Transcript The VIRCLASS CONSORTIUM VIRCLASS YEAR REPORT 2008/09

Anne Karin Larsen
HiB
Agenda
 Background information
 About the consortium
 The educational programmes
 Year report 2008/09
 Students in VIRCLASS
- Meetings
- Account
- New learning materials (Development)
- Research and dissimination (Research)
- Teacher and student experiences (Education)
Consortium ORGANISATION
 Since april 2007 VIRCLASS is organised as a
Consortium
 Partners share the administrative costs and deliver
teachers and assessors
 Free study places for students from Partner
institutions
 Some scholarships offered to students from EUSW
member institutions and East-European countries
 3 Collums: Education – Development - Research
Anne Karin Larsen
College
Bergen University
VIRCLASS MISSION
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To enhance the Bologna Principles in SW education
International collaboration in education
E-learning courses in comparative social work
Curriculum development
Develop competences in e-pedagogy
Develop virtual learning material
Research and dissemination
Anne Karin Larsen
College
Bergen University
Vision
 To become THE VIRTUAL CLASSROOM
for international social work programme in Europe
To become A World Wide platform for e-learning
courses in social work
Anne Karin Larsen
College
Bergen University
Objectives
 To integrate the VIRCLASS e-learning study Social Work in
Europe as an optional course in ordinary Social Work
programmes for BA students at the Universities in Europe
 To develop trans-continental e-learning courses in
comparative community work method
 To increase the competence in e-learning pedagogy among
teachers in HEI Europe, and specially in the partner
institutions
 To develop an international BA in Comparative Social
Work including the VIRCLASS courses.
Anne Karin Larsen
College
Bergen University
Target group
 Social Work BA students from 2nd year.
 Professional social workers
 Open also for Master students
Educational programme
 Optional courses in
BA and MA
programmes in SW
 2 modules
 5 + 10 ECTS credits
Anne Karin Larsen
University College
Bergen
Module 2: Comparative Social Work. European Perspective on
Core aspect of Social Work
 2A: Discrimination, Oppression and Ethnic
diverstiy as phenomenon in Europe.
Antioppressive approaches to Social work
 2B: Poverty and Welfare systems in Europe.
Anti oppressive approaches to Social Work
 2C: Social Work Theories and Methods in Context
Anne Karin Larsen
College
Bergen University
Other VIRCLASS courses
 E-pedagogy for teachers in HEI –
10 ECTS credits (7,5 in 2008)
New module in Community Work
 Starting in January
2010
 15 ECTS credits
 55 students
Principles of teaching and
learning
 A task centred
approach to learning
 Learning by dialog
 Reflection on learning
 Transparency
 Collaboration
 Comparative methods
 Portfolio assessment
 Competence based
curriculum plan
Anne Karin Larsen
University College
 Introduction to e-
pedagogy
Bergen
Tools for collaboration
 Learning Management System (LMS)
 It’s Learning
 Tutorials
 Discussion area
 Synchronic
 Asynchronic
 MSN, Skype
 Google.doc
 Virtual learning material
 The Virtual Books
 Teachers online meetings – VITERO conferences
Anne Karin Larsen
College
Bergen University
Number of students since the beginning
 4 cohorts of students since 2005 - 2009
 Approximately 200 students have participated
 15 countries have been represented
 15 teachers and assessors involved from 10 countries
Anne Karin Larsen
College
Bergen University
Overview of 45 applicants 2008 (students)
 Students starting in the
course
ULHT:
Mannheim:
INH:
HiB:
KHK:
ISMT:
UCM:
Other
Universities:
HHJ:
4
9
7
4
6
6
4
5
0
 31 Students
fulfilling the course
ULHT:
0
Mannheim:
9
INH:
6
HiB:
4
KHK:
6
ISMT:
4
UCM:
1
Other Universities 1
Other applicants
 Comes from Portugal (mostly professional social
workers)
 1 applicant from Masaryk University, Brno
Age
 45 students started 2008
 18-25 years old - 24 students - 3 male
 26-35 years old - 15 students
 36 < years old - 6 students
Applicants wish for study programme
45 students applied – 17 students only for M1
In the application the students who wanted to take both
M1 + M2 were approximately equally shared among
the three modules
After finishing Module 1 less than 17 students started in
Module 2 (9 in M2A, and 8 in M2B) and only 9
students finished the course
Students results
 Module 1:
34 students
7- mark A
2- mark B
11- mark C
9 - mark D
3 - mark E
1- mark F
1- did not deliver
 Module 2A:
5 students
1- mark A
1- mark B
1- mark C
1- mark E
1- mark F
 Module 2B
4 students
2 – mark A
1 – mark B
1 – mark D
Students results/institution/M1
 KHK = 3-D, 3-C, 1-F
 INH = 3-D, 2-C, 1-E
 HiB = 2-A, 2-B
 Mannheim = 3-A, 6-C
 UCM = 1-E
 ISMT = 1-A, 1-C, 1-D, 1-E
 Lusofona = 1- did not deliver
 Vorarlberg = 1-D
 CZ = 1-D
Students result/institution/M2
