Didactical models for the use of E-Learning during a “GVA” long-term stay abroad

Praktische Ansätze zur Optimierung und Implementierung grenzüberschreitender Verbundausbildung (GVA) im Handwerk.

LEONARDO DA VINCI - Innovationstransferprojekt 2007–2009.

Didactical models for the use of E-Learning during a “GVA” long-term stay abroad

Student-tandem model

For the student-tandem model two apprentices from a VET college class work together in tandem. These two students go abroad at different times during the school year. During the stay abroad, the trainee, who participates at vocational college classes, supports the apprentice, who is abroad.

Essential to the success of this educational model is the definition of spare time for studies before the beginning of the stay abroad, so that the apprentices have time to learn whilst abroad.

The communication within the student tandem model is organized via e-mail, chat and forum. For direct communication, the telephone, Skype, ICQ, and audio-video conferences can be used.

The experience from practice shows that this model is difficult to realize, because two trainees from a class rarely go abroad at the same time.

Model AVC: Teaching through audio-video conferences

The apprentice who is abroad participates via audio-video conference at VET classes. The classmates can assign tasks to the apprentice abroad, which will be assessed by the teacher. The processing of the tasks can be integrated in the major course assessment. Further more, the apprentice abroad can be involved in group work. In addition to the audio-video conferences, communication is organized via telephone, e-mail, chat, forum and the school’s learning management system. This procedure requires that all instructional materials and a minimum of essential teaching results are documented and displayed in the learning management system.

Essential to the success of this educational model is the definition of spare time for studies before the beginning of the stay abroad, so that the apprentices have time to learn whilst abroad.

The basis for this teaching scenario is a common technical basis, such as Skype, ICQ, and audio-video conferencing within a learning management system. It is therefore very important that these technical requirements are available in the vocational college and abroad.

The experience from practice shows that this model is not easy to realize, because a sufficient internet connection is not always available abroad.

Model ES: exercise and script

In the model “exercises and script” the teacher provides scripts and / or books in combination with exercises, which the apprentice executes on his own. The provision may be as hard-copy version or in digital. It is important that the teacher sets dates up to which the processing is to be carried out. Communication is organized by telephone, Skype, ICQ, e-mail, chat and forum.

Essential to the success of this educational model is the definition of spare time for studies before the beginning of the stay abroad, so that the apprentices have time to learn whilst abroad.

For digital delivery, a learning management system should be available, to provide clear arrangements and support interactivity.

The experience from practice shows that this model is easy to realize, because the teachers have scripts, textbooks and curricula, which can be made available to the apprentices before their stay abroad.

College tandem model

The teacher from the home-college provides online learning materials (in English), which the apprentice will work with supported by a teacher of the hosting college. It is possible that the host teachers arrange and assess small tests, which have been prepared by the teacher of the home college.

Essential to the success of this educational model is the definition of spare time for studies before the beginning of the stay abroad, so that the apprentices have time to learn whilst abroad.

Communication is organized via telephone, Skype, ICQ, e-mail, chat and forum.

For digital delivery, a learning management system should be available, to provide clear arrangements and support interactivity.

The experience from practice shows that it is very difficult to implement this model, because the teachers have no scripts, books and tasks in a foreign language, which could be made available to a teacher of a foreign college. Furthermore, it is difficult to co-ordinate co-operation between colleges in different countries.

Model media modules: use of multimedia and interactive media modules

The teacher provides the apprentices with interactive media and multimedia modules for the duration of the stay abroad. The apprentice works independently with these media components.

The German Internet portal www.lehrer-online.de provides many digital lessons under the heading “Professional Training”. Lessons are available for the following topics:

 Economics

 economy computer science

 Accounting

 Organization and Economic Office

 Metalltechnik

 Electrical Engineering

 Information Technology

 Health Education

 Education

Essential to the success of this educational model is the definition of spare time for studies before the beginning of the stay abroad, so that the apprentices have time to learn whilst abroad.

It is important that the teacher sets dates up to which the processing is to be carried out. In addition, communication is organized via telephone, Skype, ICQ, e-mail, chat and forum.

For digital delivery, a learning management system should be available, to provide clear arrangements and support interactivity.

