TET99: Telecommunication for Education and Training: A Review

Citation

Virkus, S. (1999), "TET99: Telecommunication for Education and Training: A Review", Library Hi Tech News, Vol. 16 No. 12. https://doi.org/10.1108/lhtn.1999.23916lac.002

TET99: Telecommunication for Education and Training: A Review

Sirje Virkus

Background

The rapid development within information and communication technology (ICT) is changing our everyday lives. New telecommunications technologies offer also the possibility of global access to education and allow potential learners to access any courses they want, at any time, from anywhere in the world. Inclusion of information and communication technology in education and its use to support study programmes has created a new educational paradigm. Despite the rapid growth of ICT, educational institutions have yet to use the full potential of ICT to transform the teaching and learning process.

The International Conference "Telecommunication for Education and Training: TET99" took place in Gjøvik, Norway on 8-11 June, to discuss the values and issues associated with telecommunication in education and training.

The TET (Telecommunication for Education and Training) concept was developed in 1997 at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, and the first TET conference was held as TET97 in Prague on 27-31 May 1997. The TET concept means:

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  a practical way of using new technologies without forgetting beauty, challenge, and the human factor;

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  communicating across the world;

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  understanding between ethnic groups;

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  enrichment through understanding between cultures.

The principal aim of the conference was to give an opportunity to educators, human resource managers, and others to gain familiarity with and discuss ways of using telecommunication systems in education and training and to learn about developments in technologies for telelearning and teleteaching. The first official videoconference in the Czech Republic, on ISDN, was implemented during the conference as a multipoint videoconference between TET97 venue in Prague, Gjøvik College (Norway), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norway), Vienna Technical University (Austria) and Akademie für Lehrer Fortbildung in Dillingen (Germany). During TET97, close co-operation was established among the organisers of the conference and it was decided that TET99 would take place in Gjøvik, Norway. The TET98 conference was implemented in Prague as a Symposium ­ TET98 Intermezzo ­ on 9 June 1998.

TET99 Goals and Format

The goals of the TET99 conference were:

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  to provide a broad overview of the use of telecommunications in education and training;

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  to inform about new learning and teaching methods in universities, schools, and companies;

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  to inform about models for organising open, flexible and distance learning;

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  to offer participants the opportunity for practical work with telecommunication systems;

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  to discuss library support for distance learners;

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  to plan future cooperation among the conference participants.

Plenary sessions, parallel sessions, workshops, and hands-on demonstrations were the core events of the TET99 conference. Four parallel sessions were held at a time, with three to five paper presentations each. Topics covered in different sessions included:

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  Library services for distance education;

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  Virtual learning/teaching and delivery solutions;

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  Distance education and training specific target groups;

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  Training of teachers and tutors;

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  Development of telecommunication technology in education: methodological, pedagogical, psychological, human, social and technological aspects;

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  International cooperation.

There were more than 50 contributions to the conference and representatives came from Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Norway, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, and the United States.

Internationally known experts in the field of open learning and distance education were invited as keynote speakers for the plenary sessions.

Through keynote presentations, paper sessions, workshops discussions, and hands-on demonstrations, participants had the opportunity to acquire and exchange information and knowledge about various communications and information technologies and their uses, both in the classroom and for the delivery of open and distance learning. The programme highlighted during this four-day period the growing importance of ICT in education and training. Conference presentations represented a wide range of delivery methods and technologies, from low-cost audio to fibre optics.

Opening Ceremony and Keynote

The conference began with an Opening Ceremony at the Gjøvik Olympic Mountain Hall on Tuesday, 8 June. After the formal welcome and multimedia music show, Piet Henderikx, Secretary-General of EADTU (European Association of Distance Teaching Universities), gave his keynote speech, about the current issues of concern in higher education, via ISDN-based videoconference from University of Leuven, Belgium. His keynote, entitled "ICT and Innovation in Higher Education", outlined some of the pressures and problems we all face, but he balanced this with the positive developments being made and the opportunities that ICT offers to take forward in higher education. He stressed common approaches as well as diversity in higher open and distance learning in Europe. He emphasised the new challenges facing higher education, including a time for lifelong learning, internationally distributed knowledge, the possibilities of ICT, international networking in higher education, the harmonisation of higher education in Europe, and new concepts regarding learning. It is this synergy among new learning concepts, new approaches to the nature of knowledge, new types of learning goals, and new collaborative learning supported by ICT that will demonstrate, said Henderikx, a new paradigm for the future. Henderikx finished his keynote speech with some thoughts on European universities in the future. He stressed the meaning of adapted mission and strategies, new learning concepts and ICT, new target groups, new concepts of curricula and courses, new management, European and worldwide networking for universities in the future.