 ISMT = 1-A, 2-E
 HiB = 2-A, 2-B
 INH = 1-D
 UCM = 1-F
E-Pedagogy course
 Spring 2008: 8 students
3 from Spain, (2 UCM, 1 Salamanca)
2 from Germany (1 Mannheim, 1 Alice Salomon)
1 from South Africa (University of Cape Town)
2 from Netherland (INH, Haarlem, Den Haag)
 Spring 2009: 3 students
1 from Mannheim, 1 from KHKempen, 1 from INH
Results 2008
 2 – mark A
 2 – mark B
 3 – mark D
 1 – did not deliver
Use of the VITERO conference room
VIRCLASS:
 Marques MixedSetting (1 conference)
 E-pedagogy 3 meetings
 Teacher meeting Module 1(2 meetings)
 Teacher meeting Module 2 (3 meetings)
 Steering Committee meeting (2 meetings)
SW-VirCamp:
 Consortium meeting (1 meeting)
 Leader meeting (2 meetings)
 WP2 (1 meeting)
 WP3 (1 meeting)
 WP6 (1 meeting)
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So far 46 people have participated in VITERO meetings
Number of VITERO meetings during the contract period: 17 meetings
In addition to this 3 training sessions with 8 participants
Duration of the meetings approximately 1-2 hours
ACCOUNT
 Income from 10 partners:-38 628 Euro
 Surplus from 2007:
 Other costs:
-4 348 Euro
25 949 Euro
7 693 Euro
2 313 Euro
 Operating profit:
-7 022 Euro
 Salary costs:
 VITERO rent:
Development
 New learning material:
 Digital e-pedagogy course
 Virtual book in e-pedagogy
 Virtual book in community work (SW-VirCamp)
ANDRÉS ARIAS ASTRAY
E.U.T.S. UCM.
Mannheim, 9-vi-2009
Papers in peer reviewed
journals
• Larsen, A.K., Sanders, R., Arias Astray, A. Hole G. O.
(2008). E-teacher Challenges and Comptetences
in International Comparative Social Work
Courses. Social Work Education: The
International Journal, 27 (6), 623 – 633
 The paper presents how technology used by VIRCLASS:
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Enables the development of multimedia learning material.
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Creates a supportive learning environment for students and teachers.
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Promotes communication across national borders.
 Underlines:
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The process of developing a common curriculum plan
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The development of digital competence on the part of the teachers.
 Discusses the impact on the teachers' role of using a Virtual
Book with screen lectures, audio-visual triggers and a video-case.
▫
From a socio-cultural perspective
▫
The development of a new teacher role, where teachers can be seen as a
Community of Learners
From the teachers' experiences, four important
e-teacher competences (knowledge, skills and
attitudes) emerge:
Facilitator competences
 ICT competences
Supervision/coaching competences,
Collaboration competences.
Competences
Facilitator
competences
(Student-centred
teaching
competences)
ICT competences
Supervision
/Coaching
competences
Collaboration
competences
Knowledge
Socio-cultural learning
perspective
Task-centred approach
to learning
Interpersonal
knowledge
Skills
Skills in developing good
triggers and tasks that
contributes to learning.
Skills in making personal
presentation by using the VLE
Communication skills
Attitudes
The students are active
participating learners.
Students and teachers are learners
together
Equality and Respect
Awareness and attention to the
importance of quick response to
students work and requests
About VLE and other
Ability choosing the right tools Openness, courage and creativity
software promoting
suitable for specific educational towards digital learning and
teaching and learning
purposes.
creative use of ICT
Making digital learning
ICT opens new possibilities to
material
international collaboration in
Using available Internet
Social Work Education
resources
Chat moderating skills
Knowledge about
Skills in creating engagement
Let the students voice be heard and
supervision, coaching
Skills in giving constructive
respected.
methods and reflection
written feedback
Openness amongst teachers, as well
Skills in different ways of
amongst students – learning from
stimulating students work and
each other
reflection on learning.
(Transparency)
Ability to empower students
Knowledge about group Skills in different ways of using The belief that knowledge is
and team working and
the VLE for communication,
constructed by dialogue and
methods to trigger
like; Chat, discussion room,
collaboration between human
communication and
bulletin board.
beings.
dialog in e-learning
Allocate time for collaboration A group oriented attitude
Interpersonal
Set up decision making in
knowledge
groups
Chapters in books
Larsen, A.K (2009): Open Distance Learning as
Instrument for Teaching and Learning Social Work
in a Changing Europe (Presentation of the
VIRCLASS project). In Ewa Kantowicz (Ed.): Role of
Research in Education for Social Work in Europe.
