influence all individual and collective processes. Any change in the time-space relationships among people, things and events has necessarily deep consequences on the life of Man. The world of knowledge is characterised by well- known time-space change, including acceleration towards change and globalisation.
7 F. Nietzsche, The Gay Science; Dithyrambs of Dionysus 8 G. Olimpo, Società della conoscenza, educazione, tecnologia, 2010 9 H. Gardner, Five Minds for the Future, 2007
10 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 FOREWORD
Acceleration towards change means that the number of events that regard or interest us, or that we must keep in mind in a certain way, are in continuous flux. It is clear that time keeps on flowing as usual, but our perception is of an accelerated time in which the frequency of important events keeps on increasing. This acceleration regards many aspects of collective life, from the production of new knowledge (especially scientific and technological knowledge) to social changes, as well as markets. This means that the individual, in order to face new situations that appear, is on one hand obliged to deal with a growing number of new events or knowledge, and on the other hand, has to keep on answering questions to which he does not know the answer, or produce new knowledge that he does not yet possess. Globalisation on the other hand, concerns space. We refer to space as to the increasingly stronger interrelation between events, processes and knowledge, independent from their setting. Globalisation, like acceleration, impacts many aspects of the life of Man: scientific and technological development, products and markets, events and cultures. Globalisation requires man to increase his own range of action and awareness, and charges him to refer not only to what is close-by, but also to what is distant. It is logical that the terms “close-by” and “distant” have a space connotation, to which a cultural and conceptual connotation has to be added. As far as knowledge is concerned, digital technologies render space distance insignificant. From a mere technical point of view, knowledge becomes, at least at the beginning, immediately accessible, independent of its physical position or of the location of the person who is the bearer. The Net cannot be comparable to any single site of knowledge. It cannot be compared to a library or to an encyclopedia simply because of: the indeterminacy of its contents; the different means by which the contents have been produced or uploaded online; the different environments; or the points of view that created the content and of their level of quality and reliability. Man has thus to face different sites of knowledge that are not physical sites, but rather cultural contexts, conceptual approaches, points of view, some of which may be formed with personal bias and self-interest. The net of relationships produced by globalisation, the pervasive use of digital technologies, the fast spreading of knowledge, and the speed of innovation and transformation of some aspects of society, determine a growing complexity of phenomena, of systems (both natural and artificial), and of knowledge. There is complexity when the different elements that constitute a whole are many and inseparable (economic, political, sociological, psychological and affective ones for example.) and when there is an interdependent and interactive texture among them10. The knowledgeable society asks both man and the collective to face a constant complexity in learning, working and communicating. We could hypothetically end by saying that knowledge evolves according to a particular development trend thanks to the concomitant contribution of acceleration,
10 E. Morin, La testa ben fatta. Riforma dell’insegnamento e del pensiero nel tempo della globalizzazione, 2000
11 globalisation and complexity. In order to be a conscious participant inside our knowledgeable society, Man has to know how to advance along the three mentioned directives, which does not only mean that he has to have a given asset in knowledge, competences, cognitive and meta-cognitive tools, but he also has to know how to keep on evolving those assets in order to interact with an increasingly accelerated, globalised, complex society and knowledge. Such an outcome can be reached only if education has employed all possible initiatives (pedagogical, didactic, methodological, organisational, instrumental and curricular for example) to accomplish at best that famous principle by Montaigne: “A well made head is better than a well full head,” or the even more ancient statement by Quintilian: “Non multa, sed multum.” A principle that has undoubtedly been true in all times and for all societies, but especially nowadays in our information and communication society where man risks being crushed under the spinning and confused pressure of infinite communications and news, many of which are nothing but “garbage.”
In the kingdom of digital natives
In our society, where knowledge supported by new technologies, founded on swiftness and the quantity of given in-formation, and on the possibility of relating in real time with more people and more sources, a growing gap has divided young people, the so-called “digital natives” from adults, seen as the “digital immigrants.” These two terms, coined by Marc Prensky 11, illustrate in a suggestive and evocative way behavioural, communicative, and cognitive changes induced by the new technologies and omnipresent in the life of the new generations from their earliest youth. We are therefore compelled to think of the degree of consciousness that this new way of communicating carries and in which way it can contribute to the development of knowledge. This new relational universe is changing the way in which knowledge and culture have been developing. We are going towards a model of “convergence culture”12 that pivots around the concept of “collective intelligence”13, according to which “nobody knows everything, everybody knows something, all knowledge resides in humanity”. Digital media and interactive communication are the most striking phenomena of social change and of the cultural industry at the beginning of the new millennium. Today E-books, as smart phones and PC Tablets, which are continuously connected to the Internet, day by day challenge the realm of printed paper. But the new digital culture, i.e. the affirmation of a communicative style addressed to interaction, to the production of contents, and to sharing, has gone together with - in the past twenty years - the appearance on the scene of a new evolutionary form of Homo Sapiens: the “digital native.” But who are the digital natives? How do they communicate? How do they relate to knowledge?
11 Marc Prensky, Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, 2001; From Digital Natives to Digital Wisdom, 2012) 12 H. Jenkins, Convergence Culture, New York, 2006 13 P. Levy, Cyberculture. Mankind’s Emerging World in Cyberspace, 1999
12 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 FOREWORD
Born and grown in the shadow of interactive schemes, the digital natives are technology’s structural “symbionts,” and the “technological prostheses” they have used since infancy, are an integral part of their social and individual identity. Since they were babies, they have played videogames, had a blog, and communicated on social networks like Face-book or MySpace. It is this generation of young people that the adults have to face at school. As Pierre Levy wrote14, theirs is a participative culture founded on the “production and sharing of digital creations.” We should therefore set up an “informal partnership” at school between teachers and students that leads the student to feel responsible for the educational project. In this new context, the teacher cannot be any more the “conveyor” of knowledge (if he has ever been), but “the one who eases” it, who acts as a filter between the chaos of the net and the brain of the student. These “digital natives” «have attended interactive screens since when they were born and see the Internet as the main tool for tracking, sharing and managing information»15. They are the very first high tech generation that thinks, learns, and understands in a different way from those who have preceded them. If for the latter, learning meant reading-studying- repeating, for the children who have grown up with videogames, it mainly means to solve problems in an interactive way (Ferri). The children who grew up with a console and a mobile phone, «have been used to seeing the solution of cognitive tasks as a pragmatic problem» (Lynn Clark). «Thanks to videogames, their knowledge is nourished by in-creasingly different symbols, challenges and narrative models» (Nishant Shah). «The technology of the adult generation was television that is an analogical model that establishes roles, responsibility and a structure of production, spreading, and consumption of knowledge. With the explosion of p2p - the idea of a Net where there is no hierarchy and everything is shared - roles are put in discussion and everybody feels an active part in the production of knowledge». If it is true that the statement: «The Internet said it» has risen to the authority of a verdict for children, it is undeniable that the Net is the mother country of “probability”. «The Internet is redrawing the borders of truth - continues Shah - and it sets great challenges to the educators of the twenty first century. How can you learn by using sources that do not have an institutional approval? How can you recognise a valid provider of knowledge amid the online chaos?» «The cut-and-paste culture and the veracity of the Net» tend to lower users’ critical perception: the Internet becomes for children “the source,” and they set aside the authoritativeness of the site and of the author, as much as the argumentative strength of the contents, thus generating a sort of demobilisation and disarticulation of intelligence and of thought to “surrender” into the hands of others who are often mere meddlers at the service of dominating powers.
14 Pierre Levy, L’Intelligence collective. Pour une anthropologie du cyberespace, 1994; Les Tecnologies de l’intelligence. L’avvenir de la pensée à l’ère informatique, 1990; Cybercultura. Gli usi sociali delle nuove tecnologie, 1999 15 Paolo Ferri, Scuola digitale. Come le nuove tecnologie della comunicazione cambiano la formazione e la scuola, 2008
13 New homework
In the face of the progress seen in new technologies, on which, moreover, a great part of the future of nations will be played - within an unstoppable process of globalisation and international competition, together with the impact they have on the same individual and social nature of man - a profound and urgent revision is needed. This revision is in the way a school has to be and how it has to work. It cannot continue as if such a challenge did not exist16; it cannot cushion itself in its traditional sleepy complacency. It must change if it is to take on, as epistemologically founded, the principle that its “mission” is to be at the service of Man and of society, and to contribute to the development of these two inseparable subjects in a profitable dialogue and a positive interaction. Information technologies have in fact, produced a radical change in the modalities of knowledge and competence acquisition. They have been imposed as a new language, as a new model of knowledge, particularly appropriate to the study of complex systems, the great structural and super-structural processes, in front of which traditional knowledge models have shown to be “static.” The new digital era educational institutions cannot comply with those of the mere “oral” or “written” word17. They therefore have to take upon themselves and promote new organisational models, new methodologies, new curricula, new modalities to interface with civil and productive society, new offers of services, new knowledge, new competences, new quality standards. Essentially the professional profile of the teacher has to change. He cannot limit himself to “give out” information, as happened in previous decades, because new technologies are superior to him in these functions, whether it be in quality or in quantity. The new teacher will therefore be able to teach above all a rigorous studying and learning “method”; to offer critical “tools” to analyse reality; to develop intellectual and behavioural “habits”; to understand the “meaning” of things; to teach how to “arrange” information in an organised and systematic cultural design; to awaken “interest” and refine sensitivity;, to suggest “ethical” references based on values; to direct towards “motivated and autonomous choices”; to enhance attitudes of “tolerance,” predisposition to “dialogue,” to educate each student to “learn how to learn,” and to “learn to be” 18. It is only in this way that - in our information society, with the many fascinating and seductive informative agents (parallel schools) that multiply, and that often introduce themselves in a competitive way - the school and its teachers will not lose their social and cultural relevance that has been given to them by tradition. On the contrary, they will acquire a greater one because their role, their function, their meaning, their value, will be shown to be increasingly irreplaceable and important, since they will be qualitatively more evolved and of a higher formative profile when compared to the past. They will be more correlated to the integral promotion of Man, more projected toward “teaching the future” 19.
16 E. Cresson, Insegnare e apprendere. Verso la società cognitiva, 1995; CERI, Le nuove tecnologie dell’informazione. Una sfida per l’educazione, 1988 17 P. Levy, Collective Intelligence. For the Anthropology of Cyberspace, 1996 18 J. Delors, Learning: the treasure within, 1996 19 Botkin J. W., Elmandjra M., Malitza M., No limits to Learning, 1979
14 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 FOREWORD
The latest surveys on the introduction of the new technologies at school, report that teachers, not only in Italy, are not very inclined to use them in a didactic “daily” way, that is, to use them and to let them be used by their students within the “lively relationship of learning and teaching.” They instead limit their use to specific projects, that is to say, to experiences, that even if in one way might be considered innovative, are nevertheless “added on” to their habitual didactics. The most common interpretation of such professional behaviour refers to the fact that teachers belong to a generation for whom information and communication technologies are, in the best case, a “second language,” while for the digital native students they are instead their “mother tongue.” In addition to this, there are other factors that inhibit the solution of the problem that leads to the perception of the same professional profile. Among these, the conviction that Information and Communication technologies interfere with many of the characteristics of traditional “transmissible” didactics, starting from the control of modalities, the tools, the contents and the learning processes, based on a lecture with the teacher in the classroom, and in textbooks. But those who are fond of ICTs appreciate the innovative potential, that make them wish for a radical renewal of school systems. They see the sword by which they can cut the knots that we have not been able to undo until now. It is anyhow obvious that a professional staff with a higher average age prefers conservative attitudes through defensive reactions, and even refusal. These teachers are facing a subject that they are learning within brand new contexts in comparison to the ones in which they were educated. For the first time in history, children and young people know more than their teachers, and move around more easily than adults when they face an innovation that ends up being fundamental for the new society. We are paradoxically talking of a reversal of the roles in relation to traditional education by which the teachers were the ones “to know,” and the ignorant youth “had to learn.” But this cannot but arouse a certain “fear” since it triggers a crisis of the teacher’s authority which is founded on the possession of a necessary knowledge that the students do not yet have. It undermines the very foundation, the self-representation and the professional identity of teachers based on the exclusive management of the kind of knowledge to be conveyed. It thus determines the need to define again a role that cannot be only centred mainly on the transfer of knowledge 20. Some questions arise: with the didactic use of ICTs, what can the specific role of school become, and in which ways can we give substance to the work of the teacher? Moreover, once that information is directly available to the student, how does one control learning which has come about from a tool which may not be as standardised, as the textbook was, because it provided fixed information that did not change according to the circumstances under which it was used (for example in the classroom and at home)? But more and different contradictions have been outlined in the opposing natures of a linear, sequential, structured, argumentative, mainly deductive approach, as carried out by traditional school education, and the exploration of the Net and hyper-textual logics induced by the Internet. The students are not and cannot be represented as, “tabulae rase” on which to write, sponges waiting to absorb notions and methods. The ease in
20 F. Faiella, Progettare la didattica costruttivista, 2009
15 accessing information and the explorative freedom in surfing the web, have given them a sensation of mastery and of autonomy that “the school of transfer” has not foreseen. It is no wonder if then, in the face of these questions, and in the absence of solutions validated by pedagogical theories, and by the results of verified investigations, teachers (certainly not all) tend to limit the use of the new technologies to spaces and to specific, occasional, episodic projects; or they tend to “bend” them to their old teaching methods, thus weakening their possibilities. Emblematic of this today is the minimal use of IWBs (interactive whiteboards) taken back to the levels of the old slate blackboards. Explicit and huge is thus the contrast between the traditional systems of acquiring of knowledge, and the “democratisation” of the access to knowledge opened by the ICTs. Traditional acquisition of knowledge is one thing, by which I mean the heritage of a professional class that has decided how much, when, and how to convey that knowledge to others, and how to assess the results. Circular knowledge differs from this in that it is peer exchange and what is promised by the Internet. The journey from “unidirectional” knowledge (from one to many) to “circular” and “multidi-mensional” knowledge (from many to many) can be seen as a leap into the unknown, quite a contrast! We inevitably need to learn how to manage learning systems by defining again theories and practices; by experimenting with new modalities in teaching and learning; and in organising institutions, by investing massively in the development of the teaching staff; pairing teachers with experts as they plan and carry out new methodologies. In this way we will over-come the illusion that it is possible to automatically renew the school by simply introducing the new technologies as if they were the panacea of quality. One fact is by now certain and visible to all: the new didactic technologies are a reality. It is not possible to close our eyes any more. A school that pretends it is “immune” to their influence, believing it can succeed in living in an imaginary space out of time, would lose the basic legitimacy, attractiveness and credibility to continue its educational work. Visible signs of a rejection by young people, of traditional learning styles and discourse as well as cognitive grammars that the schools continue to hold onto, can be detected in certain teenagers’ overwhelming demotivation to attend school. This is due to our failure to accept the new context that has been built around and inside (that is to say, the stu- dents) schools. If we were to keep on losing time by delaying solutions that are by now inevitable, it would be a terrible defeat for our schools.
The primacy of intelligence
For the reasons mentioned above, schools not only have to face the challenges of new technologies although they may fear an improbable competition, or hold an unfounded inferiority complex, but they must know how to take the opportunity at this favourable time to “purify” the identity of its role. These challenges force schools to reassess outcomes and methods that had been gradually lost or tainted with mass schooling. It will have to prioritise functions that have been delayed by other secondary or marginal ones. It will therefore recapture the most effective ways to create the primacy of knowledge over information, of creativity over repetitiveness, of critical thought over passive thought, of research over compilation, of imagination over imitation, of originality (divergent thought)
16 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 FOREWORD over standardisation and homogenisation, of singularity over standardisation.21. It is in this way that schools will fully accomplish the role society has given them and is expecting from them, which is to prepare young people to embrace modern changes related on the one hand to the explosion of information and on the other to technological innovation, by investing all their energies into the promotion of intelligence22, that is, in the capacity of thinking, discovering, setting and problem solving, using knowledge together with multimedia technologies in an increasingly refined way. An extremely expressive term is used in the U.S.A. to refer to the new emerging professional workers tied to computer technologies: “knowledge workers.” The term highlights in a suggestive way, the centrality of knowledge in our post-industrial society and expresses the fact that, in the face of an extremely quick evolution of machinery, what remains stable, is the knowledge of problems, interpersonal communication, and the interactive communication between Man and the machine. It goes without saying that the explosion of information technologies, and of communication cannot be explained without studying in-depth the previous symmetrical explosion of knowledge that is simultaneously both its “cause and effect.” This is because computer science and data communication introduce into the organsational systems a set of complexities. If you take them “on their own” as a remedy to simplify the management of knowledge, you risk at the very least leaving things as they are. It is thanks to these new technologies that “new knowledge” emerges, develops, and is accumulated. It is more abstract and more concretely efficient, unitary in its scientific and methodological foundations, and flexibly suited to each situation. It does not take the place of previous knowledge, but it integrates it, transforms it and expresses it in new instrumental goods and with new combinations. Knowledge through information technologies is unified through logic-linguistic rules that express it and make it rigorously communicable, thus inter-subjective. It is moreover defined through operations needed for its validation and its use. Two different approaches are thus combined with electronic technologies, and this brings about highly innovative results: - The availability of “abstract knowledge” capable of acquiring any other knowledge, be it scientific or technological; - The availability of knowledge, defined in “operational” terms and thus expressed in language able to “instruct machines” to perform applicative sequences of knowledge; - The joining of “knowledge” and of “knowing how to.” We are therefore talking of deal- ing with how to overcome the lack of knowledge and of how to use acquired knowl- edge, which is defined by the recent psychological research on learning as “inert knowledge”; - The overcoming of our own isolation through a world net circuit (the Internet) that embraces the entire human village in its infinite diversities and richness.
21 Ott M.- Pozzi F., Usare le TIC per sviluppare la creatività a scuola, 2009; A. Mattelart, Mapping World Communication, 1994; M. Lipman, Thinking in Education, 2003 22 G. Cottier, Etica dell’intelligenza, Roma 2003
17 Conclusion
Information and communication technologies in their multiple applications and developments, introduce an element of progressive and accelerated “intellectualisation” of society. Such intellectualisation resides in synthesis, in both the request for increasingly more marked attitudes towards formalisation and logical rigour, in the solution of problems, and first of all, in the ability to both conceive a problem and to recognise it as such. This statement should be able to reassure all those who have been exasperated by what they see as failure and who perceive the new technologies as a threat to their intelligence. By paraphrasing a famous book by Umberto Eco23, and in relation to the new didactic technologies, it would be useful for those who work in the world of school, not to have any prejudices, nor see them as being catastrophically “apocalyptic,” nor to be naively “integrated.” As with all that humans encounter, even these technologies have their own “ambivalence,” their own “fundamental” ambiguity. On their own, they are neither good nor bad. It depends on the use you make of them, on the aims you wish to reach, on the meaning given to them and on the place that is allowed them within the overall context of your own existence. They certainly have an enormous potential that could be used at school, but one condition has to be kept well in mind: teachers should be actually “keen” to work with new tools. It is not enough to equip school with sophisticated and innovative equipment. It is the professional quality of teachers to make these changes: to use their ability to adapt once more their traditional methods of professorial and unidirectional teaching; their availability in prioritising the collaborative and autonomous learning processes of their students; their capacity to take risks by not seeing themselves as the only holders of knowledge. If teachers are helped by the institutions in charge of their development (and Fidae’s dedication to this Project has this explicit outcome) to carry out in a positive way this renewed role and task, then we can be sure that the new didactic technologies will have entered schools successfully, and that students will achieve high results which are the basic tools to enable them to fulfill their citizenship in an active and responsible way, in our world full of knowledge. Otherwise, schools will have lost an important opportunity, and other information and development agencies will supplant it from all sides, making schools redundant, expensive, and barely meaningful in the eyes of young people. The new didactic technologies are a great challenge for all; they open an exciting and fresh scenario. Those who succeed will harvest the fruit of this new “tree of knowledge.” The others will be excluded. And such an exclusion will make them even weaker, more marginal, poorer, lesser citizens, but even lesser men.
23 Umberto Eco, Apocalittici ed integrati, Milano, 1993
18 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 FOREWORD
Foreword
FRENCH CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Françoise Maine
Approach chosen for a particular context
The Leonardo project, “information and communications technologies to support new ways of lifelong learning”, which we have taken part in, rightly points out the importance of taking into account, by the school, major changes in our society. The digital world is already present in this century and new uses of communication and relationship are making profound demands of schools. Because of the current revolution, catholic schools have chosen to exceed the single stage of the technological revolution in order to work on the impacts of the cultural and cognitive on going revolution. Also in our national approach, we have risked approaching the subject via culture, further exploring new uses and codes to better understand the contemporary world. Whilst being very attentive to new teaching practices and social changes, we remain vigilant to ensure that screens do not harm the quality of human relations.
An ongoing story
French catholic schools have always had the possibility to freely innovate and explore varying degrees of autonomy within their institutions. Innovation is an educational and pedagogical basic principle of the founding fathers of Catholic education. Our national approach is thought to help teams to dare to invent new practices, to venture into new territories. The digital culture is opening up new areas that we must learn to understand and which are sources of new educational challenges.
19
To take into account all these changes, the National Committee of catholic schools voted in June 2009 a law that defines the elements of an education policy. Since then, an practical strategy was implemented to meet the needs of the institution:
- Establishing a national network of co-ordinators of digital technology, located throughout the country they are the first point of contact alongside the Diocesan Directors of this national policy. These co-ordinators work together regularly, building practical tools and working with the institutions concerned. - The setting up, every 2 years, of the digital “printemps”, a national conference for several days of collaborative work ,that brings together 500 participants who are experts in this field,. The second one has just taken place in Biarritz, the theme was “What if learning has changed”? And it deepened our understanding of changes induced by cognitive practices of the digital culture. On this occasion, we showcase original practices implemented in schools, in the form of awards for innovation. - The creation of a ‘pocket’ film festival aimed at students: “Infilmement petit”. This is an original approach of producing short films of 3 minutes duration, using mobile phones and digital tablets for example. In other words, how to make sense of something and develop a personal perspective with the digital tools of today (www.infilmementpetit.fr). - A portal site is being renovated; it brings together several digital spaces dedicated to the development of digital culture as well as an exchange of experiences and common theoretical benchmarks (http://www.ecolenumeriquepourtous.fr. - experience of the PENSIONNAT DU SACRE’ COEUR of Reims, partner in the Leonardo project, will be published on this site).
True to our anthropological values, we seek through this issue to put human relations at the heart of communications. We also believe that, given the sometimes excessive consumption of screens, it is necessary to learn to live with screens, to tame them somehow. We are launching a comprehensive programme to teach students how to live with screens, help young people control their uses, including helping families most in need to stand back and analyse their educational practices, be it with mobile phones or social networks, through video games. This programme is called “the challenge to tame the screens”; 40 institutions have already embarked on this educational adventure (the experiments are available on the site www.ecolenumeriquepourtous.fr)
20 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 FOREWORD
Looking Ahead
If the Web 2.0 continues to grow with frontline developing new social networks, Web 3.0, it is being built with, the particularity of, the development of games practices. Linked to progression of the video game industry, the future digital landscape may well open other playgrounds. That is why we have created a research group on teaching practices and the use of educational video games at school, in order for us to experiment with motivating learning situations using serious games or video games which are sold commercially. This is our exploration project for next year.
21
FOREWORD
Foreword ENGLISH & NORTHERN IRISH CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Fr Timothy Gardner OP, Gregory Pope,
Context
The Catholic Education Service (CES) is an agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW). Working closely with the CBCEW’s Department for Education & Formation it represents the Bishops’ national education policy in relation to the 2,300 Catholic schools, colleges and university colleges for which the Church is responsible across England and Wales. The CES negotiates with the British and Welsh Governments and other national bodies in order to safeguard and promote Catholic education. It also offers a Catholic contribution to English and Welsh education, seeking to ensure that the principles of Catholic Social Teaching are reflected in all aspects of national education policy. It is in this context that, as a national agency, we are pleased to give our support to the Leonardo Project.
