GLOBE teachers develop Internetbased elearning in science and math

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GLOBE teachers develop Internet-based e-learning
in science and math

• Ülle Kikas
• Institute of environmental physics, University of
  Tartu
• Coordinator of the EU Socrates/Minerva project
  e-LSEE
• Kikas_at_ut.ee

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Outline

• ICT based teaching and learning in traditional
  school
• Challenges of e- learning based on Internet
  resources
• The GLOBE program
• EU Socrates/Minerva project e-LSEE
• Examples of e-learning themes developed by
  teachers
• Summary

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ODL at universities vs. e-learning at school

• Universities and learners are strongly motivated
  by organisational advantages
• Comfortable management of diverse student groups
• Chance to increase students number, etc
• Flexibility of learning time and place
• Accessibility of courses in appreciated
  universities, etc

• Less organisational advantages at school
• Teachers are weakly motivated (absence of
  learning materials, technical problems, weak
  appreciation from administration, achievements
  non-measurable in traditional assessment system,
  etc )
• Driving force for e-learning, are students, they
  can motivate teachers with their excitement and
  satisfaction
• Better content and methodology can drive
  e-learning in traditional school

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Using ICT for curricula teaching in school

• Presentations by data projector, distribution of
  materials and tasks via Internet and e-mail
• more attractive than textbooks (illustrations,
  animations), visual sense supports oral
  information, improving computer skills ?Students
  passive listeners, typing instead of
  handwriting, .
• ? new tools, traditional methods - in the future
  will not be considered as e-learning
• Using special educational software, learning in
  computer lab solving problems, interactive
  visualisation of processes, designing a product
  with a computer. Efficient use of school time,
  students are active developers. Future mainstream
  of e-learning in school
• Interactive games, quizzes etc
• Attractive for students ? difficult to include
  into curricula. Will always be a minor part of
  e-learning
• Interactive Internet learning in computer lab and
  home ?weakly developed
• Will be an important part of school education

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Internet resources in curricula learning

• irregular (addresses and content frequently
  change)
• Unsystematic, (non-adapted to educational needs
  and curricula)
• Available mostly in English
• Finding and adaptation requires special efforts
  from teachers

• bring real life into learning process
• Huge pool of knowledge
• recent achievements of research and technology
• high quality, large variety of products
• always new and fresh

?
Internet learning attractive for students,
challenging for teachers. Motivation and
preparation of teachers important!
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Internet resources on Earth

• Numerous sites with meteorological data, soil
  and water temperatures, cloud cover, solar
  radiation, UV exposures, stratospheric ozone,
  land cover, surface albedo, air pollution,
  vulcanoes, hurricances, etc.
• Relatively stable (offered by large centres,
  based on long-term programs and satellite remote
  sensing)
• Clearly understandable, directed to wide public
• Frequently presented as visual and numerical
  information (maps, graphs, images, tables),
  independent from language
• perfect resource for science, math, environmental
  and ICT education

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The GLOBE program a worldwide hands-on,
school-based education and science program
http//www.globe.gov

• network of over 10000 schools in 103 countries,
  led by NASA, NSF, EPA, U.S. State Department ,
  supported by governments of partner countries
• Students
• take measurements in the fields of atmosphere,
  hydrology, soils, land cover, phenology
• report their data through the Internet
• can create maps and graphs on the free
  interactive Web site to analyse data sets
• Teachers
• have Internet skills since 1995 - 1997

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GLOBE Internet resources are useful for student
research projects and e-learning of different
subjects

• GLOBE data, graphs and maps support development
  of universal skills
• in math and science
• drawing and reading graphs,
• linking numerical and visual information
• reading scales and color legends,
• understanding coordinate systems
• performing database operations, etc.
• specific ICT skills
• Working with browsers
• Searching for specified items
• Working with several windows
• Downloading and saving information, etc

• difficulties for curricula teaching
• GLOBE Web site too large, search complicated
• Language barrier hinders younger pupils
• Data irregularly distributed by schools and
  countries
• Links to curricula not clearly established
• few experiences and training on building the
  e-learning lesson plan and methodology

?
Analysis of data collected by students
themselves form their awareness and attitudes on
Earth environment
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e-Learning in Science and Environmental Education

• Collaboration of teachers from
• EE, CZ, NL, NO, PL, UK
• to promote e- learning of science,
• math and environment in traditional school
• partnership of GLOBE country coordinators and
  teachers
• Creation, discussion, and testing of new
  e-learning materials based on Internet resources
  of the GLOBE program
• Outcomes
• a set of curricula-adapted materials for
  interactive Internet learning. Platform online
  Internet, a browser, MS Office, GLOBE Web site.
  Freely distributed in Web and as a CD. An
  offline version also available.
• Conference "e-Learning in Science and
  Environmental Education , 1 - 4 October 2003,
  Tartu
• Visit the project home page http//ael.physic.ut.
  ee/elsee/

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The European IdeasThemes related to everyones
national curriculum

• THE EARTHS ORBIT
• 3.      Northern Southern hemispheres
• 4.      Do the same tree species grow all around
  the world?
• WHERE YOU ARE ON THE EARTH
• 7.      Maps, geographical coordinates
• 10.  Elevation 
• CLIMATE
• 14.  Comparing climate in different locations
• 16.  Continental/maritime
• 17.  Clouds
• CHANGES OVER TIME
• 31.  Seasonal changes
• 35.  Land cover changes over time

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The European Ideas

• HUMAN IMPACTS
• 39.  Acid rain (pH-measurements)
• 41.  Land use by humans
• MATHEMATICS/Physics
• 49.  Elaboration of data and their presentation
• 50.  Creating graphs line/block/pie/2-D/3-D .
• 51. Reflection of light.
• ALSO TO BE CONSIDERED
• Ages and abilities 8 9, 10 11, 12
  13, 14 15, 16
• All materials to be provided as complete unit in
  template introduction, activities including
  all GLOBE data as URLs reports, links, images
  and graphic ideas.
• All written in English first then shared,
  edited, tested, modified and agreed
• Finally all materials translated back into your
  own languages
• An example Finish uncompleted research
  http//sppk.vil.ee/elsee/Engl
• by Meelis Reinart, teacher of Saarepeedi Basic
  School

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Conclusions

• Interactive Internet learning in traditional
  school is weakly developed yet, but the issue is
  worth of more attention
• Curricula learning and teaching, based on online
  Internet resources is attractive for students and
  challenging for teachers with advanced ICT skills
• Enables the educational exploitation of latest
  achievements of world wide science and technology
  
• Supports integrating of knowledge for conducting
  complex tasks
• For its further propagation it would be useful
• Clearly define the educational need for Internet
  products
• Work on interfacing the existing Internet
  products to school education
• Define the appropriate methodologies (teaching,
  learning, assessment) for Internet-based
  curricula learning in school
• Disseminate good practice
• Increase teachers preparedness and motivation
• GLOBE teachers imlementing the e-LSEE project are
  the first adapters in schools, creating and
  testing the Internet-based e-learning materials
  and methodologies