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103700-CP-1-2004-1-UK-ERASMUS-TN
HERODOT Connected!
The use of ICT in higher education
Geography departments in Europe
Karl Donert and Harry Rogge
Bologna Process and EHEA
• Bologna = make European Higher Education the best,
most competitive in global marketplace
• course developments based on learning outcomes
• student-centred learning approaches at core of change
• central role of e-learning and new technologies in
learning and teaching (European Commission, 2002)
European Commission (2003), The Bologna Process: Next Stop Berlin 2003,
http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/bologna_en.html
Context: HERODOT
Survey 2002
Main learning methods used by Geography students –
percentage of departments, 65 institutions, multiple responses
100%
Few use
computerassisted
learning
80%
60%
40%
20%
tu
de
nt
S
Donert K (2005), The use of
ICT in Geography
departments in European
higher education, Changing
Horizons in Geography
Education, HERODOT
Publication
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0%
HERODOT Survey 2002
Professional training (CPD) events in past 2 years (65 replies)
number
little
professional
0
development
1
one third of
this related
2
to computers
Donert K (2005), The
use of ICT in
Geography departments
in European higher
education, Changing
Horizons in Geography
Education, HERODOT
Publication
replies
38%
31%
Type of CPD activity
GIS
e-learning course
replies
13%
9%
3
8%
specific computer
course
22%
basic ICT course
(Office)
>3
6%
web page development
4%
CPD trainers
3%
Others, non-IT
64%
14%
4%
5%
HERODOT Survey 2002
some conclusions
Geographers teaching in higher education:
• should expect to include ICT as part of the
educational learning approaches promoted
• should consider how e-learning changes the way that
higher education Geography learning takes place
• must consider the potential of new technologies in
geographical education
• should undertake research if we are to maximise
online pedagogical opportunities in teaching exciting,
authentic and relevant Geography in higher education
Donert K (2005), The use of ICT in Geography departments in European higher education, Changing
Horizons in Geography Education, HERODOT Publication
HERODOT Survey 2005
Aims
• Describe use of ICT in Geography in European
Geography departments in higher education
• Analyse the characteristics of ICT use in
Geography teaching in higher education
• Assess the attitudes and approaches of
academics to ICT in Geography
• Identify weaknesses and needs
• Make recommendations for action
Survey 2005 hypotheses
• Geographers do not use ICT in teaching/learning
• Geographers do not understand the value of ICT
– while Geographers were at the forefront of the Internet
revolution, now the use of ICT in teaching may now be
dominated by those teaching GIS.
– teacher educators use ICT as the use of ICT is obligatory in
teacher training in all European countries (eEurope, 2002)
• Might expect to find some differences between
– Geography, Teacher Educators and GIS teachers
• Managers a key group
– they make decisions, their attitudes and approaches critical
Survey sample structure
Survey of 112
network HE
members
April-July 2005
69 institutions
responded
Main teaching activity (n=69)
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
26 countries
UK-10, CZ-7
NL-6, ES-5, AT-5
0%
GIS, cartography
Geography education
Geography
Survey sample structure
Position of respondents
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Lecturer
Senior
Lecturer
Reader
Assistant Professor Dept Chair
Professor
Other
Survey sample Teaching profile
structure
35
30
years using ICT
expert
25
20
experienced
15
10
established
5
new
0
0
senior
experienced
10
20
years teaching
30
40
Research Questions
• What are Geographers in Europe using
ICT for?
• What are their perceptions of ICT?
• What is their understanding of the
potential of ICT?
• What are the drivers of change?
Experience
Teaching with computers
most
Geographers
use
computers
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
few involved
in online
courses or
online
collaboration
no
50%
yes
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
a course taught with
computers
taught distance learning online collaboration with
course
colleagues
US
THEM
Computer as a tool
POTENTIAL
important
indispensible
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
orm
in f
on
ati
l
too
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es
pr
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Survey 2005
eEurope 2010
Why use computers?
• most recognised learner benefits
– Motivation, Flexibility
– Broadening, Deepening
• Some commented on potential
– Challenging courses, Exciting learning, High interactivity
• almost no barriers - few negative aspects
• BUT fewer recognised teaching benefits
– Management and organisation
– Assessment
– More practical and better
• implies few have integrated computer use in
teaching and learning process
What is needed for teaching
and learning with computers?