Praxis and the Project
In many ways, the evolution of technology in education has mirrored the development of the web itself. What was once the preserve of technologically competent specialists (known in English slang as ‘Geeks’) is now open to everyone who wants to be involved. Though Tim Berners-Lee dismisses Tim O’Reilly’s term ‘Web 2.0’ as ‘a piece of jargon’
23 it is certainly the case that Web 2.0 is about what Berners-Lee originally intended the ‘read-write web’ to be: a primarily academic tool where collaborative learning might take place. In the early days of technology in the classroom personal computers essentially functioned as powerful typewriter replacements, just as interactive whiteboards stood in for blackboards. Initially, there was no accompanying change in pedagogy. Technology was used to deliver content, not change the way that learning took place. All the lessons from contemporary education is that children learn most effectively when they (a) enjoy their learning and (b) take charge of their learning. Technology has clear application in achieving these two aims, particularly as children are likely to be highly conversant with technology in their lives outside the classroom. The development of Web 2.0 technologies has allowed classroom IT move from being, as it were, an electronic worksheet, to a virtual classroom. This is surely why so many specifications for MLEs or VLEs use the language of ‘rooms’ and ‘corridors’. When students are using technology as a tool or a support for communicating with others, they are in an active role rather than the passive role of recipient of information transmitted by a teacher, textbook, or broadcast. The student is actively making choices about how to generate, obtain, manipulate, or display information. Technology use allows many more students to be actively thinking about information, making choices, and executing skills than is typical in teacher-led lessons. Moreover, when technology is used as a tool to support students in performing authentic tasks, the students are in the position of defining their goals, making design decisions, and evaluating their progress. The teacher’s role changes as well. The teacher is no longer the centre of attention as the dispenser of information, but rather plays the role of facilitator, setting project goals and providing guidelines and resources, moving from student to student or group to group, providing suggestions and support for student activity. As students work on their technology-supported products, the teacher moves from ‘the front’ to moving through the room, looking over shoulders, asking about the reasons for various design choices, and suggesting resources that might be used. Project-based work (such as the course for creating a virtual model of regional development agency in Bournemouth) and cooperative learning approaches prompt this change in roles, whether technology is used or not. However, tool uses of technology are highly compatible with this new teacher role, since they stimulate so much active mental work on the part of students. Moreover, when the venue for work is technology, the teacher often finds him or herself joined by many peer coaches - students who are technology savvy and eager to share their knowledge with others.
Looking forward
The CES is proud to be associated with the Leonardo Project and is delighted by the innovative work which is being carried out at St Peter’s School in Bournemouth, England. We are publicising our support for the Project on our new national website
24 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 FOREWORD http://www.catholiceducation.org.uk/about-us/weblinks/93-organisations-we- work-with. With the help of St Peter’s we aim to promote the Project to our colleagues in the 22 Catholic Dioceses across the whole of England and Wales and, through them, to our schools and colleges.
25
IntroductIon
THE PROJECT GENESIS AND OBJECTIVES
Pietro Miraglia
This publication concerns the implementation of the activities of the Project: ICT BASED LEARNING - Information and communication technologies to support new ways of lifelong learning, co-financed by the Leonardo da Vinci Program, Cod. LLP- LdV-TOI-10-IT-488. The publication highlights the methods used in matching up the original project with the schools involved, both during the training for the course and the experience of using it. The first Chapter deals with the project: reason, aims, consortium, target groups, phases, outcome, by understanding the partners’ competences, the planning and preparatory activities of the Project and the expected outcome. The second and third Chapters develop respectively: training activities, learning paths, and ICT tools, and the monitoring and evaluation of the project, but starting from the analysis of the context and of the needs, and by describing the various phases of the transfer of the original project via the training delivered, and by bearing in mind the need to emphasise the importance of assessing the project. We will briefly outline the inception of the idea; its taking form into a proposal within the Lifelong Learning Programme; the making of the different phases that characterise the programme, and how it was ensured that these that have been carried out fully.
The genesis of the project When the European Union’s new policies on Education and Training underlined the need for technology based didactics, not only as a tool for traditional didactics, but as an active environment for personal learning in studying courses, Università Cattolica,
27 AGIDAE, and IntesaBCI Formazione (nowadays Intesa Sanpaolo Formazione) - each one, an organisation of a different cultural and professional heritage - have created, experimented, and promoted a training model for the teachers of religious, social-educational Institutions through the use of information and communication technologies. The core issues have been: 1. To draft and trial a training model for the North-Centre Catholic schools that focused on the application of new technologies for the elaboration of didactic tools that should be different, more attentive and compatible with our times, and the learning styles of adult learners by keeping in mind their work schedules. 2. To use and trial models and structures for lifelong learning within our information society aiming to create service networks, useful both for the development of multimedia models for distance learning, and regardless of different competences and specialisations. 3. To define and trial models to certify continuous learning courses, be them distance or self-learning. 4. To establish a network of Catholic schools able to disseminate and exploit through other means the training model which was created. 5. Through experimentation, to assess the effectiveness of the training model. 6. To offer basic knowledge - on the planning and on the making of the multimedia training course - to those who take part in it, and to offer this knowledge for the creation of a fundamental primary nucleus for the dissemination and exploitation of the new learning tool. The successful outcome of the policies, the aim of which was the spreading of digital didactics, has stimulated FIDAE (Italy) to promote the Project on a wider scale with the organisational and administrative support of Intesa Sanpaolo Formazione, a new initiative that should project the outcome across many different countries and activate reciprocal synergies with catholic schools, that are spread thoughout the European Union. The idea has led to a proposal submitted to the sectoral Leonardo da Vinci Program, inserted within the wider 2007-2013 Lifelong Learning Programme, established by ratification on November 15th 2006 (n. 1720/2006/CE) in the action “Multilateral Projects of Transfer of Innovation,” that allows for a financing of proposals aiming to suit and integrate innovative contents and results elaborated within the context of previous experiences led at a sectorial, regional, territorial and national level. The initiative was accepted and finance was agreed. The new project, “information and communication technologies to support new ways of lifelong learning”, focuses on the development of methodologies and digital tools in order to modify learning environments thanks to the integration of technologies in didactics in a way that the same technology should suit the classroom. Digital innovation, in fact, represents for the school, the opportunity to go beyond the traditional concept of the classroom, to create a learning space open to the world, by which “an intelligent, sustainable, and inclusive growth” can be carried out, according to the 2020 European priorities.
28 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 INTRODUCTION
The new project objectives The objective of the project is the spreading of didactic methodologies through the use of innovative technologies. Students and teachers have experimented, shared, and transferred shared results from their reciprocal collaboration, by developing an efficient method to support a network that facilitates shared learning for both teachers and students. The project has in effect been established to:
1. Promote the development and to disseminate and exploit the use of didactics for the digital school 2. Check the effectiveness of various technologies for didactics 3. Promote supporting software for the digital school 4. Organise and deliver training courses 5. Favour initiatives that press for the sharing of didactics by organising a site dedicated to the sharing of information and experience. It was in 2006 when the European Parliament and Council approved a recommendation that indicated the key competences for lifelong learning: mother tongue communication; foreign language communication; mathematical competences and basic competences in sciences and technologies; digital competences; rote learning; social and civic competences; spirit of initiative and of entrepreneurship; cultural awareness and expression. Italy acknowledged this recommendation in 2007 by a technical document attached to the regulation on compulsory education that defines the “citizens’ competences to be acquired after compulsory education.” This has triggered an actual renewal in teaching, a historical passage from a didactics based on programmes, to a didactics based on school curricula in all European countries. From here the need for new didactics that allow schools to avail themselves of information and communication technologies and of didactic systems suited to the new programmes with perspectives that grant a re-engineering and a new multidisciplinary management of the school. The Digital School - Classes 2.0 project was started in the school year 2009-10. The aim is to make it easier for schools to create innovative “learning environments” addressed to the individualisation and personalisation of formal and non-formal learning, mediated by digital didactic contents and by didactic methodologies. Recent research carried out by Ipsos, based on the presence of technology, by the Italian schools and on the degree of technological literacy of both teachers and students, has out-lined the situation and the trends in Italy. The most indicative data shows the perception of the teachers of their level of self- confidence when dealing with personal computers and with the Web: 93% of the teachers think they are at ease. This perception is however dismissed by the student; according to the latter, the percentage is reduced to 57%. Even more critical is the parents’ feedback: They believe that only 41% of the teachers of their children can use a personal computer properly.
29 Almost all the teachers (99%) have a personal computer and would like more technology in class. Lessons, they say, should be much more stimulating. The Italian teachers are therefore open to using School 2.0, but they have to deal with the less than encouraging outlook of their students, as much as with the lack of technological equipment at school. One should consider that only 7% of the schools in the Peninsula have an internet connection, and that schools lack tablets and personal computers because of little financial support. The situation improves when we analyse the population of those who are trained: 76% of students, between 11 and 14, are able to use pcs. Moreover, the Net has made the world at large more accessible nowadays, seen in the evidence that 46% of the students, access information sites.
The Project The main action of the project consists of delivering a training course for the teachers and trainers on the use of the new information and communication technologies, centered on the correct use of the Web 2.0 techniques and tools. To attain such aims the following activities have been used: - Analysis of the level of knowledge of the techniques of the target group - teachers, trainers, and students - and definition of the training needs; - Definition of how feasible the transfer of the Project can be, “The creation and spreading of training models for employees of social and religious educational institutes in central northern Italy through the use of information and communication technologies,” in relation to possible adaptations of the same as an outcome of the analysis of the needs; - Delivery of the training course, objective of the transfer, together with didactic and technological support; - Pilot test action of the training paths and tools and of the methodologies within a three school panel to check the positive outcome with the ultimate aim of dissemination on a wider scale; - Analysis and assessment of the results stemming from the previous pilot phase and verification of the adequacy of the training activities in relation to the needs expressed by the target group and by the preset objectives; - The dissemination and utilisation of the results and products of the project to the other partner schools and integration of the innovative didactic methodology within the educational and training system at a territorial, regional, national and European level. A central network of recognised Catholic schools of any order and degree, recognised by the Minister of Education, has developed around this initiative. These are schools interested in offering an excellent educational quality aligned to the technological changes that have radically transformed our society. The organisations represented by the school partner Countries are: FIDAE, Federazione Istituti Attività Educative (Italy), among others, core partner of the Project with the role of directing the work(s) of the scientific Committee and of coordination; CESEW, Catholic Education Service for England and Wales (England); SGEC, Secrétariat Générale de l’ Enseignement Catholique (France). These groups have
30 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 INTRODUCTION supported the Project both at a scientific and promotional level, and have been key to the implementation of the programme by stimulating and leading the active participation of the educational Institutes that are involved. 14 Catholic schools that have participated in the project: - Ensemble Scolaire Saint-Joseph - Toulouse (France) - Pensionnat Du Sacre’ Coeur - Reims (France) - St. Joseph’s College/De La Salle College - Belfast - Northern Ireland (United Kingdom) - St. Peter’s School - Bournemouth (United Kingdom) - Istituti Paritari Filippin - Liceo Classico, Scientifico, Europeo - Paderno Del Grappa (Italy) - Liceo Linguisitico Marcelline - Bolzano (Italy) - Ist. Sacri Cuori Barletta - Barletta (Italy) - Ist. Orsoline F.M.I. - Ist. Maria Vergine Del Carmine - Liceo Della Comunicazione - Chieti (Italy) - Collegio Don Bosco - Pordenone (Italy) - Liceo Ginnasio Giovanni Paolo II - Lecce (Italy) - Centro Nazionale Opere Salesiane Liguria Toscana - Genova (Italy) - Liceo Linguistico Europeo Paritario “Calasanzio” - Sanluri (Italy) - Collegio Vescovile Barbarigo - Padova (Italy) - Istituto Gonzaga - Milano (Italy) The objective of the transfer has been achieved and has given both teachers and students the advantage of: - Reproducing an actual didactic-methodological innovation factor to use alongside traditional learning tools. - Easing the acquisition of new specific competences in reading and writing. - Stimulating students through motivation to study and to encourage them to study in a collaborative and permanent way This course has not been full of insurmountable difficulties, but it has not been too easy, either. The scene has been much more favourable than the initial findings suggested during the original reference project that highlighted the, almost non-existent use, of the new technologies in the classroom. In fact the study that was carried out in the first phase of the Project, stressed a scenario in which the majority of teachers uses a pc and the internet to teach, even if they state the need to be guided in the methodologies and in the use of the most useful tools in order to reach school objectives. Anyhow, the teachers state that they know how to use a pc in a traditional way, but they are not competent in the use of environments and online tools particularly tied to the Web 2.0 world. In the same way, the advent of the Whiteboard and Interactive Whiteboard has found them ill prepared. Almost all showed a great interest in getting to terms with the themes tied to collaborative writing - Whiteboards and open source environments for on-line didactics - by lamenting the lack of suitable equipment in the management of the new technologies offered by Web 2.0 in didactics. This phase has highlighted: - A good level of homogeneity on the cultural level, and the expectations of the course have been met. In addition, during the analysis of the results common needs have
31 been detected in relation to the training needs identified - That teachers do have the necessary basic technological competences - The lack of technological competences related to the use of Web 2.0 and to the use of the communicative tools made available online. The course has been built in order to respond to what was learned from the analysis of the context and of the needs by focusing on the following contents: the new students and Web 2.0, E-learning 2.0: methods and tools, and Interactive whiteboards. The complexity of the programme, compounded by a transnational setting that involved Italian, French, and English schools, required an adaptation of the contents of the original project also given the perspective of the needs of the foreign partners. These needs were often related to restrictions within certain countries regarding the use of certain on-line tools, which in certain cases were quite strong, hence leading to a digital divide. Therefore, in order to test the didactic methodology, the organisational structure and the tools and resources to be used, the programme has been tested: in Italy, at the Istituto Tecnico Commerciale Paritario delle Suore Salesiane dei Sacri Cuori in Barletta; in France, in Toulouse at Ensemble Scolaire Saint-Joseph; in England at St. Peter’s School in Bournemouth. In response to the SWOT analysis the distribution of this course has been adapted and suitably matched, both in its content and its structure, subject to a methodological approach to ease theoretical learning, but especially to allow for the application of technological tools and of the methods of Web 2.0. The formative course has found a dedicated space on the Moodle platform (URL http://www.catholicschoolproject.eu) where all the study materials to support training have been uploaded. The choice of Moodle, an open source E-learning platform, is based, besides its technological characteristics, also on its flexibility (even if only 40% of the partaking users have remarked that it is easy to use) which eases a collaborative and social approach, by granting an easy contribution to the educational experience to be developed. In order to understand the context the following aspects should be taken into account: - The culture of the organisation and its attitude towards innovation or tradition - Technological equipment - Competences, roles and professional attitudes - Interactions between schools. The interest of the teachers has been successfully focused on the discovery of communicative tools and on the use of Interactive Whiteboards. The monitoring and assessment of the activities have led to a very high level of motivation, alongside involvement and curiosity. We have recorded that teachers have paid close attention to and have been very interested in the proposed content as well as simply using the proposed activities. A good level of collaboration and constructive critical attitude has been shown throughout the Project, even if we have to acknowledge that a certain number of learners have shown some significant resistance. It is useful to highlight that the majority of teachers involved in the Project have used the new educational technologies, on at least one occasion if not more and have shown an interest in future training proposals that could consolidate their knowledge in relation
32 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 INTRODUCTION to the use of new information and communication technologies. I will end by stating, and in doing so I do not believe that I am being over-optimistic, that the Project has confirmed the essential value of digital didactics, the conviction that learning does not come from the knowledge owned by the one who passes it on to others, but it is granted by the constructivist and critical approach offered by dynamic and collaborative environments, such as the World Wide Web, that interacts with the “globe,” and reflects in a natural way, and not a formal one, a continuous updating of “knowledge.” Finally, I wish to dedicate my introduction to the considerations stemming from an interview on the analysis of the needs of a teacher at the Istituto Gonzaga in Milan: “… the use of the internet and of the new technologies is a needed adaptation to the cultural social environment in which the educating community and the students that attend any type of school live. In particular, the students in a secondary school, be it whether the school extends to Key Stage 4 or 5, are fully involved in using social networks on a daily basis to conduct significant aspects of their social life and their relationships , they live their attendance to the social networks as a - by now - daily dimension, within their own social life and for any relationships that they are involved in, in an increasingly transversal way in relation to their original family’s status or cultural level. From this point of view, it seems highly appropriate and realistic that we should be available with an educational action, consequently also didactic, in a dimension in which our students live, an attitude which has been confirmed also by the choice of our great past educators. This said, I think that the Web has great potential, even in didactic terms. First of all at an in-formative level: the great availability of easily accessible information undoubtedly eases an access to knowledge in relation to a classical book or to a bibliographical research. The speed by which Wikipedia can help to find a geographical location, the date of an event, or the essential traits of the biography of an author, is a useful tool, be it in preparation of and in the same exposition of lectures. What is missing here is the systematic aspect of a traditional textbook that cannot be substituted, and therefore the critical aspect, the true dimension in which the experience of the teacher becomes irreplaceable. Pages and pages of in-depth critical essays available on the internet certainly cannot substitute the suggested critical line as re-elaborated by the teacher. That is why the students have to be led through the critical fruition of the huge quantity of on-line information, by teaching them the criteria of a good analysis through search engines - even those specific to the task, and to recognise the degree of quality of the content found there. Too often, in fact, the easy statement, “I found it on the net,” seems to acquire an air of authority in our contemporary times (once we used to say: “Aristotle said it…”). A truly positive aspect, but very sensitive, is the Web 2.0 issue and the Wiki culture in general, that makes its principle of sharing and increasing its content, its biggest selling point. However, this “active presence” on the Web by all the users, is still very limited to the world of social networks, and therefore in a certain way, to the expression of an emotional dimension, rather an escape when seen within a cultural perspective. The Wikipedia project is instead inserted in a cultural perspective, but how many of our students are “authors” as well as being readers of Wikipedia?”.
33
CHAPTER 1 The Web 2.0 has multiplied the opportunities to activate communication, sharing, and collaboration processes among people. A process that does not imply any geographical, generational, social or economic boundaries Chapter 1 THE PROJECT REASON, AIMS, CONSORTIUM, TARGET GROUPS, PHASES, OUTCOMES
Giuseppina Scarciglia, Giuseppe Maffeo, Massimiliano Andreoletti
1.1 WEB 2.0 TECHNOLOGIES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING
We have witnessed a progressive and large amount of supporting communication and information technologies in the last thirty years. Various outstanding personalities in the social, political and economic sector (see Toffler or Rifkin for example ), have fore-seen that power would be narrowly within the reach of those who were able to manage knowledge, as much as all the forms linked to in-formation in the twenty first century. If we consider the process by which information production, management, and sharing has been made easier, from the creation of the Internet, back in the Sixties, and even more with the Web in the early Nineties, we can see how an increasing number of people have had access to the global net. From the first web generation, to which only a few adequately competent people had access, to the second generation with the inclusion of those who initially were not part of it. The Web 2.0 - a term that thanks to an agile marketing manoeuvre has entered our vocabulary and thus common language - has multiplied the opportunities to activate communication, sharing, and collaboration processes among people. A process that does not imply any geographical, generational, social or economic boundaries. The fact of being citizens of the knowledgeable society requires us to face new forms of identity and of relationships, new communicative modalities with sites and spaces that up to a short time ago were unknown, or at best, considered a part of science fiction. These new forms of citizenship, even if easily accessible in economic and technological terms, will not be granted to all by reason of a limit which has been increasingly set by culture. This second new form of digital divide requires an urgent formative development that schools are called to carry forth. They have to be ready to form tomorrow’s citizens
37 so that they are more responsible, active, and interactive. It is not right to think that nowadays teachers are technologically “disadvantaged” when compared to their students, because as a matter of fact, they do use various technological tools every day. Personal computers, smart phones, MP3 readers, Interactive Whiteboards, satellite, E-mail, social network, videogames are tools that the majority of teachers use in their private life and, therefore by extension, also for their own professional activity. It is obvious that the use of the various medias differs from person to person, since different is the knowledge each one of us has of the single medium and of its characteristics: how you use the medium; the needs to which the use of particular media responds to; the degree of awareness in the use of the specific medium; and the level of responsibility. It is this variety in the styles of use that the difference between those that can be defined “wise” or “stupid” digital users can be defined, as stated by Prensky. “Although the term [“stupidity,” A/N] could seem extreme, it represents in an adequate way the behaviour of one who misuses technology to escape disagreeable situations, or to damage someone rather than strengthening his own wisdom […] Digital stupidity […] includes the access to a kind of digital technology that potentially could make people improve, but the same person refuses to consider the advantages that it could offer. Such people quickly discard the potential technological benefits for a digital empowerment, based on old mental attitudes, as well as inconsiderate prejudices and traditions. It includes the negligent use of technology rather than a positive approach meant to lead to wisdom. Thus, as digital wisdom can transcend age or other parameters, people of any age or profession can be digitally stupid” The technologies of a connected society allow for an overlapping between the role of the user of a service and the one of a producer of contents to the point that the term “prosumer” was born, from the merging of the terms “producer” and “consumer.” It has been a very common model in our contemporary society. “Within this perspective, technologies are not seen as tools to spread preset knowledge, but they are viewed as environments for the active and meaningful spreading of knowledge.” The value of digital technologies resides in the possibility of easing the construction of a sharing culture in which it is not the same technology to represent such value, but its contents, its services, and above all, the same users who exist within it. Social networking, a term which defines groups of people who dialogue, interact, discuss, take part in, exchange, and/or re-assemble contents, has reached a definite meaning in our contemporary society because they are the ones who ease communi- cation, sharing and collaboration among people by making links and relationships that will be strong and lasting in time. We do not anyhow have to confuse the role of such resources present on the web. The risk of considering the containers, in which contents are elaborated and shared, with the actual richness would be an enormous mistake. The right consideration re-sides in seeing them as tools that ease a creative process of contents and environments in which it is possible to surpass those limits that can often be generated by social behaviours (language, social status, space, time and gender for example). They also make the same system more personal to better reach the aims the community has set for itself. Having seen the potential of social networks, at this point it is useful to ask ourselves
38 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 1 the project what could be the advantages of introducing them as part of training processes, as much as the consideration of what should be the modalities for their use in a didactic activity. “The setting of a collective network, seen as such (even through the possibility of personalizing and of extending relationships, as offered by the Web), can favor the individuals’ sense of belonging and of responsibility, it can stimulate the motivations for a further commitment in keeping contacts, and in the setting of lasting conditions favorable to learning”. Social networks are thus configured as potential learning environments in which it is possible to exchange experiences, share re-sources, materials and information, to build contents in a collaborative modality, and in the long run, become actual communities in which it is “possible to open up to a dialogue, to ask questions, to find solutions together, by putting into practice lifelong and life-wide learning processes, that is a kind of learning that spans the length of your life and in any context, be it formal or in-formal.” In recent years we have been witnessing a progressive increase in technologies that allow for the making of on-line learning environments, economically and technologically within the range even of the smallest realities. Open source solutions to be installed on our own servers or in hosting, or free on-line solutions, allow the teacher to use on-line communication and collaborative re-sources. On the Italian and international scene, close to environments that integrate multiple tools in an only solution (LMS or PLE ), we can detect solutions that are adopted randomly and thus detached from a complete system characterised by several functions.