Olsztynie: Uniwersytetu Warminsko-Mazurskiego
Conference Papers and presentations (2/4)
2008
• Larsen, AK (2008) New Technology in social work
education. Teaching and learning experience through
VIRCLASS. What is E-teacher competences and epedagogy. Towards a worldwide virtual campus. EUSW
Annual Conference: State of the Art of Social Work in Europe:
in dialogue with the world through learning. Maastrich, The
Netherlands
• Marques, E., Astray,A., Larsen, A. K., Hole, G. O. (2008) E-
learning students: reasons for dropout: the case of
virclass (the vitual classroom for social work in europe)
EDEN 2008 Annual Conference - New Learning Cultures: how
do we learn? Where do we learn? Lisboa, Portugal.
Conference Papers and presentations (1/4)
2008
• Larsen, Anne Karin, Hole, Grete Oline (2008) Research on
Community Work and Community work education .
Research Seminar : Productive Disruption Bjørnefjorden, OS.
• Larsen, Anne Karin (2008) New Technology in social work
education. Teaching and learning experience through
VIRCLASS. What is E-teacher competeneces and epedagogy. Towards a worldwide virtual campus .
Research conference , Mont Fleur, Stellenbosch, Cape Town,
South Africa
Conference Papers and presentations (3/4)
2008
• Astray, A.; Larsen, A.K.; Marques, E.; y de Lucas, F. (2008)
Virclass: Una Propuesta de Internaciolización para
los Estudios de Grado en Trabajo Social . National
Congress of Schools of Social Work. Granada Spain.
• Astray, A. (2008). “VIRCLASS, Trabajo Social en Europa:
nuevas tecnologías para el Trabajo Social”. Seminario
Interuniversitario: Intervención Social en Inmigración,
Violencia y Género. Especial referencia a las TIC’S.
Salamanca University. Spain.
Conference Papers and presentations (4/4)
2008
• Olsson, Klas-Göran: Det virtuella klassrummet för "Social Work
in Europe". Ett verktyg för utveckling av socialt arbete i Europa.
Presentasion og Poster at Vetenskapens Dag, Hälsohögskolan i
Jönköping. 5.March 2008
• Veenkamp, R: VIRCLASS presentation at HBO-raad - national
teachers conference, Haarlem.
2009
• Astray, A., Larsen, A. K., Olsson, K. G Visser – Rotgans , R. (2009):
Individualized communities, social cohesion and challenges for
Social Work. ENSACT conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Highlights of the courses
Students’ and teachers’ experiences in
VIRCLASS ’08 – ’09
M1 & M2
Presentation by
Remmelt Veenkamp
Facts:
 Survey filled in by 60% of the students
 15 countries represented
 80% undergraduated
 20% professional Social Worker
 95% first time e-learning experience
The learning process
 95% experienced the learning information as good
 70% both read and look at the material in the Virtual
Book
 Students found the lessons: informative 100%,
relevant 80%, clear 75%, interesting 100%
Transparancy
 75 % rated the ‘ open portfolio’ method as good or
very good
 “ it is a democratic environment. I was very pleased
with this”
 “ I ‘ve learned a lot of the work and feedback from other
students”
 “ it enhances my learning process”
Comments
 ‘ The lessons were interesting’
 ‘ sometimes it was a bit difficult, because also not all
the teachers are not native English speakers’
 ‘ It was nice to hear someone speak, and not only read’
 Maybe more practical examples like documentaries
Triggers:
 “ I liked the triggers, because they let me think harder
on subjects. I found it nice to give my opinion and
reflect on the different material”
 “ I would like to get feedback as well on the the trigger
tasks”
Triggers
 “The use of the trigger was for me also a big value in
Virclass. The triggers were a tool to make me see
things from a different point of view. Also the fact that
every person made his opinion about the trigger clear
on the ‘ theme discussions’ made me realize that
people not always see things the way I see them!”
Teacher presentations
 “ I loved it all. It made me feel that I could learn a lot
from them. I’ m very proud to have this opportunity.
They are my heroes in many aspects”
Reading list
 Definitely too advanced 11%
 Rather advanced 63%
 Just right 22%
 Too basic 4%
 “ sometimes it was too much for me”
 “It should include more material for the themes”
Teacher help
 Informational support 90% good to very good
 Technical support 80% good to very good
 Emotional support 60% good to very good
Overall experience
 The platform was easy to navigate 80%
 Easy to understand 70%
 Tutorials easy to follow step by step 80%
 The workload was right 37% disagree, 25% agree, 25% neutral
 95% reached their expectations with this course
 95% rated the course as good / very good
Additional comments
 “The teachers helped us a lot, feedback was given in
time”
 “ the help of the teachers, as well as from the students
was great”
 “ The cultural environment was challenging and great”
 “ it was a very challenging, interesting and
unforgettable time for me!”
Outcomes of the teacher
meeting
 New subject added in M1 ‘Status of Social Work in
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Europe’
Use of the blog will be encouraged as a individual
reflection tool
Updating of the literature list
Increasing of triggers in M2b
New title for M2c
Dividing of the tasks
Exceed the use of the case in Module 2a and 2b
Point of attentions
 Institutional support for teachers developing their
English speaking and writing level
 Increasing of the teacher staff
 Facilitation of teachers by e-pedagogy course