The purpose of this study was to investigate the performances on speaking assessments in a first semester Spanish course to determine if there are differences among four sections based on required speaking tasks and mode of class delivery. Two of the classes were conducted online in a distance education delivery mode and two of the classes were conducted in the classroom. One section of delivery mode was required to fulfill speaking tasks throughout the semester while the alternate sections were offered the same speaking tasks as optional activities. Furthermore, the study investigated testing items repeated prompts versus new prompts to determine if there were differences in performance. Finally, the study investigated student performance confidence and beliefs about course materials. The data were collected through quantitative methods (oral rubric scores) and qualitative methods (open-ended questions). A total of 64 students participated in the study. Eight students completed the distance education course with optional speaking tasks. Thirteen students completed the distance education course with required speaking. Eighteen students completed the classroom course with optional speaking, and 24 students completed the classroom course with required speaking. In general, all classes made improvement between the first assessment and the second assessment. However, the mean performance scores for three of the four speaking prompts did not show significant difference among the four classes. In addition, there were no significant differences in mean scores of performances at the introduction of the two new speaking tasks on the final assessment. Only with one speaking repeated measure was there a significant difference. The significant difference was between the classroom with required speaking section and the distance education with optional speaking section. With an analysis of the Target Language Use, it was determined that the differences were due to lexical complexity and morphological complexity. In general, the self-report of confidence levels on the final oral assessment showed no significant differences among the four classes. There was a significant drop in confidence on one of the two new assessment prompts for all classes. Student comments indicated that there were frustrations with cognitive overload and dealing with ambiguity. / text

In traditional models of university education, students gather in classrooms, listen to instructors lecture on specific topics, and take notes with limited time for interaction. Students are then expected to spend additional time outside of the classroom reading textbooks, completing assignments, and preparing for tests. Instructors are viewed as experts providing information to students in much the same manner that they learned the content as students in college. The advent of the World Wide Web in 1991 allowed a dramatic change in the way students and faculty gather information, conduct research, and publish ideas. Internet-based technologies can transform traditional classroom experiences. Student participation can be increased by promoting group and collaborative learning online, and by the use of tools such as e-mail, discussion boards, and synchronous chat sessions. The objectives of this study were to 1) determine which factors affected faculty members’ use of technology integration in their instruction, and 2) determine what effect the integration of technology had on the role and teaching styles of faculty members. The study employed a mixed-methods research methodology. A survey instrument was developed and sent to faculty members at the five largest, public research institutions. The level of technology integration was calculated on a scale ranging from nonuse to full integration. The scale included practices such as providing online discussion areas, allowing/requiring students to use the Internet for assignments, and using anonymous online surveys to gather student feedback. Faculty members were then asked to elaborate on their answers. After the quantitative and qualitative survey results were analyzed, a select group of faculty members at one campus were interviewed to verify or dispute the findings. The survey results revealed the factors that significantly contributed to the overall level of technology integration were: instructional resources, professional and personal computer use, level of class, gender, title, and type of online teaching experience. One of the most significant factors was the level of instructional resources. Instructors with a facilitative teaching style were most likely to integrate technology into their instruction. This information can inform institutions when creating faculty development programs and budgeting limited resources. / text