1.2 HOW CAN WEB 2.0 RESOURCES BE USEFUL IN SCHOOLS?
At an international level, in recent years, various has been the research that has been carried out in order to investigate the level and the type of use, the problems connected with the introduction and the outcome of the Web 2.0 resources, and of on-line col- laborative technologies within schools. The “Digital Districts: Web 2.0 and collaborative technologies in U.S. schools” published in March 2011, shows the results of a national survey led by the Interactive Educational Systems Design (IESD) in the United States. It involved over 380 people in charge of technologies within their respective school districts. Research subdivides Web 2.0 technologies in seven categories related to the education of the students and to learning environments: 1. Online contents generated by the student; 2. Online contents generated by the teacher; 3. Online social networking used as part of the training process; 4. Online games and simulations to ease learning; 5. Students’ use of virtual environments for learning; 6. Digital multimedia resources; 7. On-line communication tools for parents and students (outside the school day). From initial findings, the outcome of the research points to a growing acceptance of
39 the Web 2.0 and of collaborative technologies between school leaders and teachers. Teachers and students have made huge steps towards the adoption of Web 2.0 technologies at school, but human and technological factors are delaying its use in many classes. The levels of use of the different categories of tools such as the Web 2.0 have improved when related to similar research carried out in 2009 with similar aims at American school institutions that targeted primary and secondary education, and that aimed to verify the situation and the future plans of the various schools, that is to say the possible challenges Web 2.0 and collaborative technologies had to face. Anyhow, the students’ safety and the limited knowledge of the teachers on how to effectively use the Web 2.0 technologies have been obstacles at many school institutions. Dr. Jay Sivin- Kachala, vice president and chief researcher at IESD, states that “although the outcome of the survey has been promising, it also indicates that the various areas are in need of an improvement to grant that the school districts can satisfy the individual learning needs of the Net Generation.” The research reveals that educators rely more and more on the Web 2.0 technologies by producing positive results whether it be for the teachers, or for the students. “School districts have to offer a safe access to Web 2.0 in order to ease the appropriate use in all classes, and to grant an equal opportunity of learning, and at the same time, strengthen the professional development of the teachers and offer robust supporting systems.” Research highlights several key elements that are finally very interesting with regard to the role that Web 2.0 is playing inside our schools. In terms of figures, and related to teachers, when compared with the previous year, school districts have recorded an increase of 25% or more, committed or strongly committed to the use of Web 2.0 technologies: online contents generated by the teachers have recorded a 12% increase, the student generated contents show a 13% increase, and the use of on-line collaborative and social resources has had a rise equal to 20%. It is important to underline that the majority of those who have been interviewed (65%) referred that the previous year, only very few teachers or none at all had used net collaborative and social resources, although these technologies had been one of the most used tools for two consecutive years In terms of assessing the obstacles for the introduction of the Web 2.0 technologies within the didactic activity, research shows that the most frequently observed obstacle, was the lack of knowledge of the teachers of the methodologies that allow for an actual use of such technologies, and that the problems more often reported in relation to technology, regard the students’ safety problems and the limited availability of supporting systems, including competent staff in technology. The levels of use of collaborative and social resources, and of online contents generated by the same students, are aligned to the worries of those who are in charge of school regulations in terms of students’ safety and of the need to monitor how on-line content is used; The size of the school district is a fundamental factor for the view the teachers have towards Web 2.0 technologies and how they use them within their didactic activity. When related to various categories of the Web 2.0 tools, the greater the district, the greater the probability that those who take part in the research show a positive attitude towards the use of the tools in the everyday life of their schools. For school districts of an average dimension, there is a higher probability that more numerous
40 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 1 the project
positive results by teachers and students are recorded, as per the outcome of the use of Web 2.0 connected technologies. Various school districts are using or are planning to use a variety of Web 2.0 applications for their teaching activities, including the publication of on-line contents by the teachers (76%), the use of on-line collaboration and communication tools (56%), and the development and implementation of training activities mediated by on-line technologies (49%). The Digital District research offers ways to help school districts to introduce Web 2.0 and collaborative technologies in an efficient and meaningful way. The results of the inquiry indicate that many principals of school districts see the use of tools like the Web 2.0 as a potential asset to help meet the needs of the individual learning of the students. However, the Web 2.0 will be a marginal resource for the entire educational system if it is not in some way linked to school objectives. On this topic, meaningful is the research “Leadership for web 2.0 in education. Promise and reality”, carried out by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) (Washington, DC, USA) and financed by the McArthur Foundation. It investigates the attitudes, of those who are in charge of school districts, towards Web 2.0 technologies. The research shows a gap between purpose and action when using Web 2.0 technologies. Although 77% of school district principals agree on seeing that “the Web 2.0 is meaningful both for teaching and learning,” the majority prevents the use of on-line networking social environments (70%), and of chat rooms (72%) in classrooms under their management. It is therefore easy to see how this attitude persistently increases the gap between the learning modalities at school by the students, and the interaction modalities that are interconnected one with the other and with the objects of knowledge outside the school. Many school districts have still to define policies and procedures for an efficient implementation of the Web 2.0 technological systems that align the use of such tools to the different curricula; the assessment of the competences tied to the Web 2.0; the safety of the students and of data; an introductory and in itinere and a constant and continuous support to the teachers with an appropriate use of such technologies. The data that was collected suggests that one of the main objectives of Web 2.0, that is to say the possibility of a greater personalisation of learning, has not been fulfilled. Starting from this assumption, we can define some strategic lines for the implementation of technologies, that use on-line collaborative environments addressed to a Web 2.0 philosophy, that have built up on the basis of those thoughts and that have brought together the in-depth study of the specific needs of the target groups (work package 4), to the adaptation of the contents of the on-line project of the action of dissemination as well detailed by the information and communication technologies to support new ways of this lifelong learning project. First of all, we have to consider the future objectives of the education activities for the teachers who will have to concentrate not only on the acquisition of technical knowledge (how a specific piece of technology works), managerial knowledge (how to ensure student safety), and organisational knowledge (how to rely on better technologies) competences, but especially on the acquisition of methodologies that will allow the teachers to manage the processes that build their knowledge in collaborative environments, and how to assess both processes and competences that come from
41 the use of such resources. Furthermore, school management should start setting strategic plans for a systematic acquisition of qualitatively valid technologies, as well as to organise resources made available to those who need them in order to structure a technological and methodological support for the teachers, inside the school. These processes should be eased and supported by an organisational structure at a school level and on a national or regional level that should have the triple duty of: Setting training courses for teachers and school leaders on the role that the technologies have had in society and in our schools; Find financial channels to ease the availability of training courses and to buy technological equipment; Support the school in the purchase of tools so that they do not become the victims of companies who sell these products, that is to say those with a vested interest.
1.3 AIMS OF THE PROJECT
ICTs enrich and renew the teacher’s professional knowledge by helping him to better manage the complexity of the tasks he is called to perform. If these new tools are well used, they improve the quality of educational processes in terms of a pedagogical, methodological, organisational, as well as a social profile. They change the teacher’s professional task by charactering his role while easing the student’s learning process. A specific project was carried out over two years, between 2003 and 2004 which promoted within the framework of P.O.N. ESF System Action “Intervention for the promotion of continuous learning” Announcement 6/01 by the Minister of Labour and Social Security titled “Creation and spreading of learning patterns for employees of Religious and Socio-Educational Institutions of the Center-North through the use of information and communication technologies.” The project defined a model for continuous learning for teachers and trainers of the schools and of vocational centres of Christian inspiration. It focused on the use of on-line teaching courses (OTC). It foresaw activities that had to be performed both in class and on-line through the use of a Learning Management System (LSM) on the open source Moodle platform. This experience set the starting point for research as well as an in-depth study on innovation, as much as on the development of didactics. This was during the period when Web 2.0 was available. The next step was the natural development of the research that had been started: to spread the best practice of the previous project to other schools inspired by Christian principles, after having promoted both the content and the methodologies that are linked to the technological evolution of the specific interests of the target group. The transfer of the original project’s contents and outcomes was mainly due to the following reasons: - many were the teachers who were not able to use ICTs; - very few schools were equipped with technological material;
42 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 1 the project
- the increasing need to “reconcile” the private use of ICTs and their use in teaching environments. The growing use of the internet and of ICT-based tools has offered new learning opportunities to teachers and trainers. The Project aims to support the participants with further training activities in the acquisition and in the use of a specialised knowledge, and in the acquirement of skills to ease their personal development. Such development is mainly directed to digital competence and for the specific purpose of language learning. Nowadays, innovation and creativity are key factors in the development of enterprises, and they become crucial when facing the challenges of an international market and the requirements of a sustainable development. Our very first challenge requires the transfer - to all citizens, adult learners, and students - of transversal key competences such as learning-to-learn, communication skills, and competence (including media literacy). Thus, our focus on ICT-based adult training, to allow adults to choose their own learning paths, may be one of the solutions. Interactive forms of e-learning can lead to a more thoughtful, in-depth learning and to a better suited, more motivating discussion for adult learners. ICT-based tools make learning easier in the workplace and self-directed learning has become simpler, both for students and teachers. The spreading of new technologies has set our schools a new challenge. The teachers have to face a new reality characterised by its continuous evolution. They have to be able to direct and improve their students’ capacity, and at the same time, they have to know how to best use the opportunities offered by the digital world. Moreover, we do not have to forget that the new generations of students have already acquired excellent competences in the dynamic and flexible world of Web 2.0, and they have at their disposal a considerable quantity of learning and communication tools. It is right because of this reason that the teachers have to be more aware of the importance of ICTs: not only do they need to know how to use them, but what is required is that they have to know “how to use them well.” A critical and expert use of technology, the way in which it is integrated in our daily didactic activities and the merging of different technologies are the only ways to overcome what is commonly defined as “the digital divide”. These are the concepts that have been underlined by the various national and international meetings, as the same document undersigned by UNESCO member states, titled “ICT Competency Frameworks for Teachers (2011)” “the use of new technologies in education implies new teacher roles, new pedagogies and new approaches to teacher education. The successful integration of ICT into the classroom will depend on the ability of teachers to structure the learning environment in new ways, to merge new technology with a new pedagogy, to develop socially active class-rooms, encouraging co-operative interaction, collaborative learning and group work. This requires a different set of classroom management skills. The teaching skills of the future will include the ability to develop innovative ways of using technology to enhance the learning environment, and to encourage technology literacy, knowledge deepening and knowledge creation. Teacher professional learning will be a crucial component of this educational improvement. However, professional learning has an impact only if it is focused on specific changes in teaching.” As already highlighted by several international studies, the actual aims and objectives of the present initiative are:
43 - to enhance learning models such as cognitive processing, independent learning, critical thinking, and teamwork; - to embed ICT in educational and training systems in order to promote further changes by technological, organisational, teaching, and learning environments of classrooms, at the working places, and by informal learning settings; - to develop a “learning continuum” to support lifelong learning that involves formal, informal and workplace learning; - to fit innovation and change to the core functions of education. For if by education we mean to provide the required knowledge, skills, and competences for an innovative and friendly society, the same educational system has to be innovative. Considerable is therefore the aim of implementing an innovative use of the project in order to develop the teachers’ and trainers’ skills and knowledge. The transfer of such a project has offered a means to support personalisation, thanks to its innovative approach. The same learners are seen as knowledge builders and creators, not mere recipients of transferred skills and competences. Our future challenges, like an ageing society, or the need to implement sustainable, knowledge-based growth, or to offer jobs that are at the heart of the Lisbon strategy, will require higher skills that can be achieved through a better education and through perfected training systems at a European level. As previously stated, we can clearly see that the challenge we are facing with the use of the new technologies in teaching activities, goes beyond the geographic borders of a single nation. Our world, interconnected as it is under an economic, social, scientific, and technological profile, cannot overlook any serious possible initiative to ease the development of innovative practices in the field of vocational education and training. Europe will be able to compete at a global level only if it is united even in its educational system, in order to reach better social and economic standards, in a peaceful and stable political system. We cannot compete with the economic geopolitical giants (China, United States, the BRIC countries) without a common European strategy within international competition in its various sectors, the most strategic of which, according to various authoritative scholars, is the one that deals with the production of knowledge and with the transfer of knowledge . From here there is the need to build and implement a project fit to promote an adjunct European value, be it within the transfer of good innovative practice, or in relation to an interface of an exchange with the educational, social, cultural, and technological realities of other Countries. The project’s European added value can be defined and assessed in a cumulative way by referring to the following points: - the development of the skills and competences of VET teachers, trainers and tutors: the project aims to contribute - thanks to lifelong learning projects - to the development of a Community aiming to be an advanced knowledge-based society , with a sustainable economic development, more and better jobs and a greater social cohesion, with the protection of the environment for future generations; - ICT-based actions: the project aligns with and conforms to the Lisbon Strategy; The Lisbon Council identified ICTs as the core elements of the knowledge of our
44 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 1 the project
society, and as necessary tools to suit education and training systems. In this context the theme of E-inclusion does not have to be undervalued. It should be able to increase equity, to create new opportunities for work and entrepreneurship, to strengthen culture and encourage civic participation; - linguistic competences for professional use: the project favours linguistic diversity which is a characteristic feature of Europe’s natural environment. An increased development of foreign language skills is important to encourage mobility within the Union; it will contribute to the creation of a true European labour market by allowing citizens to take full advantage of their freedom to work or study in other Member States. A labour force with practical language and intercultural skills will allow European enterprises to compete on a global market in an effective way; - the use of the English language offers to EU Member States and to other interested countries outside the EU, the ability to share outcomes of specific projects; - gender issues: the project has the intrinsic objective of involving in its activities a very high percentage of women. With the implementation of an educational action, the proportion of women participating averages between 65 and 70%. Equality between women and men is a fundamental right, a common value of the EU, and a necessary condition for the achievement of the EU objectives of growth, employment and social cohesion. Finally, the ultimate motivation for the Project, in a succinct synthesis, has to be found in the lack of digital literacy and skills of VET teachers, trainers and tutors, at a European level, and in the wish of the community to promote an initiative to support the professional and personal growth of teachers in the use of the new technologies and in didactics to ease an improvement in quality, and to innovate vocational, educational, and training systems, institutions and practices.
1.4 CONSORTIUM
The creation of a partnership has been one of the most delicate and interesting steps of the entire project. Trans-nationality, as it is well known, is an essential trait of the projects funded by the Lifelong Learning Programme because it is the main tool to promote and enhance exchanges between institutional participants and stakeholders, to strengthen culture between different realities, and finally to grant the European added value required by all centralised actions of EU funding opportunities. The consortium is made up of 18 institutions: 1 applicant coordinator, 5 core partners, and 12 associated partners. The consortium is characterised as being a comprehensive and multi-participant body. The applicant coordinator of the ICT-Based Learning Project is Intesa Sanpaolo Formazione with its consolidated experience in transnational and international projects, as well as national and regional projects co-financed by ESF. The idea of promoting a project and of creating a European consortium to meet the
45 requirements to ease the development of innovative practices in education and training arose from meetings of the European Committee for Catholic Education (CEEC). Set up in 1974 as the regional committee of the Catholic International Education Office (OIEC), the European Committee for Catholic Education ( C E E C ) i s a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l n o n - profit association. It is a cooperative tool for 25 Central, Eastern and Western European Catholic educational networks: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England & Wales, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ire-land (Eire), Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine. The CEEC is a meeting point for the people in charge of these networks and also a study and information centre. Moreover it plays the role of the promoter of free Catholic education to various European bodies. The CEEC represents about 30,500 schools, and 7.5 million students. Three core partners of the project represent non-state school associations of Christian inspiration: FIDAE for Italy, CESEW for England and Wales, and SGEC for France. FIDAE, founded in 1945, is a federation of Catholic primary and secondary schools, dependent or recognised by ecclesiastical authority, promoted by the “Congregation for Catholic Education, school and university” of the Vatican, and recognised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Italy. It is a body with a legal foundation. FIDAE has links with the Church and civil organisations in national and international fields, parliamentarian and business groups, professional associations, research institutes, universities, political and trade unions: the Congregation for Catholic Education of the Vatican, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Italy, the National Council for Catholic Education (CNSC), the European Committee for Catholic Education (CEEC), bringing together 26 European states, Catholic International Education Office (OIEC), the Ministry of Education (MPI), the Regional Directions, Local and Regional authorities, for example. The Catholic Education Service for England and Wales (CESEW) represents and negotiates on behalf of all bishops, with the Government, and other national bodies on legal, administrative, and religious education matters in order to: - promote Catholic interests in education; - contribute to Christian perspectives within educational debate at a national level. It works closely with the Department for Catholic Education and Formation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. In addition, it liaises with national Catholic bodies to promote the catechismic policies of the Bishops’ Conference. In conjunction with representatives of those working in Catholic education across England and Wales, the CESEW ad-vises the Bishops on educational matters and promotes the educational policies of the Bishops’ Conference. The CESEW works closely with the Church of England’s Board of Education and with the Free Churches’ Council to pro-mote Christian interests in education by making joint representation to the Government on educational issues. The Secrétariat Général de l’Enseignement Catholique (SGEC) is a body recognised by the French Episcopal Conference. SGEC is responsible for drawing up the guidelines for Catholic Schools on behalf of the Bishops. Its mission is to coordinate and promote Catholic teaching in administrative, teaching and pastoral subjects. It stimulates the “competitiveness” of Catholic schools within the
46 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 1 the project
French educational system by promoting teaching techniques and innovative teaching practices. It routinely cooperates with other organisations of Catholic inspiration that operate in France and in Europe. The SGEC represents the interests of Catholic schools through public, regional, and national authorities. The incentive to schools and vocational training centres to participate in ICT-Based Learning project originated from their representative associations: FIDAE, CESEW and SGEC. In addition to those mentioned above, the following: “Ensemble Scolaire Saint-Joseph” in Toulouse (France), St. Peter’s School in Bournemouth (United Kingdom), “Istituti Filippin” in Paderno del Grappa, “Istituto Marcelline” in Bolzano and “IstitutoTecnico Commerciale delle Suore Salesiane dei Sacri Cuori” in Barletta (Italy), are the schools that have been involved in the project as core partners.
ENSEMBLE SCOLAIRE SAINT-JOSEPH (toulouse - Fr) is a private French catholic school, founded by The De La Salle order. It has over 2,600 students. It welcomes and teaches young people aged from 4 to 20, thus hosting a primary, middle, and secondary school, as well as a vocational (technological and professional) secondary school, together with higher education classes. Apart from French, and according to the specific courses, depending on the course followed the students learn: English. German, Spanish, Italian and from September 2012, Chinese. The school has bilingual classes (German and English) and European sections. It organises student exchanges with Spanish, Dutch, Norwegian, and German schools.
ST. PETER’S SCHOOL (bournemouth - uk) is an 11- 18 mixed school catering for all abilities and is under the joint trusteeship of the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth and the De La Salle Order. The school is located on two sites in the coastal town of Bournemouth. The upper school (for students aged 14-19) at Southbourne and the lower school (for students aged 11 - 13) at Iford, both having extensive grounds and specialist facilities. St. Peter’s follows the National Curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4 with a wide range of GCSE, ‘A’ Level, and vocational courses. The school provides new approaches to teacher education, related to how ICT can be used to support active learning. At St Peter’s School, a Life Long Learning Programme aimed at parents, pupils and employees is offered. The school values the gift of learning regardless of age, and tries - where possible - to meet the needs of the learning community. St. Peter’s is a Christian Community enabling pupils to develop their own individuality fully, and to reach the highest possible standards for their skills, whilst always promoting gospel values, the school mission statement being “with Christ as our guide, learning together, loving God and each other, becoming the best we can be”.
ISTITUTI FILIPPIN (paderno del grappa - It) are set in the heart of the Veneto region, in a green area border-ing plains and hills, Paderno del Grappa is located at the foot of
47 the Grappa Mountain and on the route to the tourist, commercial, and cultural sites of the area. The Institutes provide young people with an environment favourable to their education in a human and Christian environment. Ownership, management, and direction are entrusted to the Congregation of the De La Salle Christian Brothers. The “Filippin” Institutes, as a Catholic schools, are inspired by the Christian vision of reality and of Man, their aim is to promote the growth of an well rounded human beings with integrity. Students, girls and boys, aged from 3 to 19, from kindergarten up to secondary schools, are welcome at the Istituti Filippin.
ISTITUTO MARCELLINE (bolzano - It) Since 1838, the Institute of the St. Marcellina Sisters has trained, thanks to education and culture, people who have an open spirit, are professionally competent and responsible, educated, and profoundly Christian. This aim has been reached “not by the use of a great number of precepts, but by witnessing life,” as the founder Monsignor Luigi Biraghi’s mission was to prepare to renew society through education. The Marcelline Institute in Bolzano was founded in 1935 in order to give to this border region, the style, the charisma, and the educational programme of our Institute. The Marcelline Institute, like Catholic Schools in general, similar to the other schools, aim is the cultural and human development of youth. However, its “unique characteristic is to give life to a school community environment permeated by the Evangelical spirit of freedom and charity, and to link human culture to the salvation message. What we most cherish is the knowledge of each and every individual” The course of the Linguistic Lyceum is addressed to the study of several foreign languages and cultures (German, English, French, Spanish and Russian). It provides an incentive for the students to study in-depth, to develop the required knowledge, the skills to master several languages and to critically understand the cultural and historical identity of different traditions and cultures.
ISTITUTO TECNICO COMM.LE DELLE SUORE SALESIANE DEI SACRI CUORI (barletta - It) The Business College for Accountant Programmers, was founded in 1985 by the Congregation of the “Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of San Filippo Smaldone” and is open to hearing and deaf children who originate from many regions of southern Italy and several foreign countries. The Institute is equipped with the most innovative technologies including two new multimedia laboratories (language and computer) with an Internet connection, a centralised server that reaches all classrooms, and many interactive whiteboards. The school curriculum includes the learning of German, of “Elements of psychology in the work place,” and Marketing. The school’s aim is to have students acquire knowledge and skills in managing business processes across the economic, legal, organisational, accounting, and information technological profile. From the school year 2010-2011, the Institute has started the European Language School under the guidance of the new school reform. The associated partners, listed below, are involved in transferring innovative training content, together with the out-come of the original project, to their educational and training structures, with the aim of developing the skills and competences needed by
48 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 1 the project
VET teachers, trainers and tutors, and in order to support improvements in quality and innovation by vocational education and training systems, institutions and practices. The associated partners are involved at different stages of the Project according to their specific needs, the adaptation of content and of the outcome of the project to be transferred, the dissemination, and exploitation of the products and of the outcome of the ICT-Based Learning project.
ECOLE COLLEGE ET LYCEE DU SACRE CŒUR ( reIms - Fr) The Pensionnat du Sacré Coeur is a school complex that includes a primary, a secondary school of general education and a sixth form college. The property is under the guardianship of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and promotes Lasallian educational principles. It belongs to this national network and encourages relationships with other institutions in the world, as the Brothers of the Christian Schools are present in 80 countries worldwide. The teaching of foreign languages has prime importance. Our institution has a European section in English from year nine to year thirteen. The school has always been involved in the development and application of innovative tools and methodologies in teaching, especially on a teaching action focused on the use of new information and communication technologies.
ISTITUTO ORSOLINE F.M.I. - IST. MARIA VERGINE DEL CARMINE - LICEO DELLA COMUNICAZIONE (chIetI - It) The congregation of the Orsoline Figlie di Maria Immacolata, was created November 28th, 1860. The Orsoline, Figlie di Maria Immacolata, perform their educational activity in the parish, at school, in educational-charitable institutions, at university centres, and in all those institutions and initiatives that allow them to live their special mission. Students, girls and boys, from 3 to 19, from kindergarten to secondary school are welcome. The Liceo della Comuni-cazione of the Orsoline F.M. I. of Verona, is a secondary school with a specialism in Science. Through the teaching of modern technologies and foreign languages, it aims to encourage a relationship among young people in different European countries, and to facilitate links to the working world by using different means of communication.
CASA RELIGIOSA COLLEGIO DON BOSCO (pordenone - It) The “Don Bosco” of Pordenone is one of the five Catholic schools that belong to the Concordia-Pordenone Diocese, and that perform a service of public education and training. The overall educational activity is made possible thanks to the management of didactic activities, as well as to the promotion of a series of initiatives that contribute to the human and Christian growth of both Teachers and Students who share the Community of this Institute. Our Institute lives by following the Salesian proposal “to instruct by educating and to educate by instructing” within a continuously changing school system, this is the challenge that the School welcomes by accepting the pressure of our contemporary times, whilst maintaining its solid cultural roots and traditions. The secondary school is has three main subject areas: humanities, sciences, law-economics and business.
COLLEGIO VESCOVILE BARBARIGO (padova - It) The Barbarigo Institute is a school of the Padua Diocese, founded by Bishop Luigi Pellizzo in 1919. At the current time the
49 institute comprises of a middle school; a secondary school for students aged 14-18 studying Classics, Science and Music and a vocational (technical-economic) Institute. They have all been recognised by the Minister of Education. The aim of Barbarigo is to embrace global education through the sharing of Italian culture within the context of an open dialogue with other cultures found in our country, Europe and the world at large. They convey global education through the transfer of the Italian people’s culture within the perspective of an open dialogue among the cultures present in our country, in Europe, and all over the world. It is a Catholic school that follows the educational tradition of the Church, and in a style founded upon the Evangelical message. At the same time, it is also open to all those who share its educational projects, without any discrimination, be it ethical, cultural, political, economic or religious. In these years, the Barbarigo College has gone through a fundamental change in its methodology in comparison to other schools. It has expanded its linguistic position; eased a cultural exchange with European and non-European countries; and encouraged the use of multimedia systems, seen as educational tools and tools suited to keep an open dialogue with the families. Since 2005 it has been a partner of an international project Elos which has offered competences that are deemed fundamental for European citizens, especially for European students. DE LA SALLE COLLEGE (belFast - uk) De La Salle College is a Catholic School that bases its educational philosophy on Saint John Baptist de la Salle’s teachings. In keeping with this philosophy the school welcomes boys of all skills, and eases the transition from primary to secondary education for all students aged (from) 11 to 18. The De La Salle School has and is perceived by all as having, and as being committed to, the aim of providing high quality education not only to fulfil Statutory Requirements but also to serve the needs, and the aspirations of the local community. De La Salle College Belfast, has won the Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM). The prestigious three year award reflects the high standards of educational inclusion practised at De La Salle College. The IQM is designed to celebrate the diversity of schools and local communities, putting De La Salle College on the map as a role model for schools across Ireland and the UK.
LICEO GINNASIO GIOVANNI PAOLO II (lecce - It). The school is divided into five classes that build up the actual curriculum of a secondary school, with an emphasis on the humanities. It implements training courses designed to make adolescents acquire learning styles, vocational skills and competences, through the gradual use of methods open to the implementation of traditional education with the most advanced ICT-based tools. As a result it is unanimously supported by the members of the Academic Board, and based on the monitoring of results to assess the choices of our undergraduates, an increased tendency to continue their studies at a university level has been recorded. Such studies show a concentration in the humanities, with a subsequent outcome in entrepreneurial activities and in cultural tourism.
CENTRO NAZIONALE OPERE SALESIANE LIGURIA TOSCANA (genova - It). The National Federation CNOS-FAP is an organisation founded on December 9th, 1977, that coordinates the Italian Salesian Institutes. They perform a general public service in orientation, training, and professional development by following Don Bosco’s educational principles. According to the law n. 40.1987, the Department for Work has
50 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 1 the project fully recognised the Centre as a managing body for nationwide formative activities. The National Federation CNOS-FAP has been joined by local Associations or regional Federations that put into practice the educational experience of Don Bosco and of the Salesiani Institutes in Italy. They activate orientation, educational, and professional training through several multi-functional centres of vocational training such as the Genova-Quarto centre. The Federation is has a base, now, in almost all regions and has more than 60 working centres co-ordinated by regional delegations and from the national centre CNOS_FAP.