Wednesday's keynote speaker, Lars-Erik Nilsson, the Research and Development Coordinator at the Centre for Professional Development at Kristianstad University College, gave, in his keynote speech, "Distance Education for Teachers: The Swedish Experiment", a comprehensive overview of Sweden's effort to introduce information and communication technology to its school system. His work at the Centre for Professional Development has mainly been devoted to finding ways to improve learning with the use of ICT and to finding and developing projects that can be used in school settings. Lars-Erik Nilsson also has worked on ways to measure the quality of integrated Distributed Learning Environments and has played a part in the development of the platform for publication in the Swedish National Agency of Education's project, The Multimedia Bureau. He highlighted that there is a strong belief among Swedish politicians that digital technology and ICT will cause a paradigmatic shift in the production system and that Sweden has to manage that shift to stay a wealthy nation. Education is believed to be the key to a successful shift. Billions of SEK have been spent on the introduction of ICT into the Swedish school system. There has been an expectance that this investment would help solve problems concerning learning. Still these results have not come as fast as was expected. Reports, however, confirm that school heads and teachers do think that students now are more engaged in their schoolwork, are more motivated, and show better concentration.

Three Wednesday Morning Sessions

After the keynote speech the conference opened with the following events: a session on Library Services for Distance Education, a session on Training of Teachers and Tutors, a session on Distance Education of Specific Target Groups, and a workshop on Creative Tutoring of Electronic Collaborative Learning Groups: Sustaining the Human Factor.

The session on Library Services for Distance Education included four papers. Nick Moore, Professor of Information Policy, City University, London, gave an overview about the role of Britain's public library network in supporting distance learners. He focused on three specific projects: PRIOLIB/ODL (the Potential Role of Public Libraries in supporting Open and Distance Learning), DERAL (Distance Education in Rural Areas via Libraries), and Telematic Learning Project. He stressed that in the UK the government has recognised the potential of public libraries in a learning society and has launched a major programme of investment to equip them with the resources needed to make a valuable contribution. Still, such national investments will have to be matched at local levels in order to transform public libraries into the attractive, spacious, peaceful learning environments that people have said they expect. John McCaffery, Campus Library Manager, Northern College of Education, Dundee Campus, Scotland, discussed the importance of access to libraries for distance learning students, and also the crucial role played by interpersonal communication between the teaching institution and the individual student, not only in facilitating the successful completion of the course, but also in enhancing the learning experience as a whole. He also examined the strategy undertaken by Northern College to deliver library services to its off-campus students, and how the emphasis on a personalised service is central to the thinking underpinning the service. Adoració Pérez and Bego a Aguilera, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, presented the concept of the Virtual Library as it is developed in the Open University of Catalonia (UOC). The UOC bases its educational model organisation on the exploitation of the Virtual Campus paradigm and the use of the latest technologies available in telematics, personal computers, and multimedia. In this context, the Virtual Library of UOC is offered as a new model of library service, flexible and designed so that users can take advantage of the new information technologies regarding data registered and stored in any place all over the world. Lynn Hibbert, Senior Librarian, Decentralised Student Services, Technikon Southern Africa, evaluated the current Technikon SA Library model and described initiatives that will address future needs. South Africa's public libraries are being overwhelmed by learners needing facilities and resources. Most distance learners come from disadvantaged educational systems without libraries. Librarians shoulder the responsibility of empowering these learners with information literacy. Technikon SA has 80,000 distance learners and TSA Online is a significant step towards a Virtual University.

In addition to providing background information for the projects, each presentation focused on several issues, including planning and implementation, barriers and successes, learning outcomes, and future plans.

All participants of the session stressed that technology does have positive applications for library services for distance learners. Electronic documents can be transmitted quickly by fax, e-mail, ftp, and the World Wide Web. Librarians now also can provide dynamic, interactive and tailored bibliographic instruction via the World Wide Web and e-mail. Collaboration on many levels is key to successful provision of library services to distance learners: collaboration among libraries, collaboration within libraries among faculty and administration, and collaboration between libraries and publishers.

The session on Training of Teachers and Tutors included five papers. EuMEDIA ­ an online teacher training course concerning a methodology for the design and implementation of Environmental Education projects in schools ­ was introduced by the team from the Instituto Tecnologie Didattiche-C.N.R., Italy. J. Mikulecká and E. Milková, University of Education, Czech Republic, gave an overview of their experience with the development and delivery process of a pilot course for secondary school teachers in the frame of the TEMPUS project MUDILT. E. Winklehner, Pedagogische Akademie des Bundes, Austria, gave an example of learning cooperatively between two different vocational schools by means of desktop videoconferencing. The paper by M. Cernochova and S. Sinor concentrated on telelearning at the Faculty of Education in Charles University in Prague. R.P. Taylor and Y. Auh introduced a multifaced Web site, Musicalonline.com, created by the authors, and its related sub-site WebConcertHall.com, featuring audio and video, to illustrate strengths and weaknesses of the Web as a medium for establishing communication among musicians and those affiliated with them or interested in music performance and music education.

