E-learning - teaching and learning with web 2.0 equipments

HAJDICSNÉ VARGA KATALIN PH.D
E-learning – teaching and learning with web 2.0 equipments

1. Teaching in the IT society

Teachers of the 21 century should discontinue the habit of simple knowledge-transferring and must know and use the modern leaning equipments. To achieve this on the one hand teachers must take part in the development of the learning environment and the organization of the learning process on the other hand they must help, motivate and brace the students up. The most important targets of teaching are the forming of skills, competencies, proficiencies and attitudes, the developing of the ability and possibility of lifelong learning, the integration of different pieces of knowledge and learning in heterogeneous groups.
First I started to study ICT as a linguist researcher. I had surveys in two topics and I presented my results at Hungarian Applied Linguistic Conferences under the titles ‘Interactive mother tongue lessons’ in 2005 and ‘Reading on the Internet’ in 2007.
The first survey showed that in Hungary e-learning method and equipments are mainly used by the teachers of IT and sciences. Hungarian language teachers are the least interested in digital curriculum design. Based on my own teaching experience I can assert that also Hungarian language teachers can use the Internet in the whole process of preparation, teaching and evaluation. Like getting information from different sources (thematic webpage systems etc.), experiences and advice of other institutes, teachers (panel discussions, e-mailing systems), selecting from online professional literature (libraries, journals, cyclopaedia, conferences etc.) or downloading teaching materials (tests, softwares etc.).
Open mind for virtual learning, own practice proved usability, proficiency in the application will ensure the success of our programme in motivating, helping and monitoring the students. Initial efforts (our not always 100% performance) will be appreciated and as members of the net-generation our students will help us with advice. This way we can eliminate mistakes and develop students’ creativity because programmes made together are meant to be their success as well. (Hajdicsné Varga, 2006).
In my second survey I examined the computer usage habits of 1st and 2nd grade Teacher BA students at the University of Kaposvár, Faculty of Pedagogy, focusing on reading. 113/200 voluntary participants filled the questionnaire (56,5%), 88 female and 25 male. First grade was represented by 48 students of art and visual communication, the second grade was represented by 32 students of Hungarian language and 33 of junior section teaching. The most popular web activity is e-mailing followed by searching for information (searching for studies only 5,3% but 20,3% spend more than 8 hours searching for other information- travelling schedules, news, music etc.). Neither those use the Internet for learning purposes who are long time computer users. Their main purposes for using the computer are typing and word processing. Using the Internet as base of information is just the 4th in line. 5th is reading in connection with art and culture while the least used activities are reading compulsory or suggested professional literature. Reading is for getting information. Book based reading is more common than reading on the Internet. 95% of the students prefer it as free voluntary reading and 77% prefer it as the base for compulsory professional literature. They read them on the Internet only if they can not find them in library or teachers tell them to do so. Mostly young Hungarian authors are read on the Internet (Hajdicsné Varga, 2008).

2. Learning in Tenegen postgraduate teacher-training course

After taking part in an Internet survey I got the possibility to learn in this distant training. I met the Internet as the member of the Baby-boom generation as Kulcsár, Zsolt says: we are those who sometimes use the Internet for work but it has not meant to be a radical change (Kulcsár). The course started in 2009 October. Sex, age, profession and qualification do not count in this distant training where we learn from each other.

2.1. First module: TC01-E-learning

Reading the introduction it seemed to me that moodle is a totally unknown learning environment for me. That is way I followed all the instructions to achieve the best results. The new notions were memorized by practise and voluntary self-control made me like web 2.0 very quickly. The members of group No. 7, with the help of a tutor, we became a fellowship and started e-mailing with each other and took part in panel discussion together. Reading the e-learning example it made me very happy when I realized that I have already used SDT or Apertus for teaching purposes. I downloaded from YouTube and Wikipedia and turned out that also one of my essays is there in the topic of shorthand- writing. To keep in touch with my students I also use iwiw. We made a survey among our students about the net-generation. My students turned out not to be members of it! They use the Internet mainly for everyday surfing, downloading so neither for keeping in touch nor for learning. Using for administration means to them traffic schedules, e-buying and route planning. Nobody could define the term net generation. Even if I suggest them to find material on foreign universities’ webpage or by foreign teachers they never do so. Scientific, professional purposes are not typical. Among learning purposes language learning is leading (60%). 80% has never heard about e-learning. In the first module I made my personal blog (on Google Blogger), TRAINING- from kindergarten to university and over (http://hajdicstenegen.blogspot.com). Since 29th October I have posted 13 times, including photos and a Christmas video as well. I suggested my students some reading in the topic of office-ergonomics-writing. I collected the possible use of the blog and YouTube during Administration and office organization lecture. I informed my students about e-learning but the feedback is low. Our No. 7 group unfortunately did not try the web meeting function as it was not a compulsory exercise. Till the end of the module I could not use Voicethread but I read the others’ stories. To summarize this module in the group I have to admit that co-operation was not good among the members, only 3-4 of them were active in panel discussions.