ISTITUTO GONZAGA (mIlano - It) The Gonzaga Institute of Milan, run by the “Christian Brothers Schools”, has been developing training and educational activities for a hundred years. It has performed its didactic-educational activity in Milan since 1906. It was originally opened as a school for boys. However, since 1980 girls have also been admitted. The typical values proposed by the De La Salle school are taught to all those who attend it, this matches also with the rights recognised by the Constitution of the Italian Republic. They are: the sense of human dignity, equality, liberty, responsibility, respect, justice, peace, and fraternity. In addition to this there is the development of each person’s awareness, also within a religious dimension, the development of a critical perception and of personal balance. The Institute provides a nursery, primary, and middle school, all officially recognised; the secondary school is divided into three different educational courses: specialising in classical studies, scientific studies, and European languages with a focus on either modern languages or on legal and economic subjects.
LICEO LINGUISTICO EUROPEO PARITARIO “CALASANZIO” (sanlurI - It) The school, a Catholic Secondary school, is situated in a semi-rural area in the south of Sardinia. In 1994, it is the very first Linguistic Lyceum (for students aged 14 - 18) in Sardinia, designated as European (modern linguistic option) with the aim of offering a better response to the new educational needs and to the renewed professional requirements triggered by a changing professional world. It offers an education centered on the study of languages with curricula aligned to the standards required by the different european school systems. The multilinguistic studies are granted by the learning of three foreign languages (English, French and German) since the very first year of the course, to the learning of history in English, to the presence of mother-tongue readers that open to a direct and authentic communicative contact with the language and the culture of the country of origin. ICTs have been used since the very first year and offer a practical and immediate competence in the use of multimedia tools. The school policy, directed towards the “internationalisation” of the school, sees the introduction of transnational projects as a fundamental step in the said direction. The students take part in exchange programmes with schools in other European countries, organised by the schools that promote extended programmes of study abroad and short exchange programmes in foreign countries as an integral part of the language curriculum.
51 1.5 PROJECT TARGET GROUPS
12
- set Integration of Integration cational and cational ing networks, ing networks, u n
- Teachers, trainers, pedagogical staff of private and public schools and vocational in transferred ed the product being product the both geographical both trai partners’ Countries partners’ and sectoral, in the in the and sectoral, and training centres. WP9:
12 - - Employers’ organisations, schools, associations representing schools (FIDAE,
CEEC, etc.), teachers, students, university experts and specialists; ago
-
- Public interested authorities and key participants, tertiary sector organisations, 12 private enterprises. lug
-
12
- Public authorities, educators and social workers. giu
adapted product to the the to product adapted
-
- Policy makers, Administrators and politicians.
12
- Profit enterprises. mag - Stakeholders like: municipalities, regions, provinces, tertiary sector organisations. 12
-
apr -
12 mar
-
12 1.6 THE PHASES OF THE PROJECT feb
-
12 gen partners education and training structures and training education partners
-
The structure of the project can be synthetically illustrated through several points 11 that characterise in a more general way, how a large part of the working plans have dic -
11
developed, bound as they have been, to the funding of the Leonardo da Vinci TOI sub- nov Transferring of innovative training content and results of and results content training Transferring of innovative
programme action: 11
- WP8: coordination and general management of the project; ott
-
11
monitoring and assessment activities (as the project has progressed and at the -
end); set
Evaluation
11 -
study of the proto-typical product - the object of the transfer- with the subsequent sults/Possible ion and exploitation of the content and results of original innovative product of original innovative and results content of the ion and exploitation validation of validation Transversal action: Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring Transversal action: improvements e
r ago sharing after having suited contents, languages, and technologies; WP7: WP2:
-
pilot scheme by a panel of schools; 11 lug assessment of the outcomes and validation of the Project;
-
transfer of the validated product to a broader range of schools; 11 giu Testing of the of the Testing of schools ferred on a panel
dissemination and exploitation of the outcomes and introducing it into the - Transversal action: management and organizational, scientific coordination, administration coordination, scientific and organizational, management Transversal action:
product being product s
11 WP6: mag
mainstream of teaching; tran WP1: Transversal action: Disseminat Transversal action:
The phases of the Project can best be illustrated through the reading of GANTT. 11
- WP3: apr
11 -
mar
-
11 feb content profile content Adaptation of transferring of transferring Adaptation
uct under a technological and 11 - d gen WP5:
- pro
10 dic
10 -
nov
Identifying Identifying geted user geted 10 quirements r
- e r ta and analysing Ott WP4:
52 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 1 the project
12
- set Integration of Integration cational and cational ing networks, u n transferred in transferred ed the product being product the both geographical both trai partners’ Countries partners’ and sectoral, in the in the and sectoral,
WP9:
12 - ago
-
12 lug
-
12 giu
adapted product to the the to product adapted -
12
mag
12
-
apr -
12 mar
-
12 feb
-
12 gen structures and training education partners
-
11 dic -
11 nov
of and results content training Transferring of innovative
11
- WP8: ott
-
11
-
set
Evaluation
11 -
sults/Possible ion and exploitation of the content and results of original innovative product of original innovative and results content of the ion and exploitation validation of validation Transversal action: Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring Transversal action: improvements e
r ago WP7: WP2:
-
11 lug
-
11 giu Testing of the of the Testing of schools
ferred on a panel - Transversal action: management and organizational, scientific coordination, administration coordination, scientific and organizational, management Transversal action:
product being product s
11 WP6:
mag tran WP1: Transversal action: Disseminat Transversal action:
11
- WP3: apr
11 - mar
-
11 feb content profile content Adaptation of transferring of transferring Adaptation
uct under a technological and uct 11 - d gen WP5:
- pro
10
dic
10 -
nov
Identifying geted user geted 10 quirements r
- e r ta and analysing Ott WP4:
53 WP 1 The work package has included the following activities: - collaboration between all partners in the planning and organisation of activities and products of the project; - two co-ordination meetings in Rome at the beginning of the project (January 15th, 2011) and at the intermediate stage (October 15th, 2011). The third coordination meeting (final - September 28th, 2012) has been combined with the period of performance of the final seminar for the dissemination and exploitation of project products and results; - constitution of the Scientific and Co-ordination Committee (SCC); - co-operation in the processing of the intermediate and final reports of activities; - co-ordination of professional people involved in the project through the project leader and / or giving single proxies to SCC members with reference to specific activities; - organisation of translation services; - administrative management of the project.
WP 2 The process of monitoring and evaluating the training activities was carried out in four different phases (on this see also Chapter 3): 1) scope of project: monitoring activities (coherency objectives, activities and results) and the adaptation and development of products to ensure the achievement of macro-objectives of the project; 2) level of single WP: monitoring the various phases of the project in order to advise the SCC of any interventions to alter activities in order to ensure the achievement of the purposes of WP; 3) level WP 6: the sharing of pilot activities has been monitored in close collaboration with the SCC : achievements, organisational and learning changes and further improvement of product quality, as well as assessment of the quality of the training modules; 4) level WP 8: the transfer actions have been monitored with regards to achievements, organisational and developmental changes, evaluation of content and the final products created by the partners in the Project.
WP 3 The dissemination and exploitation phase has been implemented as follows: 1) planning and development of the project portal, personalisation of the Moodle platform and setting up the channels of communication among partners; 2) final seminar of study and promotion of the project and its products to the partner schools and other Italian and foreign schools and institutions and stakeholders (Rome, September 29th 2012); 3) printing the final publication of the Project in English (1,500 copies), with attached CD ROM, distributed at the final seminar; 4) translation of texts and technological products for the various activities in English, French and Italian for the purpose of publication on the portal: for example the activity report and the newsletter; 5) link to the websites of all partners in the project portal, specifically on the sites of FIDAE, CEEC, CESEW and SGEC.
54 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 1 the project
WP 4 The activities developed are: - sharing with all partners of the training and technological model to transfer and estimate the means by which a structured questionnaire would be sent; - clarification and sharing of the target groups needs analysis at national and transnational levels; - analysis of the technological potential of the partners and other recipients of the transfer; - verification of the “margins and modes” of the transfer in accordance with the needs that emerged; - defining of the transfer feasibility perimeter in relation to any transferred product adjustments: the training path and associated training aids.
WP 5 Based on the results of WP 4, the WP 5 has included: - establishment of the detailed adaptation of the training course; - collaboration between experts of the partners to make the adaptations of content according to cultural territorial and technological characteristics of the target group, as well as additions to the product being linked to the advancement of technology and acquisition of new educational goals ; - translation of content and instructional materials into English and French; - finalising, adaptation and management of computer aids for the transfer of innovation: the portal, e-learning platform, tutorials and virtual learning environments in English. The adaptation of the product subject to the transfer has been realised in the following respects: - technological aspect: updating and customising tools and methodologies related to the use of new technologies in education: e-learning platform and environment for learning, according to the precepts of “e-Learning 2 “and Web 2.0; - relating to contents: focusing the intervention on the most recent methodologies and tools of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) (for example: blogging, vlogging, wiki-writing, social networks, social broadcasting, and network peering) and integrating in the training aids a virtual learning environment in English for the Commerce and Tourism sector (in accordance with the needs expressed by project partners in the planning of this project proposal) for use in the classroom by teachers. This instrument is an integration of the learning material of the product to transfer, as it responds to the need to implement methods and tools learned from teachers and trainers participating in the course, immediately and effectively in the workplace.
WP 6 The pilot scheme has involved the project partners below: 1) ITALY: Ist. Tecnico Commerciale delle Suore Salesiane dei Sacri Cuori, Barletta; 2) FRANCE: E n s e m b l e S c o l a i r e S a i n t - J o s e p h , R e i m s ; 3) ENGLAND: St. Peter’s School, Bournemouth. 50 to 60 students have been involved in testing in the classrooms the new teaching methodology of school staff attending the training activities, through the use of VLE in English for Business and Tourism.
55 WP 7 The WP aimed to assess the testing of the product being transferred, with the objective of verifying the functionality and the practicalities of the implementing of the training activities and learning materials related to it and possibly bring out what would be needed to perfect the model, the contents and the computer aids. In practice, using the tools and criteria for monitoring and evaluation which are stated in WP 2 and the resources therein, the adequacy and effectiveness of the intervention in relation to the needs of the target group and standard objectives, has been verified through the SWOT analysis. During the interim seminar, the SCC has validated the pilot phase, paving the way for the wider process of the proposed transfer in WP 8.
WP 8 The school partners of the project involved in transferring the training course and connected training aids were: 1) Istituti Filippin (PADERNO DEL GRAPPA - IT); 2) Istituto Marcelline ( BOLZANO - IT); 3) Ecole Collège et Lycée du Sacré Cœur (REIMS - FR) ; 4) Istituto Orsoline F.M.I. - Liceo della Comunicazione (CHIETI - IT); 5) Casa religiosa collegio Don Bosco ( PORDENONE - IT); 6) Collegio vescovile Barbarigo (PADOVA - IT); 7) De La Salle College (BELFAST - UK); 8) Liceo Ginnasio Giovanni Paolo II ( LECCE - IT); 9) Centro Nazionale Opere Salesiane Liguria Toscana (GENOVA - IT); 10) Istituto Gonzaga (MILANO - IT); 11) L i c e o L i n g u i s t i c o E u r o p e o “ C a l a s a n z i o ” (SANLURI - IT). Teachers and trainers of the secondary schools who took part in the training were an average of 8 to 10 units per partner. Between 650 and 700 students have participated in the implementation in the classrooms of the new teaching methodology of school staff attending the training course, through the use of VLE in English for Business and Tourism.
WP 9 The aim of the WP is to integrate the products of the transfer within the educational and training networks, at local, regional, national and european level, of partners involved in the project. Each partner has promoted the results and “tools” of the project through their websites as well as in their networks. FIDAE is committed to disseminate the Project results, not only to the 1,200 schools with whom it is associated, but also to institutional settings where it has a presence. - Ministry of Education: Higher Council of Education - Technical Table on equality; - Italian Bishops’ Conference: National Office for Catholic schools. With regards to The United Kingdom and France, the Catholic Education Service (CESEW) and the Secrétariat Général de l’Enseignement Catholique (SGEC) have implemented and are still implementing their commitment to promote the integration of contents and results of present proposal in practices and systems of operation of schools and vocational training centres with whom they are associated.
56 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 1 the project
The integration of the Project products in the educational and training systems all over Europe was promoted by the European Committee For Catholic Education (CEEC). The CEEC organisation represents 36 Countries in Europe, in 30,000 schools and vocational training centres and more than 7.2 million students (http://www.ceec.be).
1.7 RESULTS AND PRODUCTS
n. short descrIptIon ultImate users languages medIum used 1 Portal of the project on which all Teachers, trainers, EN- IT- FR Website the information on the evolution students, schools, of the project, on the activities vocational training and on the products, object of centres, policy the transfer, are available makers, enterprises, schools, associations representing schools (FIDAE, CEEC, for example), university experts and specialists 2 By its own original constitution, All the project partners EN Network the project depends on the and policy makers, partners’ network. The network schools, associations is active from the start of the representing schools design of the transfer proposal. (FIDAE, CEEC, OIEC for It will also continue after the once example) involved in the the project has finished through project. the partners’ commitment, in particular of FIDAE and of it homologous European partners. They will also involve further institutions and partners, not only to disseminate and exploit the project products but especially to activate further transnational initiatives and similar projects. 3 A kit with the monitoring All the project partners EN- IT- FR Text File and assessment tools: but also policy questionnaires and assessment makers, enterprises, grids, for example. schools, associations representative of the schools, public and private institutions
57 4 Target group analysis report, Project partners EN- IT- FR Text File carried out within the WP4, on the possibility of transferring the product of the Project partners 5 Adapted contents and training Teachers, trainers, EN- IT- FR Interactive aids of the teaching course students, schools, Resource vocational training centres 6 Virtual Learning Environment Teachers, trainers, EN Interactive for the specialising linguistic students, schools, Resource formation education in the vocational training English lan-guage in the centres Business and Tourists sector. VLE for B and T is an integration of the training aids for the teaching course. It provides an immediate and actual possibility of connecting the training modules and educators’ life. 7 Pilot phases of transfer of the Teachers, trainers and EN- IT- FR Event training course to a panel of students of the three partner schools in the three school partners involved countries involved in the project: Italy, United Kingdom and France 8 Report on the pilot phases of SCC, project partners. EN- IT- FR Text File transfer for the validation (SWOT analysis). 9 Validation of the teaching Project partners, policy EN- IT- FR Event course, and its learning tools, makers, enterprises, object of the transfer by the schools, associations SCC. representative of the schools, public and pri- vate institutions 10 Transfer of the training course Teachers, trainers and EN- IT- FR Event to eleven schools: 9 Italian, 1 students of the school Northern Irish, and 1 French. partners involved 11 Monitoring reports. The European Commission, EN- IT- FR Text File documents have been Italian Leonardo da Vinci developed every six months for National Agency, project the entire duration of the project partners and articulated for single WPs in reference to the activities, outcomes and objectives
58 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 1 the project
12 Intermediate and final European Commission EN Text File administrative and managerial and the Italian Leonardo reports. da Vinci National Agency 13 Publication of the project’s Policy makers, EN Book results and contents enterprises, schools, associations representing schools (FIDAE and CEEC for example), teachers, students, university experts and specialists 14 CD-Rom with the complete Policy mak-ers, EN- IT- FR Cd-Rom content and the teaching enterprises, schools, materials of the training course associations representing schools (FIDAE and CEEC for example) teachers, stu- dents, university experts and specialists 15 Final project assessment report Project partners, policy EN- IT- FR Text File makers, enterprises, schools, representative associations of the schools, public and private institutions 16 Final seminar Project partners, policy EN- IT- FR Event makers, enterprises, schools, representative associations of the schools, public and private institutions
59
CHAPTER 2 The digital revolution which has invaded our age and has had important influences in the pedagogic field, permitted the success of a self-training course; we have substituted linear flexible learning paths to follow autonomously with personal paths and with moments of synchronous
Chapter 2 interactions among the protagonists of training on-line TRAINING ACTIVITIES LEARNING PATHS AND ICT TOOLS
Massimiliano Andreoletti
2.1 ANALYSIS OF THE NEEDS AND STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE
The digital revolution which has invaded our age and has had important influences in the pedagogic field, permitted the success of a self-training course; we have substituted linear flexible learning paths to follow autonomously with different and personal paths in cases where the individual and autonomous possession of on-line didactic material is associated with the use of the Net and with moments of synchronous and asynchronous interactions among the protagonists of training on-line. In this context it becomes important to reflect on the new opportunities that the Web 2.0 can offer in the field of teaching and learning, exploiting the features of the interaction and socialising which can create, through the use of the new technologies, the sharing of the best practice. The teacher who uses material from the Net must not only know how to use the different software programmes, but he/she must know its potential and the possible applications for teaching (Fratter 2004). The course’s aim is to illustrate the didactic strategies, the criterion of finding and selecting the resources and the ways of realising ways of learning, exploiting the potential of the many links and technological contexts in which the on- line training takes place and how the training in class is integrated with the use of the Net Technology. The teacher who decides to integrate the NT into his or her teaching needs specific preparation, as he/she must not only know how to use the computer tools but also to have a theoretical approach which takes into consideration the most recent developments of the constructive psychology; in addition to this he/she must be able to handle a group
63 in class and a group on-line and know the main techniques of communication both face to face and on-line. Such a new knowledge has become necessary to avoid the risk that an incorrect use or a too banal use of the NT can make the student refuse to utilise the computer in any way in his learning. This could be seen in some of the surveys on the use of the Net by foreign students. (Fratter, 2004) Therefore it is important to offer the teachers the necessary tools to analyse, evaluate and above all use the new technologies with the right competence and knowledge. Today the teacher is asked to have not only didactic competence and experience regarding teaching in class with technological means, but also a capacity to project and manage didactic methods on-line. The training course for the teachers wanted to offer, with a methodology referring to the paradigm research-action, the opportunity for the teachers and the schools involved in the Project to plan, experiment and reflect on the use of the new technologies, in particular on the tools available with the Web 2.0. The training path was focused on the topic of the use of the new technologies in teaching and learning and was aimed primarily at secondary school teachers. The course’s main aim was to acquire specific competences which permitted the teacher to know, analyse, evaluate and use the new technologies to integrate them in the teaching path so as to improve the learning process, as well as being orientated to the development of theoretical aspects. The path was orientated to:
promote the use of the New Technologies in teaching; build and/or consolidate professional competences; build, through the use of the New Technologies, tools and teaching paths ad hoc to facilitate teaching and learning in class. During the course there were moments of individual work as well as group work; to transmit the contents and stimulate reflection and discussion on particular topics, we used a Power Point presentation and various exercises ad hoc. As the methodology for the first project to pass on, a model of varied training has been used, which meant sessions in class alternated with sessions on-line, illustrated in the table below.
Classroom Follow -up Classroom training E-learning training E-learning
This use of different methods led to the selection of topics which have been presented in class and loaded onto the platform; the course in fact had, as a support, the Moodle platform onto which all the didactic materials useful to the training course, as well as complimentary material, have been loaded. The contents of the course, initially proposed, were the topics presented in the first project transferred and they were the following:
64 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 2 training activities
modules The Internet world: what is it, how to use it, the resources, the links The internet and the school: the resources for the school (sites, libraries, archives, institutional sites, networks and consortia for collaborative learning) How teaching changes: cognitive styles, teacher/ tutor roles, collaborative learning, group work The planning of the on-line training: explanation of the context, plan of the physical class and on-line one, implementation of the learning paths, the evaluation and monitoring E-learning: the different types of the on-line training, tools and resources, communication means (chat, forum and email for example), supports for teaching, the multimedia, the hypertexts
These contents, based on the process of the training as a path to think, project and implement, are inside the catholic schools and have as a goal, the opportunities that the on-line teaching offers, the teaching and learning, have been redefined after the results of the first phase of analysis of the requirements of the targeted group. To fully understand the training requirements and the needs of the teachers in order to create a training course which matches the actual needs of the schools, the Project created a cognitive preliminary questionnaire in order to evaluate the process (see the chapter on the evaluation of the course) which enabled the Project team to guide their planning and develop the appropriate training course. The background seems very different from the one of the previous project which emphasised a lack of use of NTs or a negative use of them in class; the analysis instead carried out in the first phase of the Project ‘ICT-Based Learning’ shows a background in which not only do most of the teachers not only use the computer and internet in their teaching but they also state the necessity to be guided in the methodologies and in the use of the most useful tools to achieve the didactic goals. By analysing targeted user requirements, in fact it appeared that the teachers declared not to be skilled at using on-line platforms and tools in particular the Web 2.0, whereas they are skilled at using the computer in a traditional way. Even the use of the interactive white board (IWB) provoked some difficulties in the use of it; so most of them declared to be interested in having a deeper understanding, in particular with regard to the topics about the fields of collaborative writing, the IWB and open source for the didactic on-line. What seemed to be missing for the teachers, from the analysis in the first phase of the project, was a support in managing the integration of the New Technologies and the new tools given by the Web 2.0 into their teaching. So it was necessary to update and adapt the structure and the contents of the course, keeping the methodological approach. It was decided to divide the lesson into sessions of theory and sessions of practice in order to facilitate learning and to allow the experimentation with the technological tools presented and used during the course and to emphasise the contents of the tools and the methods of the Web 2.0. Considering the complexity of the Project planned on a transnational basis, it was
65 necessary to adapt the contents of the original project also taking into consideration the opinion and needs of the foreign partners. This was particularly relevant for the English schools whose school leaders mentioned that it is not possible for the teachers to use on-line tools such as Facebook in class, because their Government recommends against teachers being members of social networking sites; and if they are indeed members, they are forbidden to share their details with students. So this element of the content was adapted to allow reflection on the meaning and on the role of the social network in the society without on-line experimentation. Another element particularly interesting which proved necessary to integrate in the didactic material in the schools, has been a glossary on the key concepts linked to the topics of the Web 2.0; the complexity of the Project which involved Italian, French and English schools, imposed the sharing of a glossary which explained and exemplified the key concepts. What follows is a presentation of the theoretical contents and of every day exercises in class which were revised as a consequence of the above.
2.2 STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE
The training course for the teachers has been structured into 4 days of classroom teaching (32 hours) subdivided into three phases and two periods of on-line activities (8 hours). Depending on the setting of the course, the class teaching was in the morning and in the afternoon or only in the afternoon and it was organised into theory lessons and practical lessons. In particular all the lessons have been structured into two hours of theory and two hours of practice to ease learning and to allow experimentation with the technological tools that have been introduced and used during the course. During the course some ad hoc questionnaires were submitted to the teachers so as to assess the training process, the learning and the appreciation of the course which permitted the Project team to follow the progress of the didactic activities; the results of these questionnaires are presented inside the chapter on evaluation in this book. The course has had a specific space on the Moodle platform, through the URL http://www.catholicschoolproject.eu; within the on-line course, the didactic material supporting training and the material to be studied in depth have been uploaded. On-line the teachers had the possibility to download and consult 20 articles selected from the specialised review “Tecnologie Didattiche”, the most credited and active publication in the field for the past 17 years. The teachers also had the possibility to download three chapters of the text “Software libero e ambienti per l’apprendimento: un’opportunità per il mondo dell’educazione italiana” on how to integrate the suggested didactic material. They have had moreover an updated bibliography of 400 texts on themes which were relevant to the training course.
