New Perspectives on 21st Century Danish Air Force Education

Blended learning, new tools and web 2.0

Claus Witfelt, 2009

Agenda• The design of the new Royal Danish Air Force

Academy captains course• The concept of blended learning and the 3

steps: past, present and future• Web 2.0 • Blended learning: way to go….. - and all of the above with English integrated!

CLAUS WITFELT, CONSULTANT, NET-BASED LEARNING

THE ROYAL DANISH AIR FORCE ACADEMY

AIR FORCEACADEMY

WINGS

WINGS

WINGS

The 21st century learner

• Digital native – power technology user• Online 24-7• Uses rich media• 1st person shooter games• Social networking• Mobile technology

Blended Learning• Modular captains cource (new)• 25-30% distributed or net-based learning• LMS (ICECORE) backbone tech (organisation

students)• Web 2.0 auxiliary tech

students students • Other tools

Modular design

Module: Joint I with EnglishModule: Political Science and Conflict Theory with EnglishModule: Operations with EnglishModule: Joint II with EnglishModule: Leadership with English Module: Methodology Module: English – the language

The anatomy of modulesTeaching at the Academy

Net-basedlearning”Focus period”

Contact with wings

Implications of modular design

• Focus• Providing flexibility for learners (possibility of

postponing modules• Enabling distance/net-based learning• Integration of English in all modules

The 3 steps: past - present - future

• Step 1: Streamlining communication: learning management system (a.o. SiteScape and ICECORE)

• Step 2: Netbased learning, work and communication on stereoids: web 2.0

• Step 3: Enriching netbased learning periods

STEP 1: ICECORE Learning management system with web 2.0 functionality

http://www.kablink.org

Message-area for each class

Folders and workspaces for the subjects

ICECORE – forums with e-units, assignments, hand-ins, texts etc….

Our experience: Used a lot by teachers and administration => It is (fairly – no system is better than its users!) user-friendly; it works!

21st century learners do not communicate in FORUMS – they use web 2.0 tools!

Step 2: Enriching students’ work, communication and learning in

netbased periods

”NET-BASED SERVICES AND APPLICATIONS WHICH CAN BE USED IN EDUCATION, WORK AND STUDIES”

A working definition of web 2.0

Web 2.0/Social software features

• The web is the platform• User-generated content creates the value• Social software – creates relations• Profiling and sharing• ”The Digital eco-systems”• Open source

Rich media example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1IRkqbUoXY&feature=PlayList&p=2CCD3789D7C93E90&index=0&playnext=1

F-117 Nighthawk: Vocab training

Technologies I• Social bookmarking - Del.icio.us• Tools: Mindmapping - Bubbl.us• Start pages• Publishing Blogs/wiki, wikipedia • Media libraries - YouTube, Flickr• Digital telephony – SKYPE DOCS.GOOGLE.COM • Google Maps, Google Earth• Communities – NING• Social networking

Bubbl.us – online mindmapping

Del.icio.us – a bookmark-database

Google: Online office, portal etc.

Google Docs: a wiki…

http://www.google.com/ig?t=2

Personal startpages

Blogs, push-button publishing

NING – point and click communities!

Extra tools (non-web 2.0)

• Infomedia (newspaper library)• Digital dictionaries• Scribo – guide to POPBL• Digital reference management

Themes for discussion• Use the digital ecology: meet students’

needs and stimulate creativity• Security (Data and military)?• Reliability/Validity/Liability

Teachers Control?Commercial interests?The public voice?

Quote• ”We feel superior, thanks to web 2.0”

Scenarios for continuous development

• Enrich focus periods?• Rich media? Web 2.0 for CALL?• Student competence vs teacher competence• Simulation and 3D• CSCL – computer-supported collaborative

learning• Mobile learning

Mobile learning

3D Work

Simulation Negotiation via interpreter in CIMIC

operations