Digital Learning Environments At Universities Virtual Mobility Between Universities & Leen Van Rentergem, Herman Buelens, Piet Henderikx, & Wim Van Petegem

Digital Learning Environments At Universities

Virtual MobilityBetween Universities

&

Leen Van Rentergem,Herman Buelens,

Piet Henderikx, & Wim Van Petegem

K.U.LeuvenGeneral Information

27.734 students

6.500 employees

14 faculties

Geographical distribution over Leuven, Heverlee & Kortrijk

About 500 buildings

3.777 international students (16/1/2004), coming from more than 120 different

countries, 75% enrolled in postgraduate or doctoral study programs

572 outgoing Erasmus students, 591 incoming (in 2001-2002)

56 study programmes in English, and >10 joint programmes

Internet ConnectivityBelnet Gigabit network

K.U.LeuvenICT Facilities


Internet Connectivity

PC Classrooms

Public accessible 24 hours / day, 6 days a week 17 classrooms, 500 PC’s internet connectivity via KULeuvenNet Reservations for class activities or individual use Printer facilities by using print cards


PC renting price range: 30 - 50 € / month

(= cost of a pint of beer per day)

buy off option with recovery of paid money Success

PC-shop (Sale) hardware software: campus licenses


KOTNET (about 20.000 users) Strategic vision

Added value Optional For every student Without financial thresholds

low cost preferably fixed amount target 0 €

K.U.Leuven dormitories connected to K.U.Leuvennet free

Private rooms: connected via Television cable 5,5 € per month per student

Dial in telephone cost


Educational concept: Guided Independent Learning

Students learn best when they can act as independent critical

researchers within their discipline Students become responsible for their own learning Teachers on the other hand are responsible to adequately coach

their students

K.U.LeuvenEducation

“Let a thousand flowers bloom”

Isolated projects Carried by enthusiastic individuals

or small teams Ad hoc, micro-level Funding

University (OOI) Regional (STIHO) European (EC)

K.U.Leuven anno 2000ICT in education


Some impressive results Awareness raising Enthusiasm and goodwill

Lot of reinventing the wheel Results disappear as projects finish

& individuals leave (Doesn’t scale up) Hard to support centrally

(educationally & technically) No consolidation, no “share and reuse” Too fragmented, no integration for students



Only small-scale impact However, this phase of experience

and adaptation was criticalfor the introduction of ....


LogoAlcatara-bridge in Toledo (Spain)Bridge between students and faculty

Acronym Toetsen en Leren Doeltreffend OndersteunenEffectively supporting Testing and Learning

ProjectAim is to implement and support (technically and pedagogically)a digital learning environment for all students and facultyat the K.U.Leuven

K.U.Leuven anno 2001Toledo

Task force on learning platforms

Criteria: Basic functionality (in line with GIL) Easy to use, minimal training Should fit within university ICT infrastructure Connectivity with administrative systems Reliable support Access to and reuse of learning material

Process: Pre-selection, pilot projects Study visits Installing a team of 7 FTE

K.U.Leuven anno 2001Toledo: the selection of a DLE

WHICH

DLE ?

July 2001 purchase of software and hardware

Augustus 2001 installation

Load all courses Load all teacher-course combinations Enrol all students in mandatory courses

September 2001 Roll-out The use of Toledo is on voluntary basis Information sessions in all departments were organized For more experienced users: workshops were organized

K.U.Leuven anno 2001Toledo: GO!

December 2003 More than 19000 active students Over 1250 active teachers More than 1500 active courses 240 000 hits/day ( max 80000 last year)

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

2001-09 2002-02 2002-07 2002-12 2003-05 2003-10

K.U.Leuven anno 2003Toledo in use

At the micro level (=K.U.Leuven courses)

makes teachers think about their education 20% of all courses combine functionalities of the DLE

with more traditional forms of education (‘blended’ learning) Toledo was used mainly to deliver information to students 25% of the courses use Toledo’s communication, assessment and

assignments functionalities substantially

The use of these functionalities had positive effect upon educational practices (i.e. in line with the concept of guided

independent learning).

K.U.Leuven anno 2004The impact of Toledo

At the meso level (=K.U.Leuven institute)

Positive effects upon both education and research:

a common basis for conversation and future collaboration Every day more that 6000 students use Toledo, this affects

ICT services (KOTnet) Role of central services Educational support services

Toledo is used as an administrative tool within faculties Due to the new use of administrative data, Toledo contributes to

the design of a new campus management system


Reasons for the impact on micro & meso level ?

The software Easy to use minimal training user friendly Reliable Offers basic functionalities...

Embedded in the university’s technical infrastructure administrative systems organisation of education (i.e. Toledo is course oriented)


So far about The Digital Learning Environment At K.U.Leuven.

What about Virtual Mobility Between Universities ?

“Let a thousand flowers bloom” ?

Isolated projects Carried by enthusiastic individuals

or small teams Ad hoc, micro-level By means of

video-conferencingcomputer-conferencing...

Used as an subsitute for fysical mobility ?

Virtual Mobility anno 2004

“Let a thousand flowers bloom” ?

Some impressive results Enthusiasm and goodwill

(e.g. 2 case-studies presented hereafter)

Awareness raising

Lot of reinventing the wheel ? Results disappear as projects finish

& individuals leave ? Hard to support centrally

(educationally & technically) ? No consolidation, no “share and reuse” ? Too fragmented, no integration for students ?



Bologna context: Flexibilisation Internationalisation

Only small-scale impact ? We are now where we

were with Toledo 3 years ago, i.e. at the crossroads for a broader and more structured implementation and approach



Is this phase of experienceand adaptation criticalfor the introduction of ....


DLE’s within universities to promote Virtual Mobility in the future ?

Opportunities

DLE’s might help to redefine ‘virtual mobility’ no longer as a substitute for physical mobility, but as a totally different opportunity

DLE’s can be used for more specialised courses (complementarity – Erasmus-like) joint courses and programmes (sharing electronic learning content with other

universities) creating international learning communities (by / for students / faculty), e.g.

international discussion groups, seminars, etc preparation for physical mobility sharing experiences with other universities (staff mobility) …

DLE’s might help to overcome the con’s associated with a ‘let a thousand flowers bloom’- approach.

DLE’s & Virtual Mobility ?


Obstacles

DLE’s are embedded in the university’s technical infrastructure administrative systems organisation of education (i.e. DLE’s are course oriented)

The software and hardware Licence agreements Need for new tools (interfacing) Need for standards

The same factors that facilitate positive effects of DLE’s at micro & meso level might hamper positive effects at a macro level (i.e. virtual mobility between universities).


Solutions?

Further promote blended (hybrid) learning within universities ?

Look for low budget technology ? (web cams...) Linking DLE’s between universities?


A mission for Coimbra?

Show and promote best practices? Launch experiments and pilot projects? Lobby, negociate with vendors of DLE’s? Share ideas

And not to forget:

Your creativity during this workshop

Thank you for your attention !

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Digital Learning Environments At Universities Virtual Mobility Between Universities & Leen Van Rentergem, Herman Buelens, Piet Henderikx, & Wim Van Petegem