66 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 2 training activities
In the period May-June 2011 the course was run in Italy at the Institute “Tecnico Commerciale Paritario delle Suore Salesiane dei Sacri Cuori” di Barletta, in France in Toulouse at ”Ensemble Scolaire Saint-Joseph” and in England at “St. Peter’s School” in Bournemouth, so as to test the didactic methodology, the structure of the course and the tools and resources used. During the summer of 2011 the course was revised, with reference to the SWOT analysis of the course held in the previous months. In October 2011 the training activity started again in the other schools. Presented below are below are the theoretical and practical contents of every classroom lesson in its ultimate and final version for all the schools participating in the Project.
phase 1 : the new students and web 2 . 0 actIvIty In class
FIrst day Theoretical part Practical part 1. Introduction 1. Moodle - structure and organisation of the course - Moodle: an overview - resources at disposal - Moodle: functions - How to upload a file 2. Communication - How to create a forum - communication - How to download material - formal model of communication - language - communication and language
second day Theoretical part Practical part 1. Mass Media 1. Google - mass media - Introduction to the search engines - mass media vs personal media - Google, an overview - media and communication (history) - Way of basic research in Google - towards personal media - Way of advanced research in Google 2. Online activities 1 (class presentation) - Presentation of the on-line activity - Preparation of the work - Research on the Net and publication in a forum of the definition of “netiquette” (maximum 2 lines) - Research on the Net and publication in a forum of a “netiquette on the use of the mobile phone” in the form of a list of bullet points 3. Virtual model of an agency for the development of the region - Presentation of the activity - Overview of the model in Moodle - Reflection on the possible activities to do in the actual training
67 thIrd day Theoretical part Practical part 1. Web 2.0 (part 1) 1. Google Docs - Web 2.0: phenomenon of marketing or - Creation of an account in Google real innovation? - Overview of the functions of the resource - Web 1.0: nature and characteristics “Documents” - Web 2.0: nature and characteristics - Creation of a text document, Excel sheet, presentation - Sharing of a text document, Excel sheet, presentation - Creation and publication of a module 2. Online activities 1 (in class) - Structure of the online activities - Research on-line of a “netiquette on the use of the email” 3. Online activities 1 (in class) - Presentation of the students’ questionnaire on the use of the digital media (research)
phase 2 : new medIa and students actIvItIes In class
FIrst day Theoretical part Practical part 1. Web 2.0 (part 2) 1. Virtual model of agency for the development - Web 1.0 versus web 2.0: comparing two of the region philosophies - Presentation of the activities - Users of web 2.0: profiles and styles - Analysis of the model in Moodle - Presentation and experimentation of the tools in Moodle (forum, task, chat, and quiz for example)
second day Theoretical part Practical part 1. The new students 1. Virtual model of agency for the development - Today’s children of the region - “digital natives” vs “digital immigrants” - Management of the users in Moodle - Beyond “digital natives” and “digital - Management of the materials in Moodle immigrants” - Organisation, diary and uploading of the - Who are the digital natives? activities onto Moodle - The new rites of passage of the digital natives - Use of the Net (home, school and risk perception) - Net representation - Characteristics of the digital native (multitasking, authorial, socialising, on-line self)
68 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 2 training activities
thIrd day Theoretical part Practical part 1. “Our ” students 1. Online activities 2 (in class ) - Presentation in the media profile of the - Setting up of the on-line activity students of the results of the research - analytical sitography as a didactic done in the period on-line instrument - characteristics of the analytical sitography 2. Online activities 2 (in class) - ‘Delicious’: the resource web 2.0 - How to open an account on Delicious - insertion, modification and cancellation of sites in Delicious - sites exportation and sharing
phase 3 : I wb actIvItIes In class
FIrst day Theoretical part Practical part 1. IWB (part 1) 1. Virtual model of an agency for the - Preliminary questions development of the territory - How and why - Analysis and testing of the experience - Critical points in the use of IWB - Hypothesis of implementation of the - Advantages in the use of the IWB Moodle platform in the didactic activity - IWB profile and use of the actual training.
second day Theoretical part Practical part 1. IWB (part 2) 1. On-line activities 1 (in class) - IWB in class…practical indications - recovery and sharing in class of the - IWB in class… a few “unpractical” products (“netiquette on the use of examples the email”) created by the students - IWB in class… a few practical examples in the on-line teaching realised by the - What to use the IWB for? students in the formation - IWB books: is it just a commercial move? - creation of a “netiquette on the use of the email” at a class level
69 The two periods of on-line activities of eight hours have were structured in the following way:
phase 1 : the netIquette on the use oF emaIl and research onlIne actIvItIes 1. Netiquette on the use of the email 1. Research on the use of the media - The teachers divided the class into pairs. - Quantitative questionnaire given to They then had to use have used a sharing students composed of 21 questions on document in Google Docs to create their use of New Technologies a netiquette on the use of the email - The results of individual classes have structured in bullet points been uploaded onto the Moodle - The netiquettes of every single group platform have been uploaded onto the Moodle platform
phase 2 : the analytIcal sItography on-lIne actIvItIes 1. Analytical sitography - The teachers divided the group into pairs that have used the resource web 2.0 Delicious to build up an analytical sitography on a topic chosen by the teacher and linked to the didactic technologies - The analytical sitography is made up of twenty sites, critical appraisal made, annotated and tagged, on the basis of a criteria chosen by the students - The netiquettes of individual groups have been uploaded onto the Moodle platform
2.3 CONTENTS AND ON-LINE ACTIVITIES
The project of a training course which involves different circumstances either on a national level or a curricular level, must be based on the awareness that the teachers: - have little knowledge of the aspects regarding the training through the means of technologies; - have few competences regarding the implementation of technologies in the didactic field; - have little experience of training activities with the support of on-line environments for training; - have little knowledge of the questions linked to the role that the technologies have inside contemporary society.
70 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 2 training activities
The objective of the Project has been to involve the teacher in a course that had, not only a theoretical approach, but also a course that could give him/her the opportunity to experiment straightaway with aspects which came from the theoretical dimension and therefore being useful for his/her own professional use. Following these guidelines the training course has been structured around thematic axes which covered a wide range of important questions in the current debate on the role and function of the media and technologies in society. The right choice has been confirmed by the results of the questionnaire of evaluation administered during the training course (see chapter 3); this has been confirmed by the teachers’ interest in the use of these technologies in class. We are now going to describe the main themes undertaken for the specific theoretical and practical topics which have directed the planning of the course.
2.4 QUESTIONS AND RESOURCES OF THE DIGITAL
Recently some evidence has emerged from international research:
«the multimedia tools do not necessarily guarantee better or different learning results, at least not on a level of spontaneous behaviour»; « the media tools improve learning only when a student teaches themselves, and thus when a little control from the teacher on the use of the multimedia compo- nents is offered»; «the diffusion of the media does not correspond to a real knowledge of oneself»; «The ability to be attentive is not only influenced by the technologies but by the activities they propose» 1. The quality of good teaching is also a condition that the technologies require. On the basis that the command of the subject from the teacher is not enough, a sound professional training is necessary and should: - make us know and experiment the different theories on learning and the many didactic strategies; - make us expert in adapting the theory to the practice according to the context in which we work; - make us think about the daily actions we carry out with our own students. It is the change of the practice, the capacity of managing it with flexibility which allows the technology to show potential. In synthesis it is not the technology which makes a good teacher. It must be remembered that it is not enough simply to introduce the technology with
1 Manuela CANTOIA, Media e apprendimento: riflessioni sull’ottimizzazione delle pratiche, in REM, 2 (2009), pp. 179-185
71 the assumption that this alone will bring about automatic changes in practice whereby teaching improves and learning strengthens. Teaching is an art and so it implies passion and commitment, there is not a sure and certain “methodology”, a recipe. One needs to be prepared to adapt in all respects, to update oneself, to experiment, to have one’s own tool box, to challenge and to work in teams with colleagues and students as before. The students are skilled but not always competent, they do not always know how to perceive or give an interpretation to situations proposed by contemporary society. On the basis of a real pedagogic utility we will have to tell them how “things work” and how to use them to our advantage: take them to the library, around the area, onto the internet and make them fall in love with the taste of the discovery; teach them how to read real life in a critical way and to use the media and tools which can make them function within this new reality. Sustained by strict educational and pedagogic principles, the technological tools are useful to sustain the knowledge we want to teach, not the contrary. Analysing the good practices, the international research and reflecting on these topics with the teachers belonging to different school institutions, it is erroneous to think that these technologies, when used with specific criteria, competences and knowledge, have the merit to have the learner enhance his/her skills. Learning is not a process that requires thought; we need to create the conditions so that the teaching process can be successful. Teaching about media is essential for the learning of the twenty first century because the students need to develop the capacities of critical judgement to be able to develop, select and to group the contents in many sources, either at the moment of publication (author) or at the moment of downloading (consumer).
DIGITAL NATIVES The starting point of the reflection with the teachers during the training course was focused on the issue of the “digital natives” and to the development that this topic involved in the discussions not only at an academic level but also in all the different scholastic institutions. There is a necessity to discredit the myth of the “digital native”, considered by the majority, as experts of media and technology, simply because the digital native has been born in the age of said technology. This might be sufficient for personal use but do we not have to take into account the use they make of the wider media? With reference to recent and reliable national and international researches, we wanted to make the course participants reflect on which media the students mainly use, that is to say, the social aspect, expressed firstly from the social networks as Facebook, Twitter, MSN for example. Adults actually teaching is necessary, so that they can develop in our young people an active “digital citizenship”, to show them the rooted values of our society and prepare them for the future.
WEB 2.0 During the course we also wanted to underline the potential on a training and teaching level of the tools of Web. 2.0, as being made up of technologies which are easy to use,
72 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 2 training activities and accessible to by everybody, almost always free in the basic version or for a didactic use, most of the time they do not need the installation of ‘plug-ins’ and work also on out- of -date computers. But what do we mean by the “Web 2.0”? The description of it is not simple. The Web of the first generation was built mainly for a one way distribution of contents, while «the second generation of available services on the World Wide Web let the people collaborate and exchange information on-line. In contraposition to the first generation, the Web 2.0 gives the users an experience closer to the desktop applications rather than to the traditional static web pages»2. The Web 2.0 was born from the observation of two elements: - the value of the Net is not only in the technology but also in the contents and services; - the power of the Net is mainly represented by the users. The main novelty of the Web 2.0 is the rediscovery of the deepest and ancient spirit of Internet: the Net as a product of the collaboration open to everybody not only to experts and scholars. The web is meant as an “application”, as it is a platform for a series of on-line tools, often free tools that you can use as if they were installed in every single computer.
What are the advantages of Web 2.0 resources for schools? The “open” philosophy at its base, in contraposition to a “close” vision associated with Web 1.0, allows Web 2.0 to create and share contents easily; to collaborate on the same topic with people physically far away from each other; to rethink, as well as mix very different contents and to redistribute new objects and contents as a result of a new interpretation. On the basis of these considerations the schools and the world of training in general can consider the Web 2.0 useful to develop: - the critical judgement to evaluate the quality and the validity of the contents; - the ability to research and select digital information coming from disparate sources; - the technical competences for the creation, publication and sharing of new contents; - the awareness of the necessity to use the digital information ethically (to quote the sources, to respect others’ freedom and not to damage your neighbour, for example); - a new way to approach knowledge which makes the user the starting and final point of the development process.
GOOGLE DOCS Among the different resources and services of the Web 2.0, we certainly have to consider the many applications present in what is now defined as the “galaxy” Google.
2 http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0 (29.06.2012).
73 Born as a search engine in November 1997, over the years it has been slowly enriched with a range of functions not only linked to research but mainly to the administration of information, being able to create a very useful suite of “cloud-based” Google Apps. The main advantages that some of its tools offer can have strong influence inside the school community to help and support teachers and students. In the same way, as part of the course in the first online phase, an activity of cooperative writing between teachers divided into pairs has been prepared using Google Docs3, so as to produce a netiquette on the use of the email. The fact of having to use unknown tools has obliged the teachers to use working methods and work which makes the student pass from the role of a simple user to a more evolved one of producer of contents which are not the result of a simple ‘cut and paste’ exercise, but become the result of a personal and group revision. By exploiting the services offered by Google Docs, we are able to access free resources which are suitable for didactic purposes, which can be integrated so as to lead to collaboration from on-line users within a specific time frame. The environment permits one to create, upload, share and file wherever we are, using whichever browser, and whichever computer (also updated) and a ‘plug-in’ is not necessary. - create documents, modify them, format them and save them in the most common formats (DOC, XLS, ODT, ODS, RTF, CSV and PPT for example).The files are then saved in an area of a protected on-line file. This permits one to work on any computer (at school, in a library or in an internet café for example) and to preserve our own files in case of a possible malfunction; - upload any file c r e a t e d p r e v i o u s l y a n d f i l e d o n a p r o p e r b a c k u p ; - sharing your own files with other users to be able to see them and modify them also at the same time by more users. It is possible to assign different profiles (modification, comment only or read only) to the people you want to share it with, whilst remaining in total control of the originals; in the work sheets the collaboration happens through a chat; for the documents the chronology of the revisions permits one to display authors, content and dates of modification; - file and list the proper documents organising them in many folders; - publish the documents c r e a t e d w i t h G o o g l e D o c s o n t h e a c t u a l b l o g .
2.4 RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET: NEW MODES OF WORKING
On the Internet there is a list, which has spread from blog to blog, that not only knows the age of who is subscribing to it but with a relative nostalgia for the past, it seems to make today’s young people feel guilty. With pride they state: «We that… we used to carry out research with the help of the encyclopaedia... not with Google!!!; We that… we couldn’t do the cut and paste; we that… internet didn’t exist…» and so on, distinguishing between “we” and “you”, enhancing subconscious walls between generations. A
3 http://docs.google.com.
74 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 2 training activities counter-list could sound more or less like that: we that… we sprained our wrist to copy the texts from the encyclopaedias (or from old books which we had at home or from books at school or in the town library); we that… when the photocopiers arrived they used a huge quantity of glue smelling of walnuts to stick the texts found in the books; we that… we did not know how to carry out research in spite of what we thought (often the research activity was only a transcript, a cutting out and collage of standard texts); etc... things have not changed a lot, but the time needed for copying has! It is obvious to state that the cognitive styles of younger people are different but as adults we have to look for new ways of using different media and everyday teaching (in the daily didactics), planning teaching on pedagogic and didactic models appropriate to the arising needs. Today, Reading, Writing and Mathematics is not enough, according to the European Community. In the “White Paper on Education and Training - Teaching and Learning - Towards the Learning Society” 4 of 1995 we can read that «[i]n yesterday's Europe, irrespective of whether it was rooted in rural life or in manufacturing industry, earning was naturally directed primarily at the acquisition of abstract concepts to round off practical skills absorbed from day-to-day life outside school.. The greater part of this practical knowledge base has been modified and has regressed in our urbanised, automated, media-dominated society. …”. We need to prepare the « individuals to master the technical instruments they will have to use, so that they, rather than the technique, are in charge.»5 If scientific education develops capacities of analysis and criticism, then «[l]iterature and philosophy fulfil the same function in respect to the indiscriminate bombardment of information from the mass media and, in the near future, from the large informatics networks. They arm the individual with powers of discernment and a critical sense. This can provide the best protection against manipulation, enabling people to interpret and understand the information they receive. »6. But we have to emphasise the educational role that influential media can have. Obviously one needs time to acquire the new basic competences necessary for the ability to be a good citizen. The teaching of ICT is necessary (Information Handling Skills) that is to say a cluster of abilities for the identification, the selection, the evaluation and the production of relevant information for the didactic work and no longer about teaching about computers per say (that is to say, how machines work), but how to use them. It is the school system (from childhood to university) which has equipped the students to go on learning in an autonomous and critical way with the aim of a ensuring a permanent education: transmitting not only the knowledge of our cultural background but also the competences to educate them to be free and responsible individuals. The risk is to generate new inequalities between those who can interact with the new technologies and those who cannot. We need to ensure that the “information” society becomes “cognitive”, a place where the individuals are in possession of particular competences and knowledge that permit him/her to learn autonomously throughout their life, to learn how to orientate oneself
4 http://europa.eu/documentation/official-docs/white-papers/index_it.htm 5 Ibidem, pag. 29. 6 Ibidem, pagg. 22-23.
75 through the information choosing and evaluating it with a critical spirit, becoming creator and not only a passive user, or as Derrick De Kerckhove says becoming “prosumer” (a neologism to indicate a crossbreeding between the “functions” of the producer and the consumer). In 1995 the Canadian Association of the School Libraries (a part of the Association of the Canadian Libraries) has promoted the “Charter of the students’ rights in the information era”, where we read that «our students have to face a future rich of information in which the change will be one of the rare constant of their experience of life. To be able to adapt and realise fully their own potentialities, they will have to be able to learn for all their life and be able to decide autonomously. (…) the information is a vital element for the development of the critical judgement and for taking autonomous decisions; it means that the access to a corpus of information which continues to increase is vital for the development of every student’s potentiality”.7 A teacher, to develop the competences with words, can use research as a didactic methodology. An answer to the question “how” comes from studies on the learning processes and in particular on metacognition. The teacher can realise paths focused on the student, on his/her resources and competences, it is therefore a methodology suitable to the passage from the teaching to the learning, from a conveying-imitating model to a socio-built paradigm, based on the collaborative reasoning and on the learning community.
1. Structured elements of the research: a. problematical aspect: not a topic imposed by the teacher, but a problem felt by the students, after a careful problem awareness campaign of the topic proposed by the teacher; b. intentional aspect: after being aware of the problem there is the need to learn; c. methodological approach: the way to proceed will not be random but systematic.
2. Variable elements of the research: d. goal, that is to say the aim which motivates the research (to produce, to know, to explain and to intervene); e. research field, the subject in which the research happens; f. methodological level, that is to say the level of complexity of the research, which has to take into account the knowledge and the capacities of the student; g. tools, that is to say the most appropriate means to solve the problem. The elements at the basis of the process of the research and the use of the information do not change according to the technology we use (for example books and the Internet). «Already before the advent of the Internet, students and adults were not able to finish research in an effective way if they did not use an appropriate strategy and without a
7 http://www.cla.ca/casl/StudentsBillEnglish.pdf
76 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 2 training activities guide or tutor. In such a context the teacher should give this type of support»8. Often, the teachers do not know how to research: - they identify the research activity with its content; - they stick to generalities when setting research as a homework; - they distribute the material they believe is useful to their students ; - they reward positively, work which is only nominally research; - they are not interested in the way the research is carried out by the students and means of discovery of the material; - they base their tests on “normative” contents, making the students study only from their text book; - they often complain about the lack of research skills, but they think that this can be solved from a single educative source (for example a text book). What we think valid for bibliographical research is also valid for the research on the Net: the most important objective of the research on the Net is not the final product realised by the students, but the execution of the process which goes with the research itself, a process that permits the teacher if well guided to fulfil many objectives, either in the cognitive field or in the socio-affective one.
2.6 THE ANALYTICAL SITOGRAPHY (WEBSITES): A NEW WAY TO ACCESS INFORMATION ON THE NET
To be able to evaluate the process, in the second part of the on-line course, a final product which could lead to a research path has to be created, realising an “analytical sitography” on a series of topics suggested by the teacher. The analytical sitography is regarded as a tool which permits the teacher to prepare activities which produces contents that avoid the risk of the ‘cut and paste’, without having thought about the quality and reliability of the source. The analytical sitography is the product of collaborative and co-operative work of small groups and not of a single person. This means: - the sharing of the topic, of the goal and of the way of working; - the common participation in the research and the selection of the sites; - the assumption of responsibility for the contents and the final form of the end product. The words which make up the name make us understand well what the operating system of such a tool is:
sitography: list of sites you can find on the Net, which have:
8 Corrado Petrucco, “Costruire mappe per cercare in rete: Il metodo Sewcom”, in “TD - Tecnologie Didattiche”, 2002, 25, p. 38.
77 - title (given by the group); - indication of the URL (Internet address : “http://……); - brief description (abstract); - tags which describe the site identified from all angles. analytical: the sitography is not a simple list, but has to be subdivided into categories which are decided by the group itself; in the phase of the final finished product the cat- egories can be different from the ones decided at the beginning of the piece of work. With the aim of giving solutions that are easy to realise, the activity has been done using web-based tool, Web 2.0 named Delicious9, which serves as the link between and organiser of the resources to which the two members of the group had access. The production of a sitography of twenty sites per group can initially appear as a simple operation of research, but the fact of having to choose at least four sites in a foreign language and two containing mistakes and imprecision oblige every single student to dedicate time, in the content analysis phase, to be able to choose those sites which have to satisfy the qualitative standard requested by the teacher.
2.7 THE PHASES OF THE RESEARCH ON THE NET
The motivation The research on the Net begins with the phase of the motivation from the teacher who justifies the start of the research. Once sharing the research with the students the teacher can, through the technology of brainstorming, know where the starting point of the students is, as far as their knowledge is concerned and what they need to learn on the chosen research topic via the World Wide Web.
Main issues Once the topic has been chosen the teacher encourages the students to focus on the details on how to best organise, in this phase, the hypothesis of Net based research. Thanks to the brainstorming activity they can produce a conceptual map which in a schematic way presents the topic in its complexity and makes from it merge the concepts on which to concentrate the Net research. In this phase the group decides on time allocation and the typology of the on-line source to be used.
The acquisition This is the most operational phase of the Net research. The student organises his collection of materials trying to select the most reliable documentation among the results
9 http://www.delicious.com.
78 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 2 training activities that the Net offers, by using the research engines in an intelligent way and organising the “favourites”, in an appropriate way.
The co-operation In this phase the teacher must give the possibility to the students to share the acquired knowledge during the research on-line. The activity can be done in class, but it can also be done using the on-line interaction tools – chat rooms and forums – and the collaboration tools – file Exchange and document sharing – so permitting the students to communicate how their research is progressing. This is the most important phase of the whole process, as the group interacts with others and receives different information it has the possibility to modify its research.
The phase of the assessment of the acquired results concludes the research. It is advisable for the teacher to organise a meta-cognitive reflection on the process of the research, on the methods and processes of work adopted. Particular attention should be made to a meaningful analysis of the difficulties encountered in the acquisition and sharing phases and on the observation of the cognitive changes that the whole process of research has produced.
2.8 THE INTERACTIVE WHITE BOARD: A SCHOOL RESOURCE
The choice made during the planning stage of encouraging self-reflection on how to introduce the Interactive White Board (IWB) in the formative courses in class, is not made any less important by the short time allowed for this section (about four hours) and by the teacher’s inability to use it. In fact, the variety of models and brands and the lack of IWBs in the different schools, has made it difficult to create a suitable way forward for all. The risk of misunderstanding the role that the technologies, and in particular the IWB, must have in the didactic activity, can be seen in the critical role that they have played in recent years in the process of innovation at a structural level and in the methodology used in the Italian educational institution. A deterministic vision, which sees in the technology the “solution” to the problems of schools, risks misunderstanding the real questions and can misdirect the natural process of updating, which may well lead to the waste of public money. The introduction of the IWB in a school has to be accompanied by a strong investment in the training of teachers who must have enough time to be able to understand which changes will be necessary in teaching and learning. The danger is that the IWB can encounter the same end as other technologies (radio, television, film and various forms of media for example) and the lack of reflection, on how these interface with other technologies currently in use (book, pen and paper), in order to avoid weakening the true potential of the tool by handling it through consolidated, but outdated practices.
79 Starting with these considerations, the planning of the formative activity wanted to focus on some important topics which introduced the teachers to a full understanding of the potential of the interactive white board, underlining risks and opportunities and, mainly, projects carried out by other teachers and national as well as international research on the use of the IWB in class, and give some useful elements to be able to choose in a critical way pre-established material given by the publishing houses in the support and integration of text books. Always leaving open the possibility for teachers to interact with other teachers, the initial activity focused in particular on a number of theoretical and practical questions: - nature and characteristics of the IWB; - advantages and modality of use of the IWB; - how much and how teachers used the IWB ; - the introduction of IWB in the didactic activity; - examples of use of the IWB; - “worst and best practice” of the IWB; - guidelines on how to avoid the most common mistakes and how to improve the use of the IWB; - nature and questions about the material for the IWB; - relationship between text books and IWB; - the products for the IWB produced by the publishing houses in order to support and integrate the text book.
2.9 ON-LINE TRAINING: THE DIDACTIC ACTIVITY BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
The planning of formative activities for adults now needs an organisation of space and time of the didactic activity which focuses only on “lessons” formally structured inside the classroom. Despite the lack of availability of tools and resources, the availability of on-line environments for the management of the open source learning activity has allowed access to services and functions of significant developmental potential. At the same time, it has allowed the organisation of courses which can also ease participation for people who may not be able to attend a class due to work commitments or other logistical obstacles. However, if the on-line training with the support of on-line technologies was justified only in relation to learning outside of school, so all the formative activity would have only economic and structural advantages and the pedagogic justification would be doubtful. In reality the relationship between the physical classroom and the remote one has its differences in the way they are run; they are not opposites, in fact they complement each other: in the former we have all the activity in which the teacher has a fundamental role in the learning process, because he/she helps the reflection processes when looking at problems, communication, analysis, and the generalisation of a process; in the remote
80 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 2 training activities classroom, the phase in which the student is spatiotemporal distant from the teacher, we have all those activities of research, close examination, organisation and production, which need a major individual involvement and a much reduced teacher presence10. We must not think of a teacher as “absent” from the remote classroom as his/her role becomes the one of organiser and co-ordinator of the formative process, which is to launch the project in the first lesson and bring it to a conclusion in the final lesson. The didactic activity becomes a circular process which alternates lessons with the teacher present and periods online, group moments and individual moments, sharing and organisation of work sessions and sessions in which the individual has to develop a deeper understanding of a topic or has to produce material.
physical lesson remote learning physical lesson remote learning physical lesson
12 hours 4 hours 12 hours 4 hours 8 hours
presence 1 distance 1 presence 2 distance 2 presence 3
According to the planning model, the remote classroom has become the space in which to deepen the theoretical contents and experiment with the practical activities started and planned in the physical classroom. The formative activity has been planned to alternate sessions in presence and sessions in remote learning according to the chart above and is supported by Moodle, a Learning Management System (LMS11) an open source of proven quality and reliability. As the results of the questionnaire of evaluation proposed to the teachers during the formative course show (cf chapter on evaluation), the fact that the tool is easy to use has been considered as a very positive feature because the environment has supported the teachers across the whole course permitting on the one hand to experiment oneself the in use of the technology and on the other hand to have at his/her disposal a sharing space for the exchange of documents and of practical activities. Different courses have been created within it, one for each school in which the course took place to guarantee a certain level of “intimacy” which helped the interaction and to avoid communicative juxtapositions which could have disorientated the teachers.