• students need computers - in the hands of
learners
• Internet and Intranet essential
• online pedagogical tools (virtual learning
environments) not seen as important
• less aware of distance learning aspects
like communication opportunities
• specialist data and software thought to be
more important
Institutional drivers
affecting computer use
•
•
•
•
•
institutions require computer use by staff/students
most provide computers and support
few rewards for teaching with computers
less support for learners than for teachers
Geographers are less committed than GIS or
Geography educators to importance (centrality) of
computers for learning and teaching Geography
Geographers least involved
in computer-based courses
Computer-based learning
100%
Geography
Geography education
GIS
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
collaborated on computerbased course
professional development
course
Research Questions
• What are Geographers in Europe using ICT for?
LOW LEVEL PRACTICAL
FUNCTIONS
• What are their perceptions of ICT?
ICT IS IMPORTANT
• What is their understanding of the potential of ICT?
NOT VERY MUCH
• What are the drivers of change?
STUDENTS
Managers are a key group
Managers responses (n=15)
“Ways computers enhance teaching of Geography”
Information
“allocate, interpret, arrange data, develop graphs, work with a WebGIS, simulation and demonstration, work on a whiteboard”
“It is necessary in any kind of spatial geography and scientific
questions as well as in education because it is a tool to analyse,
visualise, restructure etc. geographical data”
Ways computers enhance
teaching of Geography
Geo-information
“GIS as a tool to enhance the student’s understanding of
social and natural phenomena on a local and global scale
in a way most students are comfortable with due to their
everyday use of computers for applications like gaming
and communication etc.”
“In the development of models, in cartography and GIS,
for searching journals, papers and access to maps and
planning issues”
Ways computers enhance
teaching of Geography
Global communication
“Facilitates information search from around the world, analysis
of data, presentation of data (although great danger that Power
Point used excessively at the expense of original thought and
direct personal contact).”
“Potential for contact across national boundaries could be
developed more”
“It allows students to broaden their awareness of ‘big’ issues
like global economy and globalization processes”
Ways computers enhance
teaching of Geography
Global and local communication
“Finding information on the web, collecting and
evidence of students work, communicating with
students (assessment, instructions...)”
“Allows possibility of elearning
“Enables access to data”
“More student-tutor interaction”
Ways computers enhance
teaching of Geography
Scepticism
“I don’t know. My feeling is that students consult a
much wider range of information sources than before,
but much more superficially.”
“In presentation (oral, written), FORM tends to
overrule FUNCTION in the use of computer
technologies.”
“Computer communication (mail, discussion groups in
webCT, etc) tends to be much more shallow and casual
than face to face communication, in my experience.”
What are the gaps?
• Bologna and eEurope implies that online
education is central to the creation of a European
Higher Education Area by 2010
• TUNING survey shows Geography academics
think their degrees provide adequate information
management skills
• employers and graduate attitudes disagree
• While employers believe the use of ICT is covered
more than academics
• Academics, employers and graduates agree on the
high relative importance of both as generic skills
Some action and proposals
• publication: State of computer use in Geography teaching
in Europe
• training - Computers in Geography – a workshop for
academics – Brno, Czech Republic (October 2005), aim to
encourage more Geographers to provide online learning
• training for managers
• series of best practise papers – how to use
• Web site offering advice, guidance, examples (for
Geographers)
• promotion of the benefits of learning (and teaching) online
• possible European or international projects and
• further research
Conclusions and
recommendations
• Geographers should embrace online learning as it provides
opportunities for significant levels of student interaction (Zell,
2001)
• e-Learning is essential for geographers as it has been shown
to be an excellent facility for the development of collaborative
skills including cooperative problem solving and teamwork
activities (Simms, 2000)
• integrating e-learning within our Geography courses should
be a high priority – it would encourage deeper, more
reflective and student centred learning approaches, meeting the
core goals of Bologna
Simms R (2000), An interactive conundrum: Constructs of interactivity and learning theory, Australian Journal of
Educational Technology, 16(1), 45-57, http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet16/sims.html
Zell, A.J., (2001) Four uses of the Internet, http://www.sellingselling.com/articles/internetSelling.html
enlightened learning
“We’re waiting for technology to come to
us”
HERODOT Disconnected!
Thank you