2.2. Second module: TC02- Network learning

Also in this module it is a must to find definitions, explanations of notions we find while reading on the Internet. It is an opportunity for foreign language speakers especially for those who speak English. While reading Prensky, first I thought myself digital immigrant but later I realized I don’t even have an ‘accent’. At first I always try to find information (books, professional literature, traffic schedules, phone numbers etc.) on the web.
The most important is to make an e-portfolio. We can inform about our personal data, profession or free time activities, too. There is no limit in time or space. The aim is to develop ourselves with the use of the reflections, opinions about ourselves. I do my portfolio in Mahara system and after the first difficulties it is getting widening as the time passes. There are some files and photos in my portfolio as well because the instructions help in widening.
Every module contains a chat room to share experiences, opinions but I couldn’t find anybody else there whenever I tried. Chatting is not popular in the course as only 13 entries has occurred since the beginning and the last one is from 22nd December. The main aim of the module is to produce common knowledge. Its steps are: reading, creating (writing), publishing (Kulcsár, 2008). That is why I published two PowerPoint presentations (Digitalized teaching materials in Hungarian language and literature, Using the Internet in teaching slang), and I widened the Teaching material database, too.

2.3. Third module: TC03- IKT equipments in teaching (from synopsis to e-learning material)

Web 2.0 was a new development in 2004. First it was an umbrella term for the softwares that help content processing and connecting people but later it turned out that the spread of broadband Internet, readable Internet turning into writeable one, effects everyday communication and social life so much that it became a compound term. Web 2.0 can be used not only in e-learning but in the whole teaching environment. The users of the opportunities (video broadcasters, file changing, online communication equipments, online games etc.) are members of the net generation, who are still at school. They will not ask the opinion of the school whether they should or not join a virtual group.
That is why teachers must learn about these equipments to motivate their students and learn through teaching.
Making the synopsis gives the possibility to plan the theme of a course and the script contains everything to develop an e-learning course (check the appendix).

3. Summary

To educate and teach the net generation it is a must to every teacher to make initiatives to enter the digital generation. If we have the base we can be not only information seekers but also information sharers. Network learning is realised as in the given framework we take part in interactive knowledge change. We have to use this learning method in our teaching practise because as for Bessenyei and Tóth (2008) the technology of IT society gives the possibility for people and institutions to gather in networks. With the help of web 2.0 equipments teachers and students can be in permanent connection irrespectively of time and space.

Bibliography
BESSENYEI I., TÓTH ZS. (2008): E-learning: a NETIS projektben szerzett tapasztalatok. www.ittk.hu/netis/doc/textbook/bessenyei_toth_elearning_hun.pdf
HAJDICSNÉ VARGA K. (2006): Interaktív anyanyelvi órák. A világ nyelvei és a nyelvek világa. A MANYE kongresszusok előadásai 2. Szerk. Klaudy Kinga és Dobos Csilla.MANYE – Miskolci Egyetem, Pécs – Miskolc 2006. 350-354.
HAJDICSNÉ VARGA K. (2008): Olvasás az interneten. Kommunikáció az információs technológia korszakában. MANYE Vol. 4. MANYE – Kodolányi János Főiskola, Pécs – Székesfehérvár 2008. 59-65.
KULCSÁR ZS.(é.n.): Az integratív e-learning felé. http://www.crescendo.hu/konyvek/ingegrativ-e-learning
KULCSÁR ZS. (2008): Digitális tanulás. http://www.crescendo.hu/2008/06/10/digitalis-tanulas
LANDOW, G. P. (1992): Hypertext and Critical Theory, The Johns Hopkins University Press.
PRENSKY, M. (2001): Digitális bennszülöttek, digitális bevándorlók. http://www.tenegen.eu/tmoodle/file.php/13/digital_kids_HU.pdf