10 Paolo Ardizzone, Pier Cesare Rivoltella, Didattiche per l’e-learning, Carocci, Roma, 2003. 11 A learning management system (LMS) is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content. … LMSs range from systems for managing training and educational records, to software for distributing courses over the Internet with features for online collaboration». http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Learning_management_system (31.07.2012).
81 The work carried out by the teachers was intended to facilitate the passage from one phase to the other, understanding that the on-line activities were not an end to themselves but they should come back inside the formative process, becoming full part of the activity itself. Sharing the work produced by the whole class group, taking back ideas and speeches carried out within the individual forums, sharing the topics emphasised by the other teachers are the practices that the teacher must consider as part of a new way of teaching which has the learner at the centre of the formative process, for what he does and what he thinks. The activities planned for the two stages remotely or on-line have many goals: 1. make the learners practise with resources and Web 2.0 tools useful for the development activity; 2. make the learners deepen their understanding of the use of the technologies for teaching; 3. make the learners think about the changes in methodology (which alternates activities within the classroom and remotely) depending upon whether the teacher is present or not 4. make the learners be able to use some operational solutions useful for the management of the on-line didactic activity; 5. make the learners experiment co-operative activities in small groups through an on-line environment in support of the development activity; they focus on three particular topics: 1. the strategies for the on-line research of the information; 2. the importance and the quality of the sources; 3. different ways of presenting and documenting contents; and use free on-line resources: 1. tool for the co-operative writing (Google Docs); 2. tool for the organisation and structured management of the on-line resources (Delicious). In addition to the activity described above as part of the training course, the teachers were able to use the on-line training in another environment - in Moodle - which was created ad hoc and designed for experimentation in class with their students, of the methodologies learnt during the course. This course was aimed to guide teachers and students in the creation of a virtual model agency for the development of a site which aims to provide users with information and solutions for leisure or business travel. During the course, students were required to collect, assess, classify, share and validate all that is needed for the site in question.
82 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 2 training activities
Stages of the course:
stage content objectIve Definition Describe the business idea, the objective Say what you want to do and why, in order to give stakeholders a complete picture of the actions being taken.
As Is Analysis of existing services and The objective is to have a complete picture of competitors how the present participants will react User Profile Who are they? How many are there and Analyse the flow of tourists and business to what will they choose? verify the characteristics and needs of users Study of the site What the site offers and what it could Visit the sites of manufacturers of goods and offer services. Definition of Description of services offered, potential Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of competitive target audience and competitive the service. Highlighting of the strengths and strategy advantages weaknesses. Plan of Description: what to communicate, to Objectives, target, channels of Communication whom and how communication
2.10 THE RESEARCH: THE MEDIA AND THE STUDENTS
The Internet, in addition to many innovations in the field of communication and information, has introduced a series of new words into our daily vocabulary, making them familiar words of the English language. It is difficult to find people who have never heard words as “web”, “Google”, “on-line”, “Facebook”, “scanner”, and “YouTube” for example. Fonte: http://www.benedicte-illustration.net As well as nouns, verbs such as “zip”, “chat” and “tag” have become part of common usage and they start to express actions which go beyond the computer and the technological world. The constant presence of some technological “objects” has contaminated daily activities in a non-reversible way and now many people manage the communicative practices with the use of such technological “gadgets”. Those who mainly feel this form of “addiction” are surely children and teenagers and they are just the ones for who formative actions should be undertaken, actions towards a conscious and critical use of the digital media.
83 The project started with these considerations and referred to recent international research in the field of media education, about the technologies of education and learning and also of the sociology of the media. This ICT-based Learning Project has been planned reflectively with two central considerations: (i) the younger generation’s experience of media consumer models and (ii) a distance research activity, proposed in the period of October 2011 – March 2012, which intended to encourage students in the use of digital media with particular reference to communication tools and the use of the World Wide Web One of the main objectives of the research activity was to understand the profile of students who attended the Italian schools in terms of their ways of working with new technologies. The tool used for the enquiry has been a yes-no questionnaire subdivided into three sections of a total of twenty one items regarding the use of the Internet, of the social networks and of the mobile phone. The research has demonstrated that recently, the digital media has increasing inserted itself into all sectors of society. It is practically impossible to identify areas and categories in which you do not find people who use instruments for communication, to the point that even at a tender age the mobile phone, the computer and the internet have become objects to interact with, which give access to a universe of images, sounds and words. This phenomenon, which is unique in history, makes it difficult for those who operate in the formative agencies to have an idea of the practices that the students use and to find adequate methodologies for using such tools as a part of teaching activities. The difficulties that the teachers encounter in the introduction of the digital technologies into their teaching are not in the inability to use such tools, but in the difficulties of understanding the weight and role that such tools have in current society and of how it is possible to translate and increase a thousand-year-old culture, and one that is mainly analogical, through technologies born to develop and facilitate the communicative capacities of the human-being. The fruition of the Project’s research, the aim of which was to provide a picture of the students of every school and the reactions of certain teachers at the moment of the presentation of the results, has confirmed the initial hypothesis. Their lack of experience and their scepticism at the presentation of results have not disappeared, but continue to justify overly didactic methodologies, which can reduce the potential of the wealth of resources present on the Net and the possibilities offered by fully utilising the tools of mobile communication. Other teachers had a completely different idea of their students, as they were convinced that the access and use of the media in question was much inferior and orientated to a “classical” use of them; in other words, a projection of what the adult usually does. In reality, the use of the media varies a lot according to the consumers. The practices adopted by the younger generations tend to be personal and less standardised in comparison with those of adults. Normally the latter see the mobile phone as a “wireless phone”, that is to say an object which allows them to communicate verbally without the restriction of a landline telephone in a fixed location. On the contrary teenagers consider this object as a tool which allows them to manage not only vocal communication, but also a series of “new” practices which touch many areas of daily life: information, games, music, images, videos, social interaction, and face to face communication for example. Also the Internet is one of these practices as it has gradually become the area in which to
84 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 2 training activities express one’s own personality and one’s own way of being. In this background it is natural to think that the school has the task of managing these tools not only for a didactic purpose but also for a formative one, that is using them as resources for the didactic activity, but also in an educational form, trying to integrate them not as strange elements to “censor” and “confiscate”, but as resources which can enrich day to day school life. The questions regarding their use were not only about their possible misuse, but firstly they have to be concerned with possible “reductionists” and “poverty”. The school should be the first one to respond to the different development needs of the students: if on the one hand it has to become a place where one should be able to develop competences for a critical use of such technologies, on the other hand it does not have to limit itself to avoiding their use because of occasional prejudices of an ideological nature or even inexperience. It is against this complex background that the Project tried to assist the teachers who were participating, to gain a better understanding of all the aspects involved in the use of New Technologies.
85
CHAPTER 3 Chapter 3 be claimed and how future efforts might be in theimproved. right direction, whether progress and success can quality plan, it would be impossible to initiatives.futurepresentandbetweenpast,Withouta judge if work is going the contribution of the Project enhanceby establishing clear evaluationlinks and monitoring planning, Good QUALITY PLAN PROJECT MONITORING & EVALUATION
3.1 THE MONITORING MODEL AND THE PROJECT PHASES
Within the project, we had to implement a kind of assessment that had to be transversal to all phases. It is by an attentive evaluation that we have followed the development of each activity in time by preparing specific tools and objectives for each phase. We have decided to adopt a model which would be able to foresee the integration of a quantitative and qualitative approach which consistently describes the process, whilst trying to maintain its efficiency and allow interpretative variables to become visible, so that we could assess the quality of the suggested model. The final assessments were not made by the mere collection of data, but they were based on a process where training was monitored, so that a true understanding of the Project was created. This in turn could then be useful for future changes of the Project, giving us a consistently up-to-date accurate picture that would be useful should there be a need for a further re-planning of the Project. The basis of this overall understanding has come from what has been learnt as well as how the model has been adapted during the pilot phase. Through a questionnaire addressed to the teachers of the schools that have been involved in the project, and thanks to the answers of those privileged witnesses who have been interviewed, we have been able to detect the various formative needs. The outcome has been a project that has wanted to satisfy the emerging needs of the target group. The reading of the context has been focused on the following aspects: - Culture of the organisation and its bias towards tradition or innovation; - Technological equipment;
89 - Competences, roles and professional attitude; - Obstacles. By taking into consideration the context of the Project and its creation, we have tried to focus our attention on the organisational, that is to say managerial aspect, and we have investigated the aspects that are tied to the implementation of such a complex project. The individual phases of the Project have all been assessed, although particular attention has been given to the phase related to the realisation of the training course. The implementation of the suggested formative model has been taken into consideration by analysing the following elements: - The approval expressed by the teachers who were being trained in respect of our initial plans. In order to investigate this aspect, special questionnaires were undertaken; - The learning process was studied, by recovering information from the classroom information grid filled in by the tutor, by the report of the teacher and by the material that had been produced; - The formative model was analysed through the study of the expectations the school and the teachers had and by reviewing their attitude towards innovation.
3.2 THE MONITORING AND EVALUATION TOOLS
Besides the tools that were planned for the phase which looked at specific needs, which was invaluable for our assessment, (in particular: detection of the formative needs brought forth by the teachers, entry level of didactic-technological competence, technological equipment, and the attitude of the teachers towards innovation), specific tools were put in place to support the monitoring of the training, as well as for the assessment of the suggested model. The following have been implemented: - Initial questionnaire - Intermediate questionnaire - Questionnaire for the teacher’s assessment (administered after the two first days and after the last day to compare both level and acceptance) - Closing questionnaire on the contents of the course - Classroom observation grids - Concluding questionnaire for teachers, on the training activities delivered. We will be describing the single tools that have been used, by highlighting the investigation areas in relation to the specific assessment objectives that have led to the drafting of the materials.
Initial questionnaire The purpose of this questionnaire was to assess the first phase of the development model. The first questionnaire on paper focused on the analysis of the activities, and
90 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 3 quality plan aimed to verify the acceptance of the training proposal. The questions suggested by the questionnaire were specifically organised around the study of: - The contents introduced on the first training days - The dominant didactic style of both tutor and teacher - The training methodology - The training proposal (engagement and level of in-depth study).
Intermediate questionnaire The purpose of this questionnaire was to assess the teacher’s satisfaction level regarding: - The platform used - The suggested level - The function of the tutor - The timing of the suggested activities.
Questionnaire to assess the teacher The purpose of this questionnaire was to monitor the level of acceptance and of satisfaction of the teacher of the course. We administered this questionnaire at two different points: after the two first training days and after the last day. The outcomes of the first questionnaire were shared with the teacher so that the required changes could be applied. The questions focused on the following aspects: - If his/her explanations were clear - About his/her communicative skills - About his/her availability - If the contents and methodologies were interesting - To give an overall assessment.
Closing questionnaire on the contents of the course The questionnaire investigated: - The communication devices - The attainment of educational didactic objectives - The role of the teacher - The role of the tutor.
Classroom observation grids The observation grids, filled in by the classroom tutor, have granted a systematic collection of data for the study of: - The processes that have been activated in the classroom (participation, clarifications, discussions, conflicts and negotiations) in relation to the training events suggested by the teacher - How the activities have been carried out - Observations on how communication and collaboration have been carried out during the development of the activities. Through the classroom observation grids, filled in by the tutor during the training
91 activities, and the report drafted by the teachers, we knew the initial level of ICT skills of the teachers of the schools involved and therefore (by the end of the project) we were able to have an assessment of the effectiveness of the ICT- based project.
Final questionnaire given to teachers after the training, on the training activities delivered. The purpose of this questionnaire was to assess the trend of the overall training activities. The following points have been taken into consideration: - If the developmental and didactic objectives have been clear - If the developmental didactic objectives have been reached - The amount of interest of the proposed contents - If the developmental objectives have been coherent with the didactic tools - Supporting material - Adopted didactic methodologies - Logistics - The teachers’ contribution - If the information received before the course matched what was actually received during the course.
3.3 KEY OUTCOME DATA ANALYSIS
We will now present the outcomes by trying to highlight the most important aspects for an interpretative synthesis.
INITIAL QUESTIONNAIRE The first tool administered for the analysis of the context was an initial questionnaire aiming to gather as much information as possible in order to investigate both context and needs. After having checked the questionnaires, a good homogeneous level on the cultural side was detected, and we recorded all expectations regarding the course. Such homogenous level was noticed also in the analysis phase of the outcome as per the training activity as foreseen by the Project. The outcome of the first questionnaires by the three pilot schools that have followed the course, have been echoed entirely by the questionnaires given to the other schools involved in the Project . We have had confirmation of the teachers’ basic technological competences; technological competences related to the use of Web 2.0 and of the communication tools available on-line when working remotely. The interest of the teachers has been undoubtedly oriented to the discovery of the communication tools and to the use of IWB (Interactive Whiteboards). Contents were therefore planned within the needs that had been gathered from the
92 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 3 quality plan analysis of the context and we have structured them around the following contents: the new students and Web 2.0, E-learning 2.0: methods and tools and Interactive Whiteboards.The trend and the outcome of the training in the classroom, as specified here above (paragraph: “The tools”), have been assessed through the administration of a series of questionnaires whose purpose was monitoring of all the phases and of all the activities suggested. We also thought that it would be useful to integrate the administration of the questionnaires with classroom observation grids to be filled in by the tutor during the training activities together with the teacher, as well as the initial report written by the teachers. The results have allowed us to understand the situation of the schools that were involved in the Project, as well as assess our training plans. We can therefore synthesise the collected data under the following points: 1. Level of interest and participation in the classroom; 2. Level of technological knowledge; 3. Problematic aspects.
Level of interest and participation in the classroom The level of interest and participation in the classroom are a very important variable. The motivational level detected with a certain frequency by the schools involved in the Project has been very high, to which engagement and curiosity have to be added. Both attention and interest for the suggested contents have been recorded as well as a commitment for the activities to be carried out. A good level of collaboration has been the outcome, together with an attitude of constructive criticism within the in areas that could be contentious and thought- provoking.
Level of technological knowledge Those who have taken part in the course and had a good technological knowledge, have been autonomous both in the use of the main programmes studied along the course, as much as in the surfing of the Internet. They have shown an attitude that was instinctively more positive toward the suggested new activities.
Problematic aspects The main issue that we have detected was tied to the foreseen schedule of the Project, a problem that has to be considered under a double profile: on one hand training activities had to find a date within the school year, on the other hand, the time required for the analysis of the materials and of the exercises necessary for self-training activities had to be allowed for. Another aspect that both the tutor and the teacher had to keep focused on was a constant link of theory-practice through an exemplification of didactic rules during the introduction of the Web 2.0 tools in class with the students. We will now present below the main results the initial questionnaire.
93 ANALYZED OBJECT: CONTENTS OF THE TRAINING COURSE
Question 2 - Interesting contents Interesting contents
0% 11%
1 = not at all 2 3 4 56% 33% 5 6 = excellent no answers
Question 3 - Well structured contents Well structured contents
11% 0% 22% 1 = not at all 2 3 4 11% 5 6 = excellent no answers 56%
Question 4 - Stimulating contents
Stimulating contents
11% 0%
1 = not at all 33% 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent no answers 56%
94 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 3 quality plan
Question 5 - Useful contents Useful contents
11% 0% 22% = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent 45% 22% no answers
Question 7 - Contents appropriate and met with my expectations
ContentsContents appropriate appropraite and met and with met my with expectations my expectations
11% 0% 22% 1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent 45% 22% no answers
If we take into consideration the contents introduced, the average score the answers received on the qualifying adjectives suggested (meaningful, interesting, well structured, stimulating, useful, clear, tuned to my expectations) reaches the value of 6 on a scale that has foreseen an assessment from 1 = not at all, to 6 = excellent.
95 OBJECT OF ANALYSIS: THE STYLE OF THE TEACHER AND TUTOR
Question 1 - Teaching/leading style of teacher and tutor - efficient Teaching/leading style of teacher and tutor- efficient 0%
1 = not at all 2 44% 3 4 56% 5 6 = excellent no answers
Question 4 - Style: partecipation
Style (teacher-tutor): participation
11% 0% 22% 1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent no answer
67%
Question 6 - Leading style: empathic
Leading style: empathic
11% 0%
1 = not at all 33% 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent 45% no answers 11%
The leading and teaching style of the teacher and tutor has been assessed in a highly positive way. All the values score around 5 and 6, thus attaining the highest points. The adjectives we offered were: efficient, clear, encouraging participation, open to dialogue, empathic and involving.
96 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 3 quality plan
OBJECT OF THE ANALYSIS: TRAINING METHODOLOGY
Question 2 - Training metholodogy - effective Training methodology - effective
0%
1 = not at all 2 44% 3 4 56% 5 6 = excellent mo anserrs
Question 3 - Theory and exercises have been well balanced theory and exercises have been well balanced
11% 0%
1 = not at all 34% 2 3 4 33% 5 6 = excellent no answers
22%
Question 6 - The teachers and tutor have been available for the solution of issues or questions The teachers and tutor have been available in the solution of Issues or questions 0%
1 = not at all 33% 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent 67% no answers
The training methodology that has been employed seemed quite innovative. Even the adjectives: stimulating, effective have reached good scores that total 5 and 6.
97 INTERMEDIATE QUESTIONNAIRE The Intermediate questionnaire was filled in by those who had joined the course after the conclusion of the first part, at a time when they could assess several elements of a technological character on the platform: the contents of the course, its structure, the role of the tutor and the schedule of the suggested activities. The scores for the assessment of the suggested items went from a low: # 1 that corresponded to a “not at all,” to the highest score: “excellent.” The main outcomes can be seen below:
Question 1 - Moodle platform easy to use
Moodle platform easy to use
0% 10% 0% 1 = not at all 2 40% 3 4 5 6 = excellent 50% No answers
Question 3 - Was the way the contents were accessed intuitive?
Platform: intuitive when accessing contents 0% 20% 1 = not at all 2 40% 3 4 5 6 = excellent No answers 40%
98 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 3 quality plan
Question # 4 - Platform: easy to organise material
Platform: easy to organise material
0% 11%
1 = not at all 2
44% 3 4 5 45% No answers
OBJECT OF THE ANALYSIS: THE MODULES’ CONTENTS
1. The suggested contents have been studied in-depth In-depth suggested contents 0% 20% 1 = not at all 2 3 50% 4 5 6 = very much 30% No answers
2. The suggested contents have been clear
Suggested contents: clear 0%
30% 1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = very much 70% No answers
99 3. Suggested contents: in line with your previous knowledge
Suggested contents: in line with previous knowledge 0% 20% 30% 1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = very much No answers
50%
4. Contents integrated with suggested exercises
Contents integrated with suggested exercises
10% 0% 10% 1 = not at all 2 20% 3 4 5 6 = very much No answers 60%
5. Suggested contents didactically useful
Suggested contents didactically useful 0%
30% 1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = very much 70% No answers
The assessment of contents adds to positive results which were all broadly above average. It seems that the clear presentations that suited the didactic activities have been particularly appreciated.
100 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 3 quality plan
OBJECT OF ANALYSIS: THE STRUCTURE OF THE MODULES
2. It helps one to understand information
Modules’ structure: it helps one to understand information 0% 20% 20% 1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 20% 6 = very much No answers 40%
3. Enables easy access to contents
Modules’ structure: enables easy access to contents
0% 10% 20% 0% 1 = not at all 2 3 30% 4 5 6 = very much No answers 40%
The modular structure of the contents have been perceived as very practical.
101 OBJECT OF THE ANALYSIS: THE TUTOR’S ONLINE FUNCTION
2. Easy to use for finding specific contents
Easy to use for finding specific contents
0% 10% 1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = very much No answers 90% 3. Useful in the support of how to approach exercises
Useful in the support of how to do approach exercises 0%
1 = not at all 30% 2 3 4 5 6 =very much 70% No answers
7. Useful in support which led to the use of communicative tools
Tutor: useful in supporting/leading to the use of communicative tools
0% 10% 20% 1 = not at all 2 20% 3 4 5 6 = very much No answers 50%
From the analysis of the data collected, the function of the on-line tutor has been found to be very useful in its support of on-line activities.
102 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 3 quality plan
OBJECT OF ANALYSIS: SCHEDULED SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
1. Adequate
Schedule: adequate
10% 0% 10%
1 = not at all 2 3 30% 4 5 6 = very much 50% No answers
2. Compatible with your needs
Compatible with your needs
10% 0% 0% 1 = not at all 2 3 30% 4 5 60% 6 = very much No answers
3. Adaptable
Adaptable
10% 0% 10%
10% 1 = not at all 2 3 30% 4 5 6 = very much No answers 40%
103 As far as the schedule is concerned we can see that it has been compatible in meeting the needs of the participants; as for the other answers, the average score is around 4. The outcome of the teacher’s assessment questionnaire (tool # 3), in addition to the results of the classroom observation grids (tool # 5), (that compare relatively well to the teacher’s assessment questionnaire), will be introduced in the next paragraph since the variables that have been used, enter the final phase related to the overall thoughts and comments on the training course.
FINAL QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE CONTENTS OF THE COURSE (Including data related to tools teacher’s assessment questionnaire, and tool Classroom observation grids)
The final questionnaire can be regarded as an assessment tool of three fundamental on-line training activities: - The communicative channels opened on the platform; - Students’ perceptions of the teacher and tutor at the end of the course; - The experimentation phase of the virtual agency. Before looking at an interpretation of the data we have collected from the results of the questionnaire, it is important to clarify some guidelines that will allow us to think about a wider context than just the assessment phase and in its connection with the other phases, as well as the tools that have been used in its overall development. Firstly, here is an introduction to the section about communicative devices. In order to make an accurate assessment, we should distinguish between, on the one hand communicative and developmental possibilities and on the other, the challenge presented by the influence of the diversity of cultures of those involved in the assessment. In this sense, where the majority of those who attended the course have assessed the tools with average and above average scores, we have to keep in mind their relative lack of familiarity with this platform in comparison with others who may well have had more experience in its use. As far as the assessment of the pilot phase, the aim of which is to set up a training course, is concerned, we cannot but look back to the different expectations at play of the training activity as a whole, and to the way in which the function of the teacher and of the tutor, have been able to tune in with the afore-said expectations. From this point of view for example, the positive assessment expressed about the function of the teacher and of the tutor, underlines the quality of the relationship established with those who have attended the course. When the Project was originally perceived, plans were put into place to work with a style of collaborative learning which would promote communication and development, but these in fact proved not to be necessary. Let us now look at the outcomes of the questionnaire and consider what these tell us.
104 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 3 quality plan
OBJECT ANALYSIS: COMMUNICATIVE CHANNELS
1. Incoming and outgoing email are logically stored IncomingIncoming/outgoing and outgoing mai emaills are are logicallywell filed stored 0%
27% 1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = very much No answers 73%
2. Is it easy to attach a document to an email?
Is it Iseasy it easy to attach to a attach document a document to an email? to an E-mail?
0% 9%
1 = not at all 2 3 45% 4 5 46% 6 = very much No answers
3. The logical and chronological sequences of interventions and of answers have been clearly visualised
Clear visualization of logical and chronological sequences
e-mail forum
1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent No answers
105 4. Is it easy to see who has sent the email?
Easy to see who has sent the email
e-mail forum
1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent No answers
5. The general graphical setting of a message is clearly understandable
Clearly understandable graphic setting of the message
e-mail forum
1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent No answers
6. The procedures for answering messages are clear
Clear procedures for answering messages
e-mail forum
1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent No answers
106 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 3 quality plan
7. Talking of the obstacles you had to face when using the devices, were they due to: limits of the platform, technological problems or your personal limits when dealing with PCs and technology?
Platform limits 0%
27% 28% 1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 9% 6 = excellent No answers 9% 27%
Tecnological problems 0%
1 = not at all 36% 37% 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent No answers 0% 9% 18%
Personal limits
9%
9% 1 = not at all 2 3 9% 46% 4 5 6 = excellent No answers 18%
0% 9%
107 OBJECT OF THE ANALYSIS: TEACHER AND TUTOR
1. The teacher has been engaged, timely, relevant, stimulating Teacher: engagedpresent 0%
1 = not at all 2 2. The tutor has been: present, timely, relevant, leading3 4 5 6 = excellent No answers 3. Do you think that the actual experimentation phase for a virtual agency is: useful, stimulating,100% involving
Has a teacher judged the timing of the stages of the project well? Teacher: timely
0% 9%
1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent No answers
91%
Has the teacher made the teaching relevant?
Teacher: relevant 0%
1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent No answers
100%
108 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 3 quality plan
Stimulating?