The session on Distance Education of Specific Target Groups included the following presentations. J. Pibyl and J. Kodl, from the Czech Technical University in Prague, discussed aspects of data security in academic wide area networks. N. Miloslavskaia and A. Tolstoi focused on the experience of the Moscow State Engineering Physics Institute in the creation and successful teaching of the educational course for training professionals in the field of information security. Their project was designed within the framework of developing the distance learning system in Russia. A new telematic and educational framework for computer-supported collaborative learning applications was introduced by the team from the University of Valladolid, Spain and Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece.

Wednesday Afternoon

The afternoon session consisted of two parallel paper sessions, on Virtual Learning/Teaching and Delivery Solutions and Nordic-Baltic Cooperation, and two workshops, on Providing Interaction Support for Adult Learners in Web Courses and Creating Successful Online Courses.

In the first session, Virtual Learning/Teaching and Delivery Solutions, a team from the South Bank University, the UK, introduced the TALENT network tutoring system. A group of researchers from the Computer Technology Institute, Greece, presented the Open and Distance Learning Information System (ODLIS), which runs over the Internet using real-time protocol. A group of specialists from National Technical University, Mexico, reported the results within the paradigm of configurable collaborative distance learning, which they have named EVA. Z. Lustigova and S. Zelenda, Charles University, Prague, described an educational, informational, and communicational environment for supporting education in schools, in teacher training, and in the open learning activities of in-service teachers and university students via the Internet. H. Haugen and B. Ask described the Norwegian experience of moving from a research and development project to a national networked university.

In the second parallel session, Nordic-Baltic Cooperation, I. Boe, Norwegian Association for Distance Education, gave a general overview about Nordic-Baltic cooperation. S. Virkus, Tallinn Pedagogical University, Estonia, and H. Sponberg, Gjøvik College, Norway, introduced a collaborative learning and teaching project, "Netbased Multimedia", via ISDN-based videoconference between Estonia and Norway. T. Roise, Gjøvik College, introduced Nordic Software Engineering projects using videoconferencing.

Thursday Morning PC Lab Demos

Thursday morning was devoted to demonstrations in PC labs. Nineteen projects were introduced during this session. The design and development of quality learning materials delivered through communications and information technologies, learning environments, and applications were introduced in PC labs. Participants got the opportunity to take part in practical experiences.

Thursday Afternoon

The afternoon session consisted of two parallel paper sessions on Methodological Aspects and Research and Case Studies, a workshop on Multi-user Virtual Space for Online Collaborative Projects, and a workshop about the EuroStudyCentres.

The session on Methodological Aspects discussed the perspectives of situated learning (E. Fåhräus), collaborative teaching and learning environments (R.M. Palloff, K. Pratt, E. Campo-Montalvo), pedagogical aspects of multimedia use in telematic-based learning (S.P. Kudrjavtseva, V.V. Kolos), and domain modelling to support educational Web-based authoring.

The Research and Case Studies session concentrated on the Cyberstudies project at the Vienna University of Technology (C. Knezu) and a study carried out between Gjøvik College and the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, about networking multimedia distance learning (C.J.S. Knudsen). Multimedia and distance services from both the technological and pedagogical points of view (M.J. Verdu), the usage of computer-mediated communication and cognitive modelling to enhance formative assessment (R. Harmse), and the results of a series of experiments in the use of multimedia conferencing and videobroadcasting in a number of educational settings (A. Sloane and others) were analysed during this session.

Piet Henderikx, Secretary-General of EADTU, participating online from Belgium in the workshop on EuroStudyCentres (ESCs), gave an overview about the EuroStudyCentres and their role in the development of open and distance learning in Europe. EuroStudyCentres are student support centres, as well as educational and training service centres with a European dimension and with important functions in the areas of: information gathering/ exchange and tutoring/counselling, providing high-quality courses and technology, registration, examination, and certification facilities. Through the EuroStudyCentres, the people in Europe can obtain information, advice, training products, and services in the areas of open and distance learning and training. The quality aspect of both courses and course delivery is the main concern of the participating institutions within the European Open University network. The up-to-date learning technology of the EuroStudyCentres guarantees an optimal learning environment in a transnational setting, said Henderikx. The ESC network presently consists of 52 nodes in 14 countries. Each member has full legal status to develop and deliver courses and nationally recognised qualifications. For the ESC Network a model of peer evaluation was developed. It includes visitation of the nominated ESC as well as the production of a self-study report. Lively discussion followed after his presentation and Henderikx answered the questions of the participants.

