European Virtual Seminar on Sustainable Development

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European Virtual Seminar onSustainable
Development
Ron Cörvers Graz, 20-23 April2005
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Presentation

• Internationalisation and modern ICT
• European Virtual Seminar from idea to reality
• The EVS model aim, didactic, organisation
• Virtual collaborative learning lessons learned
• Towards an international didactic

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Internationalisation and modern ICT

• Evolution in environmental sciences
• Internationalisation / globalisation of
  environmental problems
• Concept of Sustainable Development
• Intergenerational (generation gt1)
• International (local global)
• Multi-dimensional (ecology, economy,
  social-cultural)
• Cross-cultural context
• Multi-stakeholder approach
• Inter- / multidisciplinary science

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• Evolution in higher education
• Bologna process
• Bachelor-Master structure
• International cooperation
• International mobility
• Course materials
• Printed courses (textbooks, workbooks)
• Courses supported by multimedia (CD-rom, DVD)
• Online courses (Internet, electronic learning
  environments)

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• Role of modern ICT
• learning tool for (international) courses
• delivery tool for (online) courses

international online European Virtual
Seminar ( EVS )
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EVS from idea to reality

• Project proposal 2000 (COPERNICUS-conference)
• 2000 some financial support from EU to start
  project
• 2001 pilot 9 institutions in 4 countries
• 2002 11 institutions in 5 countries
• 2003 15 institutions in 10 countries
• 2004 18 institutions in 11 countries
• 2005 preparing next run

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EVS model aim, didactic, organisation

• Aim
• The aim of the EVS is to promote an international
  and multidisciplinary dialogue on sustainable
  development issues between students from all over
  Europe.
• In the EVS students are directly confronted with
  different views and opinions from other students
  on societal processes of change towards a more
  sustainable Europe. Views and opinions that are
  highly related to different social, cultural,
  political, economic and environmental backgrounds
  students are living in.

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Didactic
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pedagogy

• collaborative learning (constructive learning
  theories)
• place and time independent learning
• 2 phases in EVS course
• individual work electronic learning environment
  and team building
• group work research, proposal, report, summary
• assessment and marking
• group products group report and policy summary
• group process performance student group

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content

• sustainable development in Europe
• case studies (2004)
• The future of sustainable agriculture in Poland
• Nature and biodiversity conservation Romanian
  forests
• Sustainable enterprises in European countries
• European spatial planning and policy Dehesa
  regions
• European water framework directive Danube basin

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community

• students international multidisciplinary
  compound groups
• tutors coaching group assessment group
  processes
• experts assisting group assessment group
  products
• institutional coordinators management formal
  issues
• central course coordinator overall course
  management

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electronic learning environment

• Blackboard Learning System
• web based course materials (casestudies,
  guidelines, etc.)
• tools for communication and interaction
• group areas (open and secured)
• electronic discussion boards
• chat facilities
• email facilities
• file exchange

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• Organisation
• Sharing expertise and investing staff time and
  resources by all partners.
• There is no joint budget for exploitation or
  further development / improvement of EVS.
• Institutions can become a partner on 3 different
  levels
• Students and an institutional coordinator
  participate.
• A tutor also participates.
• A case study is made as well and the expert
  participates.

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• Partners
• (2004 20 partner institutions in 13 European
  countries)

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Formal issues and quality guarantee

• Studyload EVS course 120 hours (October-January)
• Students receive credit points from their
  institution
• EVS as optional or obliged course in curriculum
• Requirements for students to participate in EVS
• English, studyload, computer and internet, etc.

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• Guidelines for coordinators. tutors, authors,
  students
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Individual Learning Records
• Group Reflection Reports
• Web based questionaries (specific issues)
• Telephone conferences staff
• Annual staff meeting

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Virtual collaborative learning lessons learned

• International cooperation takes a lot of time,
  because of differences in culture, different
  educational paradigm, etc.
• Staff members and most students are enthousiastic
  about EVS concept of international and
  multidisciplinary collaborative learning
  (necessary skill for learning on SD)
• At the start of EVS most students lack specific
  computer skills for virtual collaborative
  learning, and often they dont have experience in
  group work

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• Team building in EVS needs a lot of attention,
  because students dont know each other at the
  start and all social processes are depending on
  virtual communication and interaction (students
  suggest to organise a summer school after EVS)
• The role of the tutor is crucial for coaching and
  monitoring of the student groups, especially when
  problems arise in a group (students ask for more
  steering and feedback from the tutor)
• Total number of dropouts (about 50) can be
  explained by the complexity of the EVS
  (international, multidisciplinary, virtual,
  groupwork, etc.), but also the course management
  should be stricter (selection of students, credit
  points for students, formal position of EVS in
  curriculum, etc.)

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Towards an international didactic

• The EVS model of sharing expertise, staff time
  and resources works. Together we can offer an
  international learning experience, impossible to
  realise by an individual institution on its own
• Modern ICT makes it possible to internationalise
  the content of the curriculum (ICT as delivery
  tool), but also to communicate and interact
  worldwide (ICT as learning tool)
• Modern ICT makes E-learning possible, but
  E-learning requires a didactic concept to be
  successful

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• International (E)learning requires specific
  skills from staff (teaching in an intercultural
  context, using modern ICT, etc.) and students
  (language, miscommunication due to cultural
  differences, etc.)
• An international program on sustainable
  development should offer students international,
  intercultural and multidisciplinary knowledge and
  skills, to prepare them on their professional and
  societal functioning in an international and
  multicultural context
• Online courses as EVS can be offered as building
  blocks in international programs on sustainable
  development

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• Thanks for your attention!
• ron.corvers_at_ou.nl
• http//blackboard.ou.nl/evs