Teacher: stimulating
0% 9%
1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent No answers
91%
2. The tutor has been: engaging, timely, relevant, leading Tutor: engaging
0% 9%
1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent No answers
91%
Tutor: timely
0% 9% 0% 1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent No answers
91%
109 Tutor: relevant
0% 9% 0% 1 = not at all 2 3 4 5 6 = excellent No answers
91% 3. Do you think that the actual experimentation phase for a virtual agency is: useful, stimulating, involving
0% 9%
9% 1 = not at all 2 3 46% 4 5 6 = excellent 36% no
Experimentation phase: stimulating
0% 9%
1 = not at all 2 3 4 55% 36% 5 6 = excellent No answers
110 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 3 quality plan
Experimentation phase: complex
9% 0% 9% 0% 1 = not at all 2 3 4 36% 5 46% 6 = excellent No answers
FINAL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS WHO HAVE FOLLOWED THE TRAINING ACTIVITIES The final questionnaire for the teachers who have followed the training activities has been constructed in such a way as to gather, at the end of the Project’s training course, various opinions and assessments on the said training course, as much as on the whole project. We have thought, in fact, that it would also be useful to investigate, within the view of the evaluation of a process, the communication modalities as they have developed inside the school, in order to understand which stood out most as a facilitator for sharing information.
111
As we can notice from the answers gathered above, the means that was preferred used at school is based on information given about the Project at meetings.
112 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 3 quality plan
113
From the questions listed above we can notice how the suggested training course has been seen by the teachers as being demanding and complex, even if in the majority of cases, the answers settle on the average scores offered by our semantic differential. Finally, the outcomes of the questions related to the application in the classroom of what has been learnt along the course, are quite interesting. They show us the actual effect of the Project on what is “didactically” lived by the teachers who have taken part in the training.
As far as the application in the classroom of the methodologies that teachers have learnt during the training course is concerned, we can notice from the graphic above, how the majority of the teachers involved in the project, has at least sometimes and/or often used them in class, even if we have to report that some have shown a significant resistance to them. The course has been considered meaningful by the majority of the teachers who were involved. This outcome confirms the interest for the teachers in possible future training courses that can increase their knowledge with reference to the use of the new information and communication technologies.
114 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 3 quality plan
The data collected from the monitoring and evaluation phase of the Project highlights several variables that the various phases have in common, that define the fundamental aspects of the suggested developmental model of the ICT-Based Learning project. The first variable is time. Planning, organisational, and subjective time, time as a critical variable that has on occasions meant a lack of attendance by teachers. The second variable is motivation. Data implies that motivation is at its highest for both individuals and groups when the exercise and the reflection are focused on specific experience and has a perceived practical application. It has been thus important to determine, and to consequently design the training course by formulating a proposal that could be as close as possible to the target group’s professional reality and context. The request to introduce on-line didactics and an in-depth study of subjects tied to the use of the new technological tools made available by Web 2.0 within the frame of education and training systems, has to be seen as the most essential point around which the entire project pivots.
115 The results achieved and the data collected finally lead to an overall picture which shows the need and the importance of the monitoring and evaluation phase in complex projects of this type. The monitoring and evaluation activities take on special significance when addressing the specific issue of varied learning such as that provided by our Project (see Chapter 2). Evaluation and assessment methodology that the project has implemented is based on the following principles and evidence: - The focus on the quality of the implemented processes (learning, communication, negotiation and group interaction), rather than the outcomes. It is configured as a monitoring process which ensures that an evaluation of the learning outcomes will be done in terms of skills rather than knowledge; - The transversal dimension of the assessment process that accompanies all stages of the development and implementation of the training activities, is not limited to an initial questionnaire (collection profile and expectations) and or a final (satisfaction level and learning outcomes) survey. Monitoring is the continuous process of assessing the status of the Project’s implementation in relation to the approved work plan and expected results. The constant monitoring of the activities during the Project’s implementation is used as an instrument of control, as one can adapt strategies accordingly whilst avoiding past mistakes; - There is the direct involvement of the training participants in the evaluation, who guarantee, an equilibrium between objective and subjective factors, as well as an assumption of responsibility in the process; - The use of participatory monitoring mechanisms to ensure engagement, ownership, follow -up, and feedback on performance; - The integration between qualitative and quantitative approach in the construction and implementation of tools for data collection; - The constant monitoring of the technological resources (Moodle) available for the on-line learning according to their ease of use, compared to the ICT skills of the beneficiaries of the training. The aim is to make it easier for the user to access the learning content. Good planning, monitoring and evaluation enhance the contribution of the Project by establishing clear links between past, present and future initiatives. Monitoring and evaluation can help an organisation extract relevant information from on-going activities that can be used as the basis for systematic fine-tuning, re-orientation and future planning. Without effective planning, monitoring and evaluation, it would be impossible to judge if work is going in the right direction, whether progress and success can be claimed and how future efforts might be improved. The results achieved would not have been possible without the collaboration of all partners involved in the process of implementation and evaluation of the project. We believe this to be a necessary and indispensable condition for the success of highly structured initiatives like the one we are describing in this publication.
116 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 3 quality plan
117 ConClusion
As indicated in the project title “ Information and communications technologies to support new ways of lifelong learning”, the main aim of the project was that training and learning activities carried out by the transnational partnership would be shared via innovative paths and methodologies of ICT-based content, services, pedagogies and practice for lifelong learning, in order to support improvements in quality and innovation in vocational education and training (VET) systems, institutions and practices. The Project was conceived and has been implemented taking as reference the acquis communautaire in the areas of Lifelong Learning and Information Society and Media, as well as on the didactic principle of “learning by doing”, in order to develop the skills and competences of VET teachers, trainers and tutors Europe-wide. This publication, which represents the final Project output, contains the main results of the transfer of our experience of sharing and it was meant as a useful set of methodological guidelines for all our Project target groups (teachers, trainers, learners, schools and all interested participants). From this perspective, we hope that this publication can contribute to solicit the specific learning and teaching motivations of all its potential users, as well as activate further networking processes among the Project stakeholders for a fruitful mutual exchange of innovative practices hopefully beyond the life-cycle of the Project for the benefit of our educational and training systems. The results, products and material of the Project are a common heritage of the organisations that have promoted the sharing of innovative ways of working. The engagement of the partnership is to continue with the collaboration on the themes of the present project by strengthening collaboration among the schools, the
117 vocational centres, and the representative organisations (for example FIDAE, SGEC, and CESEW). This is what Fidae is doing in Italy, where it is promoting networking with other partners. The funding of 20 training courses based on the contents of this project “Information and communications technologies to support new ways of lifelong learning” has supported the training of teachers and trainers from around 40 schools and vocational training centres. Finally, we would very much appreciate any feedback and would really like to find new opportunities for collaboration in this field!
The project partners
118 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 APPENDIX bIblIography
AA.VV., A scuola con i media digitali, Problemi, didattiche, strumenti. Con CD-ROM, Vita e Pensiero AA.VV., Abitanti della rete. Giovani, relazioni e affetti nell’epoca digitale, Vita e Pensiero AA.VV., Ambienti di apprendimento e nuove tecnologie. Nuove applicazioni della didattica costruttivista nella scuola, Centro Studi Erickson AA.VV., Aspetti emotivi e relazionali nell’e-learning, Firenze University Press AA.VV., Capire i New Media. Culture, comunicazione, innovazione tecnologica e istituzioni sociali, Hoepli AA.VV., Che cos’è l’e-learning, Carocci AA.VV., Children and youth in the digital media culture. From a Nordic horizon, Nordicom AA.VV., Comunità in rete e Net Learning. Innovazione dei sistemi organizzativi e processi di apprendimento nelle comunità virtuali, Etas AA.VV., Cybersociety 2.0. Revisiting Computer-Mediated Community and Technology (New Media Cultures), Sage Publications, Inc AA.VV., Dal Web 2.0 ai Media Sociali. Tracce e percorsi della partecipazione in rete, CSP Innovazione nelle ICT S.c.a.r.l. AA.VV., Didattica costruttivista e ipermedia, Franco Angeli AA.VV., Didattica in rete. Internet, telematica e cooperazione educativa, Garamond AA.VV., Educare per i media. Strumenti e metodi per la formazione del media educator, ISU Università Cattolica AA.VV., E-learning. Comunicazione mediata e presenziale, Bononia University Press AA.VV., E-learning. Riflessioni sulla didattica e sull’innovazione in università, Università di Trento AA.VV., E-learning. Teorie dell’apprendimento e modelli della conoscenza, Guerini Scientifica AA.VV., E-learning. Strategie per lo sviluppo delle competenze, Apogeo AA.VV., E-Learning 2.0, Centro Studi Erickson AA.VV., E-learning: ricerca e modelli operativi. L’esperienza dell’Università Cattolica, Vita e Pensiero AA.VV., E-learning: strumenti e modelli per la formazione, Forum Edizioni AA.VV., E-tutor. Profilo, metodi e strumenti, Carocci AA.VV., e-Tutoring. Teorie, strumenti e prassi per il tutor online, Barbieri AA.VV., I rag@zzi del Web. I preadolescenti e Internet: una ricerca, Vita e Pensiero
121 AA.VV., Information computer technology. Cultura formazione apprendimento, Unicopli AA.VV., La classe virtuale. Teorie, strumenti e prassi per l’apprendimento on-line + CD-Rom, Barbieri AA.VV., La progettazione formativa per l’e-learning. Modelli, strumenti e prassi per l’Instructional Designer + CD-Rom, Barbieri AA.VV., Le tecnologie nella didattica. Lo stato dell’arte all’inizio del nuovo millennio, Erickson AA.VV., Learning and teaching with electronic games, AACE AA.VV., Mestiere: progettista di formazione, Carocci AA.VV., Modelli e tecnologie della formazione in rete, Edizioni Mercurio AA.VV., Mondi digitali. Riflessioni e analisi sul digital divide, Guerini e Associati AA.VV., Multimedialità e comunicazione formativa. Verso l’innovazione del processo insegnamento- apprendimento, Franco Angeli AA.VV., Net learning. Imparare insieme attraverso la rete, Etas AA.VV., Nuove didattiche. Linee di ricerca e proposte formative, La Scuola AA.VV., Nuove tecnologie per l’apprendimento. Guida all’uso del computer per insegnanti e formatori, Garamond AA.VV., Open Sources. Voci dalla rivoluzione, Apogeo AA.VV., Pedagogie dell’e-learning, Laterza AA.VV., Primi passi nella media education. Curricolo di educazione ai media per la scuola primaria, Centro Studi Erickson AA.VV., Principi di comunicazione visiva e multimediale. Fare didattica con le immagini, Carocci AA.VV., Scuole in rete. Soluzioni open source e modelli UML, Franco Angeli AA.VV., Tecniche e significati. Linee per una nuova didattica formativa, Vita e Pensiero AA.VV., Tecnologie dell’educazione e innovazione didattica, Edizioni Junior AA.VV., Tecnologie e processi cognitivi. Insegnare ed apprendere con la multimedialità, Franco Angeli AA.VV., Tecnologie per la didattica. Dai fondamenti dell’antropologia multimediale all’azione educativa, Franco Angeli AA.VV., Tecnologie, formazione, professioni. Idee e tecniche per l’innovazione, Unicopli AA.VV., Web 2.0 e social networking. Nuovi paradigmi per la formazione, Edizioni Erickson Anichini Alessandra, Il testo digitale. Leggere e scrivere nell’epoca dei nuovi media, Apogeo Anolli Luigi, Mantovani Fabrizia, Come funziona la nostra mente. Apprendimento, simulazione e Serious Games, Il Mulino Ardizzone Paolo, Barbara Oliveto, Il docente facilitato. Blended learning nella didattica universitaria: una ricerca, Unicopli Ardizzone Paolo, Rivoltella Pier Cesare, Media e tecnologie per la didattica, Vita e Pensiero Baldascino Roberto, LIM - Ambienti Integrati di Apprendimento, Costruire contesti per sviluppare competenze, Tecnodid Bannan-Ritland Brenda, Dabbagh Nada, Online Learning, Concepts, Strategies, and Application, Prentice Hall Banzato Monica, Apprendere in rete. Modelli e strumenti per l’e-learning, UTET Università
122 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Banzato Monica, Formazione on line, Per le Scuole superiori, Elemond Scuola , Azienda Barca Daniele, Camizzi Loredana, Produzione del testo con la LIM nella scuola secondaria di primo grado, Centro Studi Erickson Bellagente Massimo, Elearning e creazione della conoscenza. Una metodologia per progettare la formazione a distanza, Franco Angeli Biondi Giovanni, La scuola dopo le nuove tecnologie, Apogeo Biondi Giovanni, LIM. A scuola con la Lavagna interattiva Multimediale, Giunti Bocca Giorgio, Fare FaD, Vita e Pensiero Bocca Giorgio, Oltre Gutenberg. Prospettive educative dell’istruzione a distanza, Vita e Pensiero Bolondi Giorgio, Storai Francesca, Orlandoni Aurelia, Geometria con la Lim nella scuola primaria, , Erickson Bombi Raffaella, L’e-learning e la sua lingua speciale, Aracne Bonaiuti Giovanni, Didattica attiva con i video digitali. Metodi, tecnologie, strumenti per apprendere in classe e in rete, Centro Studi Erickson Bonaiuti Giovanni, Didattica attiva con la LIM. Metodologie, strumenti e materiali per la Lavagna Interattiva Multimediale, Centro Studi Erickson Bonk Curtis Jay, King Kira, Electronic Collaborators, Learner-centered Technologies for Literacy, Apprenticeship, and Discourse, LEA Bruni Filippo, Blog e didattica. Una risorsa del web 2.0 per i processi di insegnamento, EUM Edizioni dell’Università di Macerata Bruschi Barbara, Tecnologie dell’istruzione e nuove didattiche, Tirrenia-Stampatori Bruschi Barbara, Cagni Giuseppe, Parola Alberto, E-learning nelle scuole superiori, Una sperimentazione sul campo in Piemonte, Aracne Bruschi Barbara, Lucia Ercole, Strategie per l’e-learning. Progettare e valutare la formazione on-line, Carocci Buckingham David, Media education. Alfabetizzazione, apprendimento e cultura contemporanea, Centro Studi Erickson Caburlotto Filippo, Anzalone Francesca, E-learning. Comunicare e formarsi online, Lupetti Cacciamani Stefano, Ligorio Beatrice, Cesareni Donatella, Blended learning. Dalla scuola dell’obbligo alla formazione adulta, Carocci Calvani Antonio, Che cos’è la tecnologia dell’educazione, Carocci Calvani Antonio, Educazione, comunicazione e nuovi media. Sfide pedagogiche e cyberspazio, UTET Università Calvani Antonio, I nuovi media nella scuola, Perché, come, quando avvalersene, Carocci Calvani Antonio, Manuale di tecnologie dell’educazione, ETS Calvani Antonio, Rete, comunità e conoscenza, Costruire e gestire dinamiche collaborative, Centro Studi Erickson Calvani Antonio, Maragliano Roberto, Strumenti di didattica multimediale, Garamond Cantoia Manuela, Antonietti Alessandro, Imparare con il computer, Come costruire contesti di apprendimento per il software, Centro Studi Erickson Carmine, Marinucci, Stefano Epifani, E-learning nella scuola, La Scuola
123 Caronia Letizia, Caron Andrè, Crescere senza fil. I nuovi riti dell’interazione sociale, Cortina Raffaello Carr-Chellman Alison, Global Perspectives on E-Learning. Rhetoric and Reality, Sage Publications Colazzo Salvatore, Insegnare ed apprendere in rete, Amaltea Edizioni Colazzo Salvatore, Celentano Maria Grazia, L’apprendimento digitale. Prospettive tecnologiche e pedagogiche dell’e-learning, Carocci Conrad Rita-Marie, Donaldson Ana, Engaging the Online Learner. Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction, Jossey-Bass Cornoldi Cesare, Francesca Pazzaglia, Nicola Mammarella, Psicologia dell’apprendimento multimediale. E-learning e nuove tecnologie, Il Mulino Cortoni Ida, Gennaro Cavallo, Tecnologie comunicative e nuovi percorsi didattici. Scenari per la scuola del domani, Ellissi Cremascoli Ferdinanda, Gualdoni Mara, La lavagna elettronica. Guida all’insegnamento multimediale, Laterza Cristiana Ottaviano, Corsi Elena, Le nuove tecnologie didattiche: dotazione strutturale e fabbisogni formativi degli insegnanti. Un’indagine nelle scuole medie di Milano, Franco Angeli Crosta Lucilla, Paola Novellini, ELearning fra apprendimento e insegnamento. Dimensioni etiche e linee formative, Vita e Pensiero De Vita Adriano, E-learning: parole e concetti. Glossario ragionato della formazione e del lavoro in rete, Franco Angeli Devoti Anna, Raviolo Paolo, L’ e-learning nell’insegnamento universitario. Itinerari, strumenti, esperienze, Euroma La Goliardica Doglio Mauro, Media e scuola, Insegnare nell’epoca della comunicazione, Lupetti Dooley Kim, Dooley Larry, Lindner James, Advanced Methods in Distance Education, Applications and Practices for Educators, Administrators and Learners, Information Science Publishing Driscoll Margaret, Web-Based Training. Using Technology to Design Adult Learning Experiences, Jossey-Bass Fadini Bruno, Andronico Alfio, Chianese Angelo, E-learning. Metodi, strumenti ed esperienze a confronto, Liguori Fata Anna, Aspetti psicologici della formazione a distanza, Franco Angeli Felini Damiano, Pedagogia dei media. Questioni, percorsi e sviluppi, La Scuola Ferri Paolo, E-learning. Didattica, comunicazione e tecnologie digitali, Edumond Le Monnier Ferri Paolo, La scuola digitale. Come le nuove tecnologie cambiano la formazione, Bruno Mondadori Ferri Paolo, Nativi digitali, Bruno Mondadori Ferri Paolo, Teoria e tecniche dei nuovi media, Pensare, formare, lavorare nell’epoca della rivoluzione digitale, Guerini e Associati Ferri Paolo, Mantovani Susanna, Bambini e computer, Alla scoperta delle nuove tecnologie a scuola e in famiglia, ETAS Ferri Paolo, Mantovani Susanna, Digital kids, Come i bambini usano il computer e come potrebbero usarlo genitori e insegnanti, ETAS Libri Ferri Paolo, Scenini Francesca, Mizzella Stefano, Nuovi media e Web 2.0, Guerini Scientifica Fierli Mario, Tecnologie per l’educazione, Laterza
124 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Frabboni Franco, Baldacci Massimo, Plantamura Vito, Il computer a scuola: risorsa o insidia? Per una pedagogia critica dell’e-learning, Franco Angeli Fragnito Riccardo, Computer e interazioni educative, La Scuola Friso Chiara, La scuola davanti al blog. Tecnologie di rete per la didattica, SEI Fusco Paolo, E-learning. Teorie, metodi e strumenti per Moodle, Aracne Gaggiolo Amedeo, Educazione musicale e nuove tecnologie, EDT Galliani Luciano, La scuola in rete, Laterza Ganino Giovanni, Immagini per la didattica, metodologie e tecnologie dell’audiovisivo digitale, Anicia Garavaglia Andrea, Ambienti per l’apprendimento in rete: gli spazi dell’e-learning, Junior Garavaglia Andrea, Didattica on line, Dai modelli alle tecniche, Unicopli Gasperetti Marco, Il computer a scuola. Guida all’insegnamento con le nuove tecnologie, Apogeo Gasperetti Marco, Il computer in classe, Garamond Gillani Bijan, Learning Theories and the Design of E-Learning Environments, University Press of America Granieri Giuseppe, Blog generation, Laterza Granieri Giuseppe, La società digitale, Laterza Grollo Marco, Emanuela Nardo, Educare con i media. Dalle competenze orizzontali alla consapevolezza, Junior Gui Marco, Le “competenze digitali”. Le complesse capacità d ’ u s o d e i n u o v i m e d i a e l e d i s p a r i t à nel loro possesso, ScriptaWeb Huda Khan Badrul, Managing E-Learning Strategies. Design, Delivery, Implementation and Evaluation, Information Science Publishing Horton Sarah, Web Teaching Guide. A Practical Approach to Creating Course Web Sites, Yale University Press Infantino Maria Giaele, Santambrogio Gianni, Il professor computer. Nuove tecnologie nella didattica delle lettere, Carocci Inglis Ling, Delivering Digitall. Managing the Transition to the Knowledge Media (Open and Distance Learning Series), FALMER/KP Johnson David, Johnson Roger, Learning Together and Alone-Cooperative, Competitive, and Individualistic Learning (5th Edition), Allyn, Bacon Jonassen David, Marra Rose, Moore Joi, Howland Jane, Roberts Jane, Learning to Solve Problems with Technology. A Constructivist Perspective, Prentice Hall Kearsley Greg, Online Learning. Personal Reflections On The Transformation Of Education, Educational Technology Publications Keegan Desmond, Theoretical principles of distance education, Routledge Khan Badrul, E-learning: progettazione e gestione, Centro Studi Erickson Kolodner Janet, Case-Based Learning, Springer Kolodner Janet, Case-Based Reasoning, Morgan Kaufmann Koschmann Timothy, Hall Rogers, Miyake Naomi, CSCL 2, Carrying Forward the Conversation (Computers, Cognition, and Work), Lawrence Erlbaum
125 La Noce Filippo, E-learning, La nuova frontiera della formazione, Franco Angeli Laici Chiara, Nuovi ambienti di apprendimento per l’e-learning, Morlacchi Laici Chiara, Falcinelli Floriana, E-learning e formazione degli insegnanti. Un ambiente collaborativo per la costruzione condivisa della professionalità docente, Aracne Landriscina Franco, La simulazione nell’apprendimento. Quando e come avvalersene, Centro Studi Erickson Lave Jane, Situated Learning. Legitimate Peripheral Participation, Cambridge University Press Ligorio Beatrice, Apprendimento e collaborazione in ambienti di realtà virtuale. Teoria, metodi, tecniche ed esperienze, Garamond Ligorio Beatrice, Guida alla comunicazione virtuale, Idelson-Gnocchi Livingstone Sonia, Ragazzi online, Crescere con internet nella società digitale, Vita , Pensiero Maistrello Sergio, La parte abitata della Rete, , Tecniche Nuove Maragliano Roberto, Nuovo manuale di didattica multimediale, Con CD-ROM, Laterza Maragliano Roberto, Tre ipertesti su multimedialità e formazione, Laterza Marini Giulio, E-learning. Apprendimento e internet dopo lo sboom della new economy, Aracne Martinotti Guido, Dal Fiore Filippo, E-learning, McGraw-Hill Companies Mason Robin, E-Learning and Social Networking Handbook, Designing Distributed Learning, Routledge Matteuzzi Maurizio, Banzato Monica, Galliani Luciano, Reti telematiche e open learning, Pensa Multimedia Matysiak, Jean-Claude, Valleur Marc, Sesso, passione e videogiochi. Le nuove forme di dipendenza, Bollati Boringhieri McConnell Davi, Implementing Computer Supported CO-Operative Learning 2nd Ed, Routledge McGee Patricia, Carmean Colleen, Jafari Ali, Course Management Systems For Learning. Beyond Accidental Pedagogy, Information Science Publishing Menduni Enrico, Educare alla multimedialità, Giunti Editore Metitieri Fabio, Il grande inganno del Web 2.0, Laterza Midoro Vittorio, E-learning, Menabò Morcellini Mario, Cortoni Ida, Provaci ancora, scuola! Media education e sociologia dell’educazione, Centro Studi Erickson Morena Terraschi, Stefano Penge, Ambienti digitali per l’apprendimento. Perché e come fare formazione on-line, Anicia Nirchi Stefania, Formazione e-learning e percorsi modulari. La scrittura dei materiali didattici, Aracne Ong Walter, Oralità e scrittura, Le tecnologie della parola, Il Mulino Orazi Roberto, Il contributo delle nuove tecnologie nella didattica: e-learning, Morlacchi Ottaviano Cristiana, Media, scuola e società, Insegnare nell’età della comunicazione, Carocci Paccagnella Luciano, La comunicazione al computer, Sociologia delle reti telematiche, Il Mulino Palfrey John, Gasser Urs, Nati con la rete, La prima generazione cresciuta su Internet. Istruzioni per l’uso, Rizzoli Panciroli Chiara, E-learning e formazione degli insegnanti, Junior