As part of TET99 there was a parallel arrangement on Thursday for regional and national industry in Norway (The Day for Industry). The idea was to show how information and communication technology is being used, in practice, in industry for competence development. Different experienced companies were invited to share their experiences with visiting industrial participants. The main objective of this day was to create an arena for the exchange of ideas and development of cooperation for the application of today's communication technology within competence development in small and medium-sized enterprises. The following presentations were included:

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  The new reality: Globalisation and the borderless society with ICT in its mid-point.

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  Can videoconferences compete with the "Taxfree shops"?

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  ICT as a part of reforms within competence development ­ a challenge for higher education institutions.

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  The "open room for learning" ­ demonstration of LOTUS "Learning Space".

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  Increased efficiency within the police force using Knowledge Management.

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  University of Sunderland: "University for Industry" ­ a model for Inland Norway? (presentation via videoconference).

Friday's Keynote

Friday's keynote speaker was Chris Abbott from the School of Education at King's College, part of the University of London. Abbott also acts as a consultant for the UK Department for Education and Employment, both in the UK and elsewhere, most recently in South Africa. He spoke about some of the trends at national policy level regarding ICT, distance education, and teacher education, and considered the extent to which these activities might signal a significant change in the way in which young people are educated. He also gave an overview of his current research results related to young people, the construction of identity, and the World Wide Web.

Four parallel sessions followed the keynote: International Cooperation, Human and Social Aspects, Technological Aspects, and Remote Control Labs and Techniques in Education.

Three papers were presented on the first session. Papers of M. Beazley described the CPAW (Computer Pals Across the World) global educational electronic network which was established in 1983, and the methodology and outcomes of a special project devised to celebrate the "International Year of Older Persons" (IYOP) and to provide a catalyst to bring about change in the culture of older persons. L.R. Hudson discussed organisation, support, and interaction for adult students in Web courses.

The session on Human and Social Aspects included three presentations: Thomas Raffensperger, United Arab Emirates, reviewed the educational needs of Muslim women in the region, and examined the current and future role of specific information technologies in women's higher education. Robert P. Taylor, Columbia University, USA, analysed Web sites designed to display art images, focusing on some of their specific advantages and disadvantages relative to alternatives for displaying art, such as galleries, printed catalogues, and videos. S.G. Antonsen, Norway, spoke about ICT expertise network for Sør-Trøndelag country schools.

Five presentations were devoted to technological aspects. A research team from the Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communication, Austria, introduced the Styrian School Network project. Requirements for realistic remote education systems were analysed by Prof. Campos, Brazil. C.J.S. Knudsen compared distance learning applications across multiple platforms and networks. A research team from the Technical University of Kosice, Slovakia, described the implementation of the ATM-based experimental training segment at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics in their university. I. Mirtskhulava and Z. Modebadze described the implementation problems of digital satellite television in Georgia.

Pedagogical hypertext as a theoretical support to the practical work of optics was analysed by V. Albe, Ecole Nationale de Formation Agronomique, France. A multi-agent system for distance support in educational robotics was introduced by S. George and C. Despres, Laboratoire d'Informatique de l'Université du Maine, France, in the last parallel session.

Closing Ceremony

In the conference's closing ceremony, Program Committee Chair Stanislav Zelenda, Organising Committee Chair Hilding Sponberg, and members of the Program Committee ­ Bob Taylor, Sirje Virkus, and Chris Abbott ­ summed up TET99. Summarizing such a varied and active conference was no easy task. They were trying to capture what had been learned and what had been discussed. They noted that this conference included discussion about the current realities in the information and communication technology world and explorations of technical innovation and its effects of educational change. They encouraged participants to take home what they had learned and to inspire others to bring innovation in education and training. The TET99 conference proceedings were published in printed form (contact address to obtain TET99 conference proceedings: hilding.sponberg@hig.no). The organisers emphasised their hope that participants saw the conference as an opportunity to speak to like-minded colleagues and to gain not only a great deal of encouragement but also some real, practical ideas on enriching their teaching and learning.

Sirje Virkus is Assistant Professor and Head of Department of Information Studies, Tallinn University of Educational Sciences, Tallinn, Estonia, and member of the Programme Committee of TET99, sirvir@tpu.ee