Αντικείμενο της εργασίας μου είναι η E-learning. Αρχικά εξετάζω την πορεία της μέσα στον χρόνο, τα πλεονεκτήματά της αλλά και τα μειονεκτήματά της σε σχέση με την παραδοσιακή εκπαίδευση. Σαν μια νέα διάσταση στον χώρο της εκπαίδευσης χρειάζεται νέος σχεδιασμός τόσο όσον αφορά στην οργάνωση των μαθημάτων και του εκπαιδευτικού υλικού όσο και για την διαχείριση της τάξης. Συνεχίζω με την παρουσίαση των διαφόρων μοντέλων ανάπτυξης της E-learning που έχουν κατά καιρούς προταθεί. Μέσα από αυτά και κυρίως λόγω των προβλημάτων που αναδεικνύονται, διαφαίνονται και οι προοπτικές εξέλιξης της που δεν είναι άλλες από την συνδυασμένη μάθηση στην οποία και γίνεται ιδιαίτερη αναφορά αφού όπως όλα δείχνουν αναμένεται τελικά να επικρατήσει λόγω των πλεονεκτημάτων που προσφέρει. Ακολουθούν σκέψεις και προβληματισμοί ανθρώπων που έχουν ασχοληθεί ιδιαίτερα με την εκπαίδευση από απόσταση καθώς επίσης και προτάσεις για την αποδοτικότερη χρήσης της. Αυτοί που καλούνται να υλοποιήσουν την νέα αυτή μέθοδο μάθησης είναι βέβαια οι εκπαιδευτικοί και σίγουρα οι σκέψεις τους και οι προβληματισμοί τους έχουν θέση στην παρούσα εργασία. Στην συνέχεια γίνεται μία προσπάθεια αξιολόγησης της αποτελεσματικότητας της E-learning μέσα από διάφορες έρευνες που κατά καιρούς έχουν γίνει σε διάφορα σημεία του κόσμου. Στο κεφάλαιο για την κατάσταση στην Ελλάδα παρουσιάζω το Πανελλήνιο Σχολικό δίκτυο το οποίο είναι επιφορτισμένο με την παροχή τηλεματικών και άλλων υπηρεσιών στην πρωτοβάθμια και δευτεροβάθμια εκπαίδευση, με παράλληλη παράθεση των στοιχείων εκείνων που δείχνουν κατά πόσο οι υπηρεσίες αυτές χρησιμοποιούνται από μαθητές και εκπαιδευτικούς έτσι ώστε έμμεσα να φανεί κατά πόσο η εκπαιδευτική κοινότητα είναι πρόθυμη να χρησιμοποιήσει την νέα τεχνολογία. Συνεχίζω με τον μοναδικό πανεπιστημιακό φορέα που κάνει χρήση της Ε-learning ο οποίος είναι το Ελληνικό Ανοικτό Πανεπιστήμιο επικεντρώνοντας την προσοχή ιδιαίτερα στο τμήμα εκείνο που αξιοποιεί και αναπτύσσει την νέα αυτή μορφή της εκπαίδευσης. Στην συνέχεια αναφέρομαι στην πετυχημένη προσπάθεια της Ρουμανίας πάνω στην E-learning η οποία θα μπορούσε να λειτουργήσει ως οδηγός για άλλες αντίστοιχες προσπάθειες και κλείνω την εργασία μου με παρουσίαση διαγραμμάτων που δείχνουν πως έχει η κατάσταση στα διάφορα κράτη της Ευρώπης σχετικά με την χρήση της νέας αυτής μορφής μάθησης. / The object of my study is E-learning. Initially I refer to E-learning through the time, the advantages and the disadvantages related to the traditional education. As a new dimension in the space of education it needs a new planning in the way the courses are organized, the educational material and the class management. I continue with the presentation of various models of growth of E-learning that have been proposed. Through them and especially through the problems that have appeared, we can see the prospect of E-learning that is not other than the hybrid learning. There is particular report in this kind of learning because all elements show that this learning will finally prevail, because off the advantages that it offers. Some thoughts and reflections of persons that have particularly dealt with the education from distance are presented as well as proposals for more efficient use. Those that are called to materialise this new method of learning are the teachers and surely their thoughts and their reflections have been writen in this work. Then becomes an effort of evaluation of effectiveness of E-learning through various researches that occasionally have taken place all over the world. In the chapter for the situation in Greece I present the Hellenic School network which is charged with the rendering of telematics and other services in the first and secondary education. Moreover there is a parallel presentation of the elements that show how much these services are used by students and teachers. Through these elements we can see the degree the educational community is willing to use the new technology.I continue with the unique academic institution in Greece that makes use of E–learning, which is the Greek Open University, focusing the attention particularly in that department that develops and uses this new type of education. Then I refer to the succesful effort of Romania in E - learning which would be a good example for other similar efforts. I close my work with the presentation of diagrams that shows the situation in Europe with regard to the use of this new type of learning.