The experience from practice shows that this model is not easy to realize, because teachers usually do not have interactive media and multimedia devices, which meet the contents of the curricular. However, due to practical experiences with short-term internships abroad and GVA long-term stays abroad, some schools have started to develop Internet bases learning material (see example of the VET school in Warendorf).

Lesson-minutes-model

From its basic structure the model “lesson minutes” is similar to the model “multimedia modules”. As long as an apprentice is abroad, classmates have to do lesson minutes. The minutes will be published in the learning management system.

Essential to the success of this educational model is the definition of spare time for studies before the beginning of the stay abroad, so that the apprentices have time to learn whilst abroad.

It is important that the teacher sets dates up to which the processing is to be carried out. In addition, communication is organized via telephone, Skype, ICQ, e-mail, chat and forum.

For digital delivery, a learning management system should be available, to provide clear arrangements and support interactivity.

The experience from practice shows that this model is easy to realize, because the effort to support an apprentice who is abroad is very low and all other students are involved in this process. Another advantage of this model is that all students receive documentation of teaching.

Mentoring model

The apprentice who is abroad is supported by an apprentice of a higher class level from the same company. This apprentice, who acts as mentor, is in close contact with the teachers of the VET college. The mentoring model is similar to the student-tandem model.

Essential to the success of this educational model is the definition of spare time for studies before the beginning of the stay abroad, so that the apprentices have time to learn whilst abroad.

Communication is organized via e-mail, chat and forum within a learning management system. For direct communication, the telephone, Skype, ICQ, and audio-video conferences can be used.

The experience from practice shows that this model is difficult to realize, because rarely do two apprentices from the same company go abroad. Furthermore, for this model each year an apprentice from a certain company has to go abroad in order to establish continuity of the support system.

Holiday or block phase model

The apprentice uses summer holidays to stay abroad in order not to miss classes at VET school. Therefore this model does not require monitoring of the apprentice by the vocational college. In this case classes are not held on a weekly basis but during certain weeks during the year – a so called teaching block –, the apprentice can go abroad also between two teaching blocks without missing classes.

The experience from practice shows that this model is fairly easy to implement. Though, it is of great importance that the hosting company abroad has suitable job assignments for the apprentice during summer time.

Practical example of the Vocational College in Warendorf – MobiL (Moodle based intercultural learning)

In order to use Moodle to support short- and long-term stays abroad a structure compulsory for all classes has been developed (as of spring / summer 2009). Essential elements of this structure are the placement diary, which has to be filled in on a daily basis by the students who are abroad, and the forum to communicate with the class at home and for the exchange of information and materials (minutes of lessons, photographs, teaching materials, etc.). A basic rule of the forum is that the person who contributes an article has to respond to inquiries.

The Forum can also be used to discuss and clarify problems which occur whilst staying abroad with contact person at home.

The diary has a compulsory structure for all students and, next to the text input, is to be filled with images or audio and video streams (the latter depending on the media literacy of students). The diary is observed and assessed by the responsible teacher.

Precursor of the diary is a blog which was edited by a teacher. Basically, the blog-system can be integrated and used within Moodle.

The monitoring and supervision of students who are abroad is done via e-mail by the so-called country supervisors. In addition, Internet applications, which the students already use outside of school, are used for communication (e. g. Skype, ICQ). The VET school has distributed the support of a student to a number of teachers.

As for the technical monitoring of the students hardly any suitable Internet based learning materials are available, the school as started to develop its own materials (e. g. using Hot Potatoes http://www.hotpotatoes.de, http://www.exelearning.org exe). The focus at the moment is on subjects most relevant for final examinations.

Advantage of self-made learning materials:

·         minor expenditures for preparation, as teaching concepts and materials are at hand;

·         Content can be fit and tailored to lessons, which students will miss whilst abroad;

·         Additional information that emerged from the current lessons can quickly be integrated in learning material, i. e. the lessons can be documented completely retrospectively;

·         The learning materials reflect the lessons, and facilitate / support the reintegration and if necessary, repetition of teaching content after a students stay abroad;

·         Students may be included in the compilation of the material (e. g. minutes of lessons), these materials can be assessed by teachers.