126 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Panciroli Chiara, Caprara Barbara, Luisella Romano, Il giornale virtuale. Esperimenti in rete per la comunicazione interscolastica, Junior Paoletti Leandro, Fadol, La formazione a distanza on-line, Edizioni Giuridiche Simone Papert Seymour, I bambini e il computer, Rizzoli Parigi Laura, Firenzuoli Valentina, Saura Valeria, Lessico con la LIM nella scuola primaria, Erickson Parola Alberto, Territori mediaeducativi. Scenari, sperimentazioni e progetti nella scuola e nell’extrascuola, Centro Studi Erickson Parricchi Monica, Tecnologie della comunicazione e metodologie E-Learning in università, Un processo evolutivo per le scienze umane, Vita e Pensiero Pavesi Nicoletta, Media education. Una prospettiva sociologica, Franco Angeli Pellegrino Vincenza, De Clemente Sabrina, Tecnologie dell’istruzione e dell’apprendimento, Anicia Perissinotto Alessandro, Bruschi Barbara, Come creare corsi on line, Carocci Petrucco Corrado, Didattica dei social software e del Web 2.0, Cleup Petrucco Corrado, Internet per la didattica. Dialogare a scuola col mondo, Apogeo Petrucco Corrado, De Rossi Marina, Narrare con il digital storytelling a scuola e nelle organizzazioni, Carocci Pian Alberto, Didattica con il podcasting, Laterza Piave Nicolò Antonio, Iadecola Giusina, L’e-learning fra ambiente di apprendimento e comunità virtuale, Effe Elle Pierluigi Fontanesi, E-learning, Tecniche Nuove Pinnelli Stefania, Informatica ed educazione. Tecnologie didattiche per operatori della formazione, Pensa Multimedia Pinnelli Stefania, Le tecnologie nei contesti educativi, Carocci Pratt, Keith, Palloff Rena, Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace. Effective Strategies for the Online Classroom (The Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education Series), Jossey-Bass Pratt, Keith, Palloff Rena, Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom. The Realities of Online Teaching (Jossey Bass Higher and Adult Education Series), Jossey-Bass Prensky Marc, Teaching Digital Natives. Partnering for Real Learning, Corwin Press Ranieri Maria, E-learning: modelli e strategie didattiche, Centro Studi Erickson Ranieri Maria, Le insidie dell’ovvio. Tecnologie educative e critica della retorica tecnocentrica, ETS Ranieri Maria, Calvani Antonio, Fini Antonio, La competenza digitale. Metodi e strumenti per valutarla e svilupparla, Centro Studi Erickson Ranieri Maria, Calvani Antonio, Fini Antonio, Valutare la competenza digitale. Prove per la scuola primaria e secondaria, Erickson Ranieri Maria, Rotta Mario, E-tutor: identità e competenze. Un profilo professionale per l’e-learning, Centro Studi Erickson Rasetti Marta, Il computer nella scuola dell’infanzia. Esperienze didattiche con l’aiuto delle nuove tecnologie, Edizioni del Cerro Riva Giuseppe, I social network, Il Mulino Riva Giuseppe, Psicologia dei nuovi media, Il Mulino
127 Rivoltella Pier Cesare, Costruttivismo e pragmatica della comunicazione on line. Socialità e didattica in Internet, Centro Studi Erickson Rivoltella Pier Cesare, Media education. Fondamenti didattici e prospettive di ricerca, La Scuola Rivoltella Pier Cesare, Media education. Modelli, esperienze, profilo disciplinare, Carocci Rivoltella Pier Cesare, Neurodidattica. Insegnare al cervello che apprende, Raffaello Cortina Rivoltella Pier Cesare, Screen generation. Gli adolescenti e le prospettive dell’educazione nell’età dei media digitali, Vita e Pensiero Rivoltella Pier Cesare, Scuola, formazione, tecnologie didattiche. Un modello di formazione integrata per gli Istituti religiosi socio-educativi, Vita e Pensiero Rivoltella Pier Cesare, Ajello Anna Maria, Brancati Daniela, Il guinzaglio elettronico. Il telefono cellulare tra genitori e figli, Donzelli Rivoltella Pier Cesare, Ardizzone Paolo, Didattiche per l’e-learning. Metodi e strumenti per l’innovazione dell’insegnamento universitario, Carocci Roberts Tim, Online Collaborative Learning. Theory and Practice, Information Science Publishing Rosenberg Marc, Beyond E-Learning. Approaches and Technologies to Enhance Organizational Knowledge, Learning, and Performance, Pfeiffer Rossi Pier Giuseppe, Crispiani Piero, E-learning. Formazione, modelli, proposte, Armando Rossi Pier Giuseppe, Giannandrea Lorella, Che cos’è l’e-portfolio, Carocci Rotta, Mario, Calvani Antonio, Comunicazione e apprendimento in Internet. Didattica costruttivistica in rete, Centro Studi Erickson Rotta, Mario, Calvani Antonio, Fare formazione in Internet. Manuale di didattica online, Centro Studi Erickson Salmon Gilly, E-Moderating. The Key to Teaching and Learning Online (Open and Distance Learning Series), Routledge Schank Roger, Il computer cognitivo. Linguaggio, apprendimento e intelligenza artificiale, Giunti Editore Schank Roger, Lessons in Learning. E-Learning, and Training, Perspectives and Guidance for the Enlightened Trainer, Pfeiffer Schank Roger, Making Minds Less Well Educated Than Our Own, Lawrence Elbaum Associates Schweizer Heidi, Designing and Teaching an On-Line Course. Spinning Your Web Classroom, Allyn, Bacon Selvaggi Silvia, Sicignano Gennaro, Vollono Enrico, E-learning. Nuovi strumenti per insegnare, apprendere, comunicare online, Springer Verlag Shank Patti, Carliner Saul, The E-Learning Handbook. A Comprehensive Guide to Online Learning, Pfeiffer Tanoni Italo, Foglia Enrico, Rita Teso, Nuove tecnologie e scuola di base, Carocci Trentin Guglielmo, Apprendimento in rete e condivisione delle conoscenze. Ruolo, dinamiche e tecnologie delle comunità professionali on-line, Franco Angeli Trentin Guglielmo, Dalla formazione a distanza all’apprendimento in rete, Franco Angeli Trentin Guglielmo, Insegnare e apprendere in rete, Prospettive didattiche, Zanichelli Trentin Guglielmo, La sostenibilità didattico-formativa dell’e-learning. Social networking e
128 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 BIBLIOGRAPHY
apprendimento attivo, Franco Angeli Trinchero Roberto, Valutare l’apprendimento nell’e-learning. Dalle abilità alle competenze, Centro Studi Erickson Ugolini Francesco, Esperienze di e-learning nell’istruzione superiore in Europa. Un nuovo case study. L’Università di Zurigo, Aracne Varisco Bianca Maria, Valentina Grion, Apprendimento e tecnologie nella scuola di base, UTET Università Vocaturo Eugenio, E-learning formazione in rete, Edizioni Master Wallace Patricia, La psicologia di Internet, Cortina Raffaello White Ken, Weight Bob, The Online Teaching Guide, A Handbook of Attitudes, Strategies, and Techniques for the Virtual Classroom, Allyn , Bacon Zambotti Francesco, Didattica inclusiva con la LIM. Strategie e materiali per l’individualizzazione. Con CD-ROM, Centro Studi Erickson
129 sItography
websIte subject
http://www.dot-brain.com/ brain http://www.3dancientwonders.com/ 3D Ancient Wonders http://www.thegameconsole.com/ A history of home video games http://www.addictinggames.com/ AddictingGames http://www.adventure-hall.com/ Adventure Hall http://www.aesvi.it/ AESVI http://www.algodoo.com/wiki/Home Algodoo http://aliveed.com/ ALIVE - Augmented LEarning & Immersive Virtual Environment http://www.atimod.com/index.shtml All Things in Moderation http://www.altratv.tv/ AltraTV http://www.aml.ca/home/ AML - Association for Media Literacy http://www.angils.org/ ANGILS http://www.apprendereconletecnologie.it/ Learning with Technologies http://www.arcade-history.com/ Arcade history http://arsludica.org/ Ars Ludica http://www.askaboutgames.com/ Ask about games http://www.atutor.ca/ ATutor http://www.avataratschool.eu/ Avatar@School http://badoo.com/ Badoo! http://www.ragazzinewmedia.com/ Children, boys and New Media http://www.bambini.it/ Children: Games for kids http://www.bancadellamemoria.it/ Memory bank http://www.becta.org.uk/ Becta http://www.bibliotecadigitaleitaliana.it/genera.jsp Italian Digital Library http://www.blogmagazine.net/ BlogMagazine http://www.box.net/ Box
131 websIte subject
http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/fr_main.htm BSC Exchange http://www.casualconnect.org/ Casual Connect http://casualgameblogs.com/ Casual Game Blogs http://www.casualgamesassociation.org/ Casual Games Association http://game.itu.dk/index.php/about Center for Computer Games Research Copenhagen http://game.itu.dk/ Center for Computer Games Research Copenhagen http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/ Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies http://cinemascuola.blogspot.com/ Laboratory of Audiovisual Languages http://www.cinemaevideogiochi.com/ Movies and Video Games http://www.claroline.net/ Claroline http://www.classroom20.com/ Classroom 2.0 http://www.clemi.org/ CLEMI https://www.clipperz.com/beta/index.html?language=it-IT Clipperz http://www.commonsensemedia.org/ Common Sense Media http://cger.akpeters.com/ Computer Game Education Review http://www.comunicareinrete.com/ Communication on the Internet http://www.themeter.net/ Tables of conversions of the units of measure of the metric and Anglo-Saxon system in the International System units http://www.coolstreaming.us/hp.php?lang=it CoolStreaming http://www.cortoons.it/ Cortoons http://www.crashonline.org.uk/ Crash http://creativecommons.org/ Creative Commons http://www.cremit.it/ Cremit http://www.crescerecreativamente.org/ Crescere Creativamente http://www.criticalgamer.co.uk/ Critical Gamer http://www.crossingtv.it/ CrossingTV http://www.cross-media.it/ Cross-media http://www.culturaitalia.it/ Italian culture http://didapat.it/j/ Didapat - New technologies for teaching http://www.digra.org/ Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) http://digitallearning.macfound.org/ Digital Media and Learning - MacArthur Foundation http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu/ Digital Youth Research http://www.diigo.com/ Diigo http://www.docebo.org/ Docebo http://www.dokeos.com/ Dokeos http://www.doodle.com/ Doodle
132 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 SITOGRAPHY
websIte subject http://doodle.com/main.html Doodle http://www.dschola.it/tv/ Dschola TV http://e-adventure.e-ucm.es/ e-Adventure http://www.eblib.com/ Ebook Library - Home http://www.edmodo.com/home Edmodo http://www.educationduepuntozero.it/ Education 2.0 http://edugamesblog.wordpress.com/ Educational Games Research http://www.edu-tech.it/ Edu-Tech http://www.qualityfoundation.org/ww/en/pub/efquel/index.htm EFQUEL E u r o p e a n F o u n d a t i o n f o r Q u a l i t y i n e L e a r n i n g http://www.tc.columbia.edu/centers/gamesresearchlab/ EGGPLANT Games Research Lab @ Teachers College http://www.elearnmag.org/ eLearn Magazine http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/ e-Learning Centre http://www.elearningeuropa.info/main/index.php?page=home eLearning Europa.info http://www.e-learningguru.com/ e-Learning Guru http://www.elearningpapers.eu/index.php?page=home eLearning Papers http://www.elearning-reviews.org/ eLearning Reviews http://www.e-learning2.it/ e-learning2.it http://www.handheldmuseum.com/ Electronic handheld game museum http://www.elgg.org/ Elgg http://www.elspa.com/ ELSPA Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers As-sociation http://www.eludamos.org/index.php/eludamos/index Eludamos J o u r n a l f o r C o m p u t e r G a m e C u l t u r e http://www.engagelearning.eu/ Engage learning http://www.theeca.com/ Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) http://www.theesa.com/ ESA http://www.seriousgames.it/ ESSEGI - Serious Games http://www.eternalgamer.com/ EternalGamer http://www.etutorcommunity.org/ eTutor Community http://www.eukidsonline.net/ EU Kids online http://www.euromedialiteracy.eu/ European Charter for Media Literacy http://www.eun.org/portal/index.htm European Schoolnet Transforming education in Europe http://www.everyeye.it/ Everyeye http://www.exelearning.org/ eXe - eLearning XHTML editor
133 websIte subject
http://www.famundo.com/ Famundo http://www.foundationsofdigitalgames.org/ FDG - Foundations of Digital Games http://www.filebook.net/ FileBook - Free eBooks download http://www.filmtracks.com/ Filmtracks http://www.flosscom.net/ FLOSScom http://folding.stanford.edu/Italian/HomePage Folding@Home http://fold.it/ Foldit - Solve puzzles for science http://www.forkids.it/ Forkids http://formare.erickson.it/ Form@re http://www.gnu.org/ FSF - Free Software Foundation http://www.fng2010.org/ Fun ‘n games 2010 http://egenfeldt.eu/blog/ Future of game-based Learning http://www.cetis.ac.uk/ Future VLE - The Visual Version http://www.gamasutra.com/ Gamasutra http://www.gamejournal.it/ GAME - The italian journal of game studies http://www.gamebasedlearning.org.uk/ Game Based Learning http://www.gameclassification.com/ Game Classification http://www.gamedesigncampus.com/ Game Design Campus http://www.gamesindustry.com/home Game Industry http://www.gamelearning.net/ Game Learning http://game.unimore.it/ Game Philosophy http://www.gameplayer.it/ Game player http://www.game-research.com/ Game Research http://www.gamescenes.org/ Game Scenes http://www.filepie.us/?title=Game_studies Game studies http://gamestudies.org/ Game Studies http://www.gamecultura.com.br/ Gamecultura http://www.gamegirlz.com/ GameGirlz http://www.gameology.org/ Gameology http://gamepolitics.com/ GamePolitics http://gpfamily.blogfaction.com/ GamePro Family http://www.gameprof.com/ GameProf http://www.gamingwithchildren.com/ GamerDad: Gaming with Children http://www.games.it/ Games http://www.costik.com/weblog/ Games * Design * Art * Culture http://gamesanatomy.com/ Games Anatomy
134 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 SITOGRAPHY
websIte subject http://www.gamesforchange.org/ Games for Change (G4C) http://games.eun.org/ Games in Schools http://www.gamesindustry.com/ Games industry http://www.glsconference.org/2010/ Games Learning Society Conference http://www.gamesparentsteachers.com/ Games Parents Teachers http://www.digiplay.info/bibliography Games Research Bibliography http://www.gamescollection.it/ Games Collection http://www.gamesindustry.biz/ Games Industry http://www.gameslab.it/ Games Lab http://www.gamessound.com/ Games Sound http://gamestudies.org/0701 Gamestudies http://www.gamevisioneurope.eu/ Game Vision http://www.gamifyingeducation.org/ Gamifying Education http://www.glogster.com/ Glogster http://www.gameslearningsociety.org/ GLS - Games + Learning + Society http://goanimate.com/ GoAnimate http://www.googleartproject.com/it/ Google Art Project http://www.grandtheftchildhood.com/GTC/Home.html Grand Theft Childhood? http://www.grandparentgames.com/ Grandparent Games http://www.huddle.net/ Huddle http://www.bogost.com/ Ian Bogost http://ijcscl.org/ IJCSCL I n t e r n a t i o n a l J o u r n a l o f C o m p u t e r - S u p p o r t e d C o l l a b o r a t i v e L e a r n i n g http://www3.wlv.ac.uk/ijigs/About.aspx IJIGS International Journal of Intelligent Games & Simulation http://www.ilmediario.it/ il Mediario http://www.ilias.de/ios/ ILIAS http://www.igf.com/index.html Independent Games Festival http://www.indiegames.com/ Indiegames http://www.insegnalo.it/ Social learning http://www.insidesocialgames.com/ Inside Social Games http://www.insidethegame.it/ Inside the game http://insight.eun.org/ww/en/pub/insight/index.htm Insight http://www.futureofthebook.org/ Institute for the Future of the Book http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijcgt/ International Journal of Computer Games Technology http://www.internetculturale.it/ Internet Culturale
135 websIte subject
http://www.tlrp.org/proj/phase111/Scot_extc.html InterPlay: Play, Learning and ICT in Pre-School Education http://www.isfe-eu.org/ ISFE http://www.isls.org/ ISLS - International Society of the Learning Sciences http://www.jamespaulgee.com/ James Paul Gee http://www.jesperjuul.net/ Jesper Juul http://www.jff.de/index.php JFF - Institut für Medienpädagogik in Forschung und Praxis http://jmle.org/ Journal of Media Literacy Education http://www.gamersmob.com/ Katie Salen http://e-learning.dti.unimi.it/Portale/rivista/ Review of FormareNetwork http://www.lascuolaconvoi.it/ Web site devoted to school http://www.learn2lead.unina.it/ Learn to lead http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/ictineducation/gamesbasedlearning/index.asp Learning and Teaching Scotland - Games-Based Learning http://www.learningcircuits.org/ Learning Circuits http://www.learningame.org/ Learning Game http://lgi.mesmernet.org/ Learning Games Initiative http://www.learninggamesnetwork.org/ Learning Games Network http://www.learninginvideogames.com/ Learning in Video Games http://lexipedia.com/ Lexipedia http://www.limesurvey.org/ LimeSurvey http://www.livestream.com/ Livestream http://www.logic-sunrise.com/ Logic-Sunrise http://www.logivali.itd.cnr.it/ LogiVali http://www.lkl.ac.uk/cms/ London Knowledge Lab http://loosestitch.com/ Loose Stitch http://ludologistjarvi.blogspot.com/ Ludic Dreams http://www.ludica.eu/ Ludology http://www.ludologica.it/ Ludology http://www.ludology.org/ Ludology http://www.ludonauts.com/ Ludonauts http://www.ludoscience.com/ LudoScience http://www.ludus.it/ Ludus http://www.ludus-project.eu/ Ludus project http://www.marcprensky.com/ Marc Prensky http://mashable.com/ Mashable - The social media guide
136 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 SITOGRAPHY
websIte subject https://me.dium.com/ Me.dium http://www.medmediaeducation.it/ MED - Media Education http://www.media-animation.be/ Média Animation http://www.mediaedassociation.org.uk/ Media Education Association http://mediaeducationlab.com/ Media Education Lab http://www.media4me.eu/ Media4Me http://www.mediasite.com/ Mediasite http://www.mediattivo.com/ The website promotes young people’s participation in the net-work, protecting the educational aspects http://www.meetthemediaguru.org/ Meet the media guru http://www.memoro.org/ Memoro http://www.mindlabitalia.com/ Mind Lab http://www.minori.it/ Italian National Childhood and Adolescence Documentation and Analysis Centre http://web.mit.edu/ocw/ MIT OpenCourseWare http://moodle.org/ Moodle http://www.movylo.com/ Movylo http://www.museo-computer.it/ Museum of old computers http://www.myschoolog.com/home mySchoolog http://www.namle.net/ NAMLE - National Association for Media Literacy Education http://www.netvibes.com/ Netvibes http://www.ning.com/ Ning http://www.nmc.org/ NMC - The new media consortium http://numptyphysics.garage.maemo.org/ Numpty Physics http://www.teamntm.net/ New Multimedia Technologies http://gamecenter.nyu.edu/ NYU Game Center http://www.dmoz.org/ ODP - Open Directory Project http://www.ofset.org/ OFSET - Organization for Free Software in Education and Training http://www.osor.eu/ Open Source Observatory and RepositorY http://www.opentrainingplatform.org/ Open Training Platform http://www.openlaszlo.org/ OpenLaszlo http://www.open.blogscuola.it/ OpenSource http://www.opensource.org/ OSI - Open Source Initiative http://www.oskope.com/ oSkope http://numediabios.eu/ Observatory on New Media - University of Milan- Bicocca Italy http://www.culturaecambiamento.it/ Rome City Chamber of Commerce multimedia portal
137 websIte subject
http://www.pageflakes.com/ Pageflakes http://www.parentfurther.com/technology-media ParentFurther - Technology and Media http://www.parliamodivideogiochi.it/ Parliamo di Videogiochi http://pbworks.com/ PBworks http://www.pedagame.com/ Pedagame http://www.pedagojeux.fr/ PedaGoJeux http://www.pegi.info/it/ PEGI http://www.pegionline.eu/it/index/ PEGI Online http://www.persuasivegames.com/ Persuasive Games http://www.phunland.com/wiki/Home Phun http://pinterest.com/ Pinterest http://www.cetis.ac.uk/ PLE Blog http://www.pong-story.com/ Pong-Story http://www.posti.ca/ Posti http://prezi.com/ Prezi http://www.tomorrow.org/ Project Tomorrow http://www.protopage.com/ Protopage http://www.fub.it/it/pubblicazioni/quadernitelema Quaderni di Telèma - Ugo Bordoni Foundation http://www.quel.it/ QUeL - Quality in eLearning http://www.rapidelearning.it/ Rapid elearning http://www.recpausa.it/ RecPausa http://www.retrogaminghistory.com/ Retrogaming History http://scaleofuniverse.com/ Scale of Universe http://www.scherminterattivi.org/ Interactive screens http://schooltube.com/default.aspx SchoolTube http://sclipo.com/ Sclipo - Web Learning Application http://scratch.mit.edu/ Scratch http://www.scribd.com/ Scribd http://www.scummvm.org/ ScummVM http://www.seriousgame.org/ Serious Game http://serious.gameclassification.com/EN/index.html Serious Game Classification http://www.seriousgames.it/ Serious Games http://www.jeux-serieux.fr/ Serious Games & Jeux Sérieux http://seriousgamesassociation.com/ Serious Games Association http://www.thinkingworlds.com/ Serious Games Based Learning http://www.seriousgames.ca/ Serious Games Canada
138 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488 SITOGRAPHY
websIte subject http://www.seriousgameseurope.com/ Serious Games Europe http://www.serious-games.fr/ Serious Games France http://www.seriousgames.org/ Serious Games Initiative http://www.seriousgames.org.uk/ Serious Games Institute http://www.seriousgames.dk/ Serious Games Interactive http://www.seriousgamessource.com/ Serious Games Source http://www.seriousplayconference.com/ Serious Play Conference http://www.sgn.com/ SGN - Social Gaming Network http://www.itelsoc.it/ SIe-L - Italian e-Learning Society http://www.sig-glue.net/ Sig-Glue Community http://www.ossite.org/ SIGOSSEE - Open Source for Education in Europe http://www.siptech.it/ Siptech http://educazionemediale.it/sirem/ Research and technology in educational context http://www.sloodle.com/ Sloodle http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/ Smart History https://smartsparrow.com/ SmartSparrow http://www.socialimpactgames.com/ Social Impact Games http://socialmediaclassroom.com/ Social Media Classroom http://www.socialmedialab.net/ Social Media Lab http://www.spaziogames.it/ Spaziogames http://www.studeous.com/ Studeous http://www.symbaloo.com/ Symbaloo http://www.tagcow.com/ TagCow http://www.tdmagazine.itd.cnr.it/ Educational Technologies http://it.teachtoday.eu/ Teach Today http://www.teachwithportals.com/ Teach with Portals http://www.teachertube.com/ TeacherTube http://teachtoday.eu/ TeachToday http://www.technorati.com/ Technorati http://www.tecnologiaeducativa.it/ Educational Technology http://www.tecnologieducative.it/ Educational Technologies http://www.theartofgames.eu/ The Art of Games http://www.theartofgames.it/ The Art of Games http://www.brainygamer.com/the_brainy_gamer/ The Brainy Gamer http://www.educationarcade.org/ The Education Arcade http://www.thefirstplace.it/ The First Place
139 websIte subject
http://www.theinfinitegames.org/ The infinite games http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/index.html The Video Game Revolution http://zigguratvertigo.splinder.com/ The Ziggurat Vertigo 2.0 http://www.touchgenerations.com/ Touch! Generations http://www.unigame.net/ UniGame http://vgresearcher.wordpress.com/ VG Researcher - Psychology http://www.vgmaps.com/ VGMaps - The Video Game Atlas http://www.videogameworlds.com/ Video Game Worlds http://vgalt.com/ Video Games As Learning Tools http://www.playingtolearn.org/ Video games in the Classroom http://www.videogameducation.it/ VideoGamEducation http://www.videogamer.com/ VideoGamer http://www.videoludica.com/ Videoludica http://www.videotopia.com/ Videotopia http://www.watchknowlearn.org/ Watch Know Learn http://www.watercoolergames.org/ Water Cooler Games http://www.wegame.com/ WeGame http://www.whattheyplay.com/ What They Play http://www.wikimindmap.org/ WikiMindMap http://www.wired.it/ Wired http://www.womengamers.com/ WomenGamers http://www.wordreference.com/ WordReference http://vincos.it/world-map-of-social-networks/ World Map of Social Networks http://www.wsmcf.com/ World Summit on Media for Children http://www.xtranormal.com/ Xtranormal - Text-to-Movie http://www.youblisher.com/ Youblisher http://www.zaffiria.it/ Mass media in Education http://www.zoho.com/ Zoho
140 Leonardo da Vinci MP ‘Transfer of Innovation’ – ICT-Based Learning: LLP-LdV-TOI-10-IT-488
Printed in September 2012
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. “It is an ever more commonly held opinion that, just as the Industrial Revolution in its day brought about a profound transformation in society by the modifications it introduced into the cycles of production and the lives of workers, so today the radical changes taking place in communications are guiding significant cultural and social developments. The new technologies are not only changing the way we communicate, but communication itself, so much so that it could be said that we are living through a period of vast cultural transformation. This means of spreading information and knowledge is giving birth to a new way of learning and thinking, with unprecedented opportunities for establishing relationships and building fellowship. New horizons are now open that were until recently unimaginable; they stir our wonder at the possibilities offered by these new media and, at the same time, urgently demand a serious reflection on the significance of communication in the digital age. This is particularly evident when we are confronted with the extraordinary potential of the internet and the complexity of its uses. As with every other fruit of human ingenuity, the new communications technologies must be placed at the service of the integral good of the individual and of the whole of humanity. If used wisely, they can contribute to the satisfaction of the desire for meaning, truth and unity which remain the most profound aspirations of each human being”.
Benedict XVI, Message for the 45th word communications day, Rome, June 5, 2011