Bachelor thesis within Business Administration Title: Second Life – New opportunity for higher educational institutions Authors: Axel Andersen, Emil Hristov & Hamid Karimi Tutor: Olga Sasinovskaya Date: May, 2008 Subject terms: Second Life, virtual worlds, distance learning, marketing, universities, stu-dents, interactions Executive summary Background: Virtual worlds such as Second Life have been used in the corporate world for a few years now. However, it is only recently that higher educational institutions have seen the marketing and educational potential inside this world. Several hundred universities around the world are currently involved in Second Life and a majority of them give fully accredited academic courses inside SL. As traditional distance learning can sometimes be interpreted as low on interactions, SL represents a new means for interactive distance learn-ing. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore if, why and to what extent Second Life can be used as a marketing and pedagogical tool within higher educational institutions. Method: A mixed qualitative and quantitative method was utilized in this study. For the qualitative side: in-depth interviews with SL teachers from five universities around the world were held and these were complemented by observations at educational institutions inside SL. For the quantitative side: a questionnaire was designed and sent out to 50 SL-students. This primary data have been combined with appropriate secondary data concern-ing distance learning and education within SL. Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework can be divided into two main sec-tions: a marketing section with primarily service management theories and a pedagogical section where cognitive apprenticeship theory is applied. Conclusion: Higher educational institutions can use SL to promote their schools to pro-spective students and to other stakeholders such as new teacher recruits. All of the univer-sities that were under our scrutiny felt SL had strengthened their university’s brand. Fur-thermore, SL represents an opportunity for universities that are looking to increase col-laborations with other international universities and who are interested in enhancing the public image of themselves as pioneering and global universities. Therefore, it is highly ad-visable that a university such as JIBS enters SL, if not on pedagogical reasons then on stra-tegic and marketing reasons. In general, a majority of the students interviewed were satis-fied or very satisfied with the quality of the SL-courses they had taken and an overwhelm-ing majority would recommend SL-courses to other students. The empirical findings showed that the most frequent courses taken within SL are design courses, although no limits were perceived to exist of which courses that can be held within SL. A majority of the students also felt SL aided their learning experience. However, due to some of the cur-rent flaws of SL – such as the slow graphics and the high demands of computer hardware – SL should be viewed mainly as a learning tool that complements, rather than substitutes other current educational forms.

Geiščiūnas Gediminas. Informatikos magistro darbas. Nuotolinis studijų kursas „Fizika 10“. Darbo vadovė: Doc. S. Turskienė. Šiaulių Universitetas. Šiauliai, 2007. 45 puslapiai. Mokykloms kompiuterizuojantis, tikslinga kurti fizikos mokomąsias kompiuterines programas ir panaudoti jas mokyme. Fizikos mokymo kompiuterizavimas turėtų pagerinti mokytojo darbą, padidinti jo efektyvumą. Šio darbo tikslas – sukurti nuotolinio mokymo kursą „Fizika 10“, skirtą X klasės mokiniams. Kursas leistų mokytojams greičiau ir efektyviau pateikti mokymo medžiagą ir padėti mokiniams mokytis savarankiškai, ypač tiems, kurie negali atvykti į mokyklą ar tiems, kurie turi fizinę negalę ir negali pakankamai dažnai lankytis pamokose. Pagrindiniai uždaviniai: • Išanalizuoti fizikos mokymo kompiuterines programas. ����� Sukurti kompiuterinę mokomąją programą „Fizika 10“. • Sukurti nuotolinio mokymo kursą „Fizika 10“. • Atlikti Šiaulių apskrities mokytojų ir mokinių apklausą apie šį nuotolinio mokymo kursą. Darbo realizavimui buvo panaudota nuotolinio mokymo sistema Moodle. / Geiščiūnas Gediminas. Informatics Master’s Final Thesis. The course for distance learning „Physics 10“. Lecturer S. Turskienė. Siauliai University. Siauliai, 2007. 45 pages. Working on computerization at schools it is purposeful to make a physical educational installation programs and use them in the learning process. The computerization in the teaching process of physics should give teachers a great push in their educational work and up rate its efficiency. The aim of this master work is to create the course for distant learning under the title “Physics 10” for X formers. The course would give teachers the opportunity to impart learning material faster and much more efficiently and especially to those who cannot come to school or to those who have some disabilities and cannot often attend the lessons. The main goals: • to analyze computer-based programs for physics’ teaching; • to design computer-based educational program “Physics 10”; • to create the planned distant learning course “Physics 10”; • to quiz teachers and pupils in Šiauliai district about distant teaching course; The Moodle system for distant teaching was used to implement the goals assigned.

