Finnish Virtual University

Matti Sinko Finnish Virtual University Development Unit October 24, 2001

Presentation outline

• • Overview of the FVU initiative Some policy issues concerning eLearning materials

Seeking rationale for going virtual in Finnish HE (a SWOT presentation)

Strengths

•modern hi-tec & networked campuses •successful long-term national education & research policies •large constituency of motivated developers

Threats

•lessening attractiveness •lowered competitiveness •poorer cost-effectiveness •anachronistic system •failing to learn networking

Weaknesses

•units small and scattered •units remote and isolated •number of students declining •less attractive than many academic ”hubs” •slow progression of studies •thin collaborative tradition

Opportunities

•high profile of Finnish know -how •capitalising on strengths •necessity to face complex challenges of globalisation

Various interests and concerns of stakeholders

Students

•improved access to on line learning environments •improved flexibility in learning and admin •improved mobility •modernising teaching •better access to learning materials

Staff

•increased flexibility •improved access to research results and research communities •more efficient teaching •protection of IPRs •protection of staff welfare

Universities

•improved competitiveness •better service to students •appropriate working environment for staff •new PPPs •autonomy of academia

R&D communities

•many SIGs and agendas •eLearning lobby being one •global research network •global research databases •global on-line publishing •critique

Public sector

•efficiency and •effectiveness of HE •enhancing strategic thinking of universities •enhancing k-economy •serving other national agendas

Business community

•supply of professionals •up-dating staff competence •R&D services and partnership

Global HE market

•liberating •harmonising •globalising •commercialising •customer orientation

Miscellaneous

•Emperor’s new cloths?

•Equal access?

•Empowerment or impoverishment of HE provision •Qualifications of teachers

The Finnish Vision

• By the year 2004 a high-quality, ethically and economically sustainable network based model of organising teaching and research will have been consolidated.

Education, Training and Research in the Information Society; A National Strategy for 2000-2004 • There will be set up a virtual university by 2004 based on a consortium of several universities, business enterprises and research institutes. It will produce and offer internationally competitive, high-standard educational services.

Information Strategy for Education and Research 2000-2004; Implementation Plan

Our objectives

• • • • • • • to diversify university studies to develop university curricula to improve the quality of teaching and learning to enable networking in teaching, studying and research to develop a new model of net-based operation to make better use of the ICT networks to improve the competitiveness of the Finnish academia

We are not aiming at

• • establishing a new university full virtuality

From BRICK and mortar to click and mortar!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

To do

Continuous refining of the aims and the needs analysis Building-up the capacity to commit, to collaborate and to go on-line through a number of sub-projects addressing support to and training of staff Curriculum development and research through a substantial number of network projects Setting up proper structures, functionalities and management Sustainable funding & pricing policies; fees Optimising technical solutions, standards, learning management systems Logistics and support to course design and tutoring IPRs and other legal and regulatory issues Issues of user identification: towards stronger authentication and federal authorisation Student assessment Legal status of the consortium Quality assurance of products and services International collaboration and exchange Niche on the global HE market Marketing and brand creation Roles of companies as members, partners, customers

Division of responsibilities

• • • Ministry of Education and its virtual university task force – funding – strategic follow-up Universities – generating initiatives and projects – functional specifications – providing content for the activities Consortium, Development unit and Projects – design, piloting and scaling-up – coordination and support – further development and on-going tune-up – consolidating services

Funding

• • • Earmarked for 2001 – MoE: total nearly 10 M € split between • individual universities (½) • inter-university projects (½) – ESF: 0.5 M € for the portal – plus resources and synergy from other national initiatives and intra university projects Anticipated MoE and ESF funding for 2002 and 2003 to stay at least on the same level.

2004 yet open

Organisation of FVU

Univ 1 Univ 2 Univ 3 MoE The virtual university task force

Virtual polytechnic initiative

FinELib Development unit CSC Consortium assembly Steering committee projects Univ n services

• • • • •

Summing up our current policy on eLearning materials

acknowledging the growing importance of e-materials in e-learning producing locally and virtually delivering globally but not uncontrolled reaching sufficiently coherent procedures and practices enabling and empowering net-based e-learning through – standard indexing and metadata systems (preferably on source) to enable effective searches and data mining – interoperable/compatible learning platforms and LMS, including ease of data transfer and delivery of materials over the net – full acknowledgement and respect of IPRs pivotal role of staff development and training in concocting all this into an e-success story

The hidden rationale of any educational ICT strategy?

”If you don’t do your chores, Mother said, I won’t let you have a birthday party & instead of being nine, you’ll be eight for another year & none of your friends will want to play with someone younger than them ..”

Hal Sirowitz, Mother Said (1996)

More

• • • after the vernissage of the FVU portal phase # 1 on November 8 at: www.virtualuniversity.fi [email protected]