Lifelong learning became a must skill in Europe and all over the World that are affected by rapid social, technological and economical changes in nowadays. Qualitative training and learning process is influenced by many factors that should be carefully examined during the curriculum design phases, as well as during the learning/ teaching process. Distance learning and teaching is the efficient means to implement strategic aims of the system of education: to create learning possibilities for all society members, to contribute to designing effective learning/ teaching process, as well as to ensure more flexile organization of learning activities. While new distance learning/ teaching forms are getting more and more popular, they should be reviewed regularly applying a consistent quality evaluation methodology based on quality criteria and indicators, and distance learning/ teaching curriculum quality should be examined before each learning/ teaching process. There are some examples of quality assessment methodology prepared for distance learning/ teaching curriculum assessment in Lithuania on practical level allowing assessing distance learning/ teaching curriculum quality before accreditation procedure, however, such factors as analysis of other existing resources for realisation of curriculum online, effectiveness of chosen curriculum design and factors, influencing learning/ teaching process having the current design options, are not assessed at all. Quality assessment... [to full text] / Sparčių socialinių, technologinių ir ekonominių pokyčių veikiamoje Europoje mokymasis visą gyvenimą tapo būtinybe. Nuotolinis mokymas(-is) (NM) puikiai sprendžia strateginių švietimo sistemos siekių įgyvendinimą, sukuriant mokymosi galimybes ir efektyvesnį mokymo(-si) procesą, užtikrinant lankstesnį mokymo(-si) veiklos organizavimą. Naujai atsirandančioms NM formoms turi būti taikoma kokybės kriterijų bei rodiklių sistema, o NM turinio kokybė turi būti įvertinama prieš kiekvieną mokymo(-si) organizavimą. Lietuvoje parengtos NM turinio kokybės vertinimo metodikos leidžia įvertinti jo kokybę prieš jo akreditaciją, tačiau pasirinktų NM turinio realizavimo formų ir NM turinio projektavimo strategijos efektyvumas ir poveikis mokymo(-si) organizavimo procesui lieka neįvertinti. Mokymo(-si) turinio kokybės vertinimo proceso metu neužtikrinama konstruktyvaus mokymo(-si) samprata, nes nėra įvertinama, ar NM turinys leis mokymo(-si) organizatoriams savarankiškai veikti individualiose, nenumatytose situacijose mokymo(-si) organizavimo metu. Tačiau kokybės vertinimo metodika negali būti parengta kol nėra nustatyti ir apibendrinti veiksniai, įtakojantys NM turinio kokybę Disertacijoje projektuojamas NM turinio kokybės reflektyvus vertinimo modelis sujungia NM turinio projektavimo ir mokymo(-si) organizavimo procesus. Tyrime nagrinėjamos NM turinio projektavimo teorijos, identifikuojamos turinio kokybės vertinimo dimensijos, operacionalizuojami kokybės vertinimo veiksniai, kurių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Šio darbo tikslas – sukurti naują žinių vertinimo įrankį, skirtą matematinių žinių vertinimui ir jį integruoti į vieną iš populiariausių nuotolinių mokymo aplinkų. Darbe aptariami žinių vertinimo lygiai ir pateikiama keletos virtualių mokymo ir savarankiškų testavimo sistemų teikiami klausimų tipai žinių vertinimui, kiekvienam įvertinant galimą maksimalų žinių įvertinimo lygį. Siekiant sukurti kuo aukštesnio lygio matematinių žinių vertinimo įrankį, aptarta, kokiomis savybėmis jis turi pasižymėti, kokiomis technologijomis jį geriausia realizuoti ir kokiu būdu integruoti į pasirinktą virtualią mokymo sistemą. Darbe taip pat aprašomos problemos, su kuriomis susidurta kuriant naują klausimų tipą „Moodle“ virtualiai mokymo aplinkai, pateikiamas sukurto klausimų tipo veikimo testavimas ir jo naudojimo žinių vertinimui ir panašios paskirties klausimų tipo lyginamasis tyrimas. / The aim of this work is to create a new knowledge testing tool, which would be meant to estimate mathematical knowledge and to be integrated into “Moodle” learning environment. This work describes knowledge levels and shows how high different question types can represent students’ knowledge in virtual learning and independent testing systems. To create a new knowledge testing tool, there are described what functionality it should have, which technology is the most suitable for it and how it should be integrated in virtual learning systems. There is a list of problems which were solved to create the new knowledge testing tool. Also this work represents the results of this tool integration and usage testing. This and analogical tool in “Moodle” comparison research results are represented too.

Šiame darbe pateikiama nuotolinio mokymosi technologijos sąvokos ir turinio išaiškinimas. Apžvelgti nuotolinių studijų organizavimo modeliai. Analizuojama informacija apie nuotolinio mokymo/si būdus, priemones ir formas, kurias galima būtų taikyti geoinformacinių sistemų specialistų rengime. Pateiktos analizuotų universitetų ir institucijų teikiančių nuotolines studijas tinklalapių nuorodos. Įvardinti rekomenduotini nuotolinio mokymo priemonių ir technologijų pasirinkimo kriterija. / The article deals with explanation of the concept and content of distance learning technologies. Information about the ways, tools and forms of distance learning that might be used in training geodetic information systems specialists are analyzed. The website addresses of specialized universities and institutions providing distance learning are presented. The criteria of selecting distance learning tools and technologies are identified.

Sparčių socialinių, technologinių ir ekonominių pokyčių veikiamoje Europoje mokymasis visą gyvenimą tapo būtinybe. Nuotolinis mokymas(-is) (NM) puikiai sprendžia strateginių švietimo sistemos siekių įgyvendinimą, sukuriant mokymosi galimybes ir efektyvesn�� mokymo(-si) procesą, užtikrinant lankstesnį mokymo(-si) veiklos organizavimą. Naujai atsirandančioms NM formoms turi būti taikoma kokybės kriterijų bei rodiklių sistema, o NM turinio kokybė turi būti įvertinama prieš kiekvieną mokymo(-si) organizavimą. Lietuvoje parengtos NM turinio kokybės vertinimo metodikos leidžia įvertinti jo kokybę prieš jo akreditaciją, tačiau pasirinktų NM turinio realizavimo formų ir NM turinio projektavimo strategijos efektyvumas ir poveikis mokymo(-si) organizavimo procesui lieka neįvertinti. Mokymo(-si) turinio kokybės vertinimo proceso metu neužtikrinama konstruktyvaus mokymo(-si) samprata, nes nėra įvertinama, ar NM turinys leis mokymo(-si) organizatoriams savarankiškai veikti individualiose, nenumatytose situacijose mokymo(-si) organizavimo metu. Tačiau kokybės vertinimo metodika negali būti parengta kol nėra nustatyti ir apibendrinti veiksniai, įtakojantys NM turinio kokybę Disertacijoje projektuojamas NM turinio kokybės reflektyvus vertinimo modelis sujungia NM turinio projektavimo ir mokymo(-si) organizavimo procesus. Tyrime nagrinėjamos NM turinio projektavimo teorijos, identifikuojamos turinio kokybės vertinimo dimensijos, operacionalizuojami kokybės vertinimo veiksniai, kurių... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Lifelong learning became a must skill in Europe and all over the World that are affected by rapid social, technological and economical changes in nowadays. Qualitative training and learning process is influenced by many factors that should be carefully examined during the curriculum design phases, as well as during the learning/ teaching process. Distance learning and teaching is the efficient means to implement strategic aims of the system of education: to create learning possibilities for all society members, to contribute to designing effective learning/ teaching process, as well as to ensure more flexile organization of learning activities. While new distance learning/ teaching forms are getting more and more popular, they should be reviewed regularly applying a consistent quality evaluation methodology based on quality criteria and indicators, and distance learning/ teaching curriculum quality should be examined before each learning/ teaching process. There are some examples of quality assessment methodology prepared for distance learning/ teaching curriculum assessment in Lithuania on practical level allowing assessing distance learning/ teaching curriculum quality before accreditation procedure, however, such factors as analysis of other existing resources for realisation of curriculum online, effectiveness of chosen curriculum design and factors, influencing learning/ teaching process having the current design options, are not assessed at all. Quality assessment... [to full text]

Pagrindinis šio darbo tikslas buvo suprasti kas yra vaizdo konferencijos, kokios yra naudojamos technologijos interaktyviam bendravimui, išsiaiškinti kokios yra didžiausios kompanijos vaizdo konferencijų sprendimų rinkoje ir kokius produktus jie siūlo, suvokti kokie protokolai ir standartai yra naudojami vaizdo konferencijų transliavimui, pristatyti kaip skirtingos vaizdo konferencijų sistemos iš skirtingų gamintojų gali komunikuoti viena su kita. Šio vaizdo konferencijų naudojimo galimybių tyrimo pabaigoje galima rasti vaizdo konferencijų infrastruktūros rekomendacijas skirtingoms vartotojų grupėms (namų vartotojai, mokyklos, nuotolinio mokymo klasės, nuotolinio mokymo centrai), kurios buvo suskirstytos pagal savo dydį ir poreikius. Taip pat gale yra pateikiamos darbo išvados. / The main goal of this paper was to understand what is video conference, what technologies are used for interactive communications, to find out which companies are the biggest players in videoconferencing solutions market and what products they are offering, to realize what protocols and standards are used in videoconferencing, to introduce how videoconferencing systems from different vendors can communicate with each other. In the in the end of this research of opportunities of using video conferences you can find recommendations for video conference infrastructure for different users groups (home users, schools, distance learning class, distance learning center) which were distributed by their size and needs. Also you can find conclusions